Lovable Vice President "Say It Ain't So" Joe Biden will arrive in India today, on a trade-boosting mission with the world's largest democracy. It follows last month's visit by Secretary of State John Kerry and precedes this fall's hosting of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by President Obama in Washington. The U.S. - India connection reflects the importance the U.S. places on the emerging Indian market, as well as its strategic value in counter-balancing China and as an ally in fighting terrorism (India itself being the target of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan). A side benefit from the increased attention to India is the positive reaction from the growing and increasingly affluent Indian-American population in the U.S.
(Hopefully, the endearingly engaging Biden will refrain from hugging unsuspecting females, which is a definite no-no among conservative Hindus. Just ask Richard Gere. Good luck, Joe).
