Currently in Washington the Obama Administration is hosting a conference on "violent extremism", which is their preferred term for the perplexing phenomenon of excitable young men of no particular persuasion who like to practice random acts of randomness. Vice-President Biden, taking time out from his hectic schedule of copping a feel of incoming cabinet secretaries' wives, gave an insight into the level of insight the White House brings to this issue:

During a White House roundtable discussion on the fight against violent extremism, Biden touted his relationship with Somali-Americans by noting that many of them drive cabs in Wilmington. "I might add if you come to the train station with me you'll notice I have great relationships with them because there's an awful lot driving cabs and are friends of mine," he said.

If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. If you want a friend in Wilmington, get a Somali cab-driver.

Question: When was the last time the Vice-President of the United States used a cab?

Follow-up question: When was the last time he used a cab in his previous incarnation as one of the most puffed-up senators in the land, trailing his entourage like a Saudi prince trails wives?

At any rate, the finest minds in the west are focused like a laser on what the US Government designates by the official acronym CVE - which stands for "Countering Violent Extremism" and not, yet, despite Marie Harf, "Cabs for Violent Extremists".

~Today I started the day with the great John Oakley on AM640 in Toronto. We discussed various aspects of the Obama Administration's approach to the Islamic State and related matters - including CVE, and the latest mass burnings by ISIS, just five miles away from where those 300 pairs of US Marine non-boots on the ground are supposedly "training" the Iraqi Army. And, as I said to John, in such a world who would be an American ally? Click below to listen:

~Tomorrow, Thursday, I'll be keeping my weekly date with Hugh Hewitt - don't worry, it's not in the Joe Biden press-conference sense: no wandering hands. That's live coast to coast at 6pm Eastern/3pm Pacific.