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Joe Biden's advice to Americans to "gird your loins" because Barack Obama is going to face "an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy" is being treated as yet another gaffe by the lead-tongued Delaware senator.

But is he right? I mean, if I were a "bad guy" leader like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whose reelection bid is looking shaky, I might try to gin up some sort of situation to embarrass the new American president.

On the other hand, I might try to ingratiate myself by making some kind of overture. The North Koreans, for instance, might be holding back on a diplomatic breakthrough until George W. Bush is out of office, thinking a President Obama will give them a better deal.

Readers, what do you think?

UPDATE: McCain weighs in.