Ted Cruz Unloaded This Horrible Joe Biden Joke

There's a time for laughter and a little bit of roasting, and there's a time to just zip it — unfortunately, presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz didn't appear to understand comedic timing when he reportedly unloaded a pretty distasteful joke about Joe Biden. The joke, which made a punchline out of the vice president, came just days after son Beau Biden died from brain cancer at age 46. The big takeaway from Ted Cruz's Joe Biden joke is that in this country, politics can sometimes trump common decency. And that's not OK.

According to The Detroit News, the untimely "joke" came during a GOP dinner in Michigan Wednesday and was apparently received with "faint laughter among 650 Republicans." Apparently, it's a joke Cruz has used before on the campaign trail, CNN said, but just because the joke's been said before doesn't mean it should be said again. So what exactly did Cruz say about Biden? This from The Detroit News:

Vice President Joe Biden. You know the nice thing? You don't need a punch line. ... I promise you it works. The next party you're at, just walk up to someone and say, 'Vice President Joe Biden,' and just close your mouth. They will crack up laughing.

Perhaps busting out that well-worn quip days before the vice president buries his son is not the wisest move for the presidential wannabe. After all, it's been well-documented how close Biden and his son were and how tragic Beau's death has been to the family. As news of the horrible joke surfaced online, Cruz took to Facebook to apologize to Biden.

It was a mistake to use an old joke about Joe Biden during his time of grief, and I sincerely apologize. The loss of his son is heartbreaking and tragic, and our prayers are very much with the Vice President and his family.

Well, at least Cruz said he was sorry. On Saturday, Beau Biden's funeral will be held in Wilmington, Delaware, where President Obama is expected to deliver a eulogy. Cruz should take some notes because whatever Obama says, those are the kinds of words you say to a man who just lost his son.