JoeBidenSaysWhat, Part 930

Good to know Biden has street 'cred; that was the deal breaker.

Posted by RR | November 27, 2007 11:27 PM

And Joe thinks Obama's clean, too. Sorry, Joe you are a "great guy" but you seem to be mumbling a lot, and that happens frequently when you have your foot in your mouth.

Posted by Cinderella Ferret | November 28, 2007 12:22 AM

This is why Biden will never be president or a serious Democratic candidate--he always goes too far.

Posted by Keith | November 28, 2007 2:03 AM

Seems like he was referring to Obama's community organizing work in poor chicago neighborhoods, but yeah, go ahead, it's more fun to just assume racism.

Posted by Catharine | November 28, 2007 3:50 AM

Not real responsible to be masquerading half statements as whole ones. Here's the whole one:

"Sen. Obama [is] talking about experience and change. He's a great guy...I was a public defender. I spent times in the projects. That's where I come from. That was my experience. I would suggest I probably have as much experience working with minority people as anybody running for president, just based on my resume and my record. But when you do that, it comes off I think in the press, as somehow criticizing them, rather than laying out who you are."

"can't find the link"?

Posted by Al | November 28, 2007 4:01 AM

Love that Biden.

Posted by Hillary is a Witch | November 28, 2007 4:41 AM

Why did you cut off the rest of the quote like that? That's annoying.

Posted by Uzoma | November 28, 2007 8:39 AM

Another Biden quote taken out context, this time not even posted with in entirety--nice lazy, I-want-to-ruin-some-2nd-tier-candidate post.

Posted by Matt | November 28, 2007 9:23 AM

Just go to google when you want to find something, and type in "Biden." It works really well.

And here is what he said, according to Shailagh Murray:

ALLISON, Iowa -- It was an unusual moment for anyone who knows Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. The man was speechless.

Midway through a 90-minute session in the library of this small farming town, J. R. Ackley, who owns an insurance business in Marble Rock, noted that the top three Democrats in the field - Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards - have mighty short Senate resumes compared to Biden, who was elected in 1972.

"It's like three witches sitting around arguing about who's ugliest," Ackley said. "Hillary Clinton, her claim to fame is she's spent time in the White House. Why haven't you taken these guys on head on? I understand it's hard, but the disparity of experience and ability is so great, it's not even funny. And yet they're the ones getting all the press."

Most Democrats at the back of the '08 pack, Biden included, have avoided taking shots at the front-runners. As Ackley, wearing a Biden t-shirt, egged on his candidate, Biden stood at the front of the room, head lowered in his hands, face reddening.

"Thank you for your assessment of my capabilities," he responded. "I admit I've been reluctant. My career in public life and the way I've run all the time is, I've run based on what I am and what I can do, not what the other guy is or isn't."

But there are a few mild discrepancies.

"For instance, Sen. Clinton has done really good work. She points out she's been working for people for 35 years. And she has. It's true...But while she was doing that work, I was passing laws," said Biden, noting several legislative victories related to child welfare, a Clinton priority since her law school days.

He moved on to Obama. "Sen. Obama [is] talking about experience and change. He's a great guy...I was a public defender. I spent times in the projects. That's where I come from. That was my experience. I would suggest I probably have as much experience working with minority people as anybody running for president, just based on my resume and my record. But when you do that, it comes off I think in the press, as somehow criticizing them, rather than laying out who you are."

Next came Edwards' turn.

"John, I love John. John talks about how supportive of labor he is. And he is supportive of labor. But when John was the senator from North Carolina he didn't walk any picket lines." North Carolina is not a labor state, Biden noted. Delaware, his home state, most certainly is, and he mentioned a few prominent strikes during the 1970s "that cost me dearly politically."

Biden continued, "I walked picket lines. People don't have to wonder whether under pressure I will do the right thing. But when you do that, it makes it sound like John is not pro labor. John is pro labor. He's not as pro labor as I am. Because I have the scars on my back to show you."

He concluded on a more personal note, recalling the death of his wife and baby daughter in a car accident shortly after his first Senate election, and later, the two major brain surgeries that nearly cost Biden his life. Political advisors have urged to him to speak more of his struggles on the campaign trail.

But Biden told the crowd, "I'm not good at talking about it. I acknowledge it. I don't like to talk about it. You talk about it, you relive it." The crowd was frozen. "The neighborhood where I come from, a lot of people had a lot of tough things happen to them. At the end of the day, I think people will know who I am."

As for the negative stuff, "I'm just not personally comfortable with it."

--Shailagh Murray

Posted by Susan in Iowa | November 28, 2007 10:03 AM

Joe did spend time in the projects, as a public defender. Read his autobio. Thank God Marc Ambinder's blog isn't ready by too many people because if his readers are as lazy as him and don't check their facts, they'll get the wrong idea.

Posted by Dustin Ingalls | November 28, 2007 10:07 AM

Asphincterblogswhat? Wow, to think, I've been studying engineering this whole time and I could still do your job better, Marc? What the hell kind of journalist throws up shreds of quotes like that for inflammatory purposes only and then begs off with "can't find the link?" This is not print, it's the internet, and once you do your JOB and find the full text, you can UPDATE your blog and wipe the egg off. Electrons are miraculous like that!

Posted by shelbinator | November 28, 2007 11:18 AM

Sure, let's pile on and slam the best candidate for president with absolutely no evidence whatsoever. I spent 90 minutes watching Senator Biden last night talk to a room of at least 100 people (hear that, Rudy? 100!)in Waverly, Iowa on CSPAN. He was so authentic, straightforward and knowledgeable, he made me proud to be a Democrat again.

Posted by Alex, Kansas City, MO | November 28, 2007 11:20 AM

Yeah, take a quote out of context and make it sound racist when if read completely you'd note that all he is saying is that he's lived a tough life, and therefore understands what those travails are all about. But no, to actually try to understand the deeper meaning Sen. Biden is getting at would just be too much work. Besides, if you actually try to understand what he is saying you may actually, like him and may be forced to reassess the records of those three inexperienced top tier candidates the media has crowned as the only contenders in the race. Sen. Biden has more experience in his little pinky than Sen. Edwards and Sen. Obama combined. It's really a shame you would stoop so low as to cut off his entire comments just so you can attack him.

You can't find the link to the article? How lazy is that? Of course, using your own thinking process, I could just assume that you did so to prevent people from reading the quote in context thereby denying you the chance to trash the good Senator.

By the way, here's the link to the quoted text. It took me all of a second to find it.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/27/biden_fans_ask_why_not_take_on.html

Posted by John from NY | November 28, 2007 11:41 AM

Marc Ambinder, an Atlantic associate editor.

You are an associate editor and you publish nonsense like this? The quality of reporting at the Atlantic really has gone down.

Posted by Wow | November 28, 2007 11:47 AM

I am a long-time subscriber to the Atlantic, and I expect better, even on your blog.

I share J.R. Ackley's frustration with the fact that the media coverage of this campaign has been so focused on "frontrunners," and so inadequate to the task of covering even those. It is as if they want to make sure that the nominee is either a woman or an African-American with very little experience in foreign affairs. And that would be because why? Maybe it is because they are happy with having the GOP run the country, and want to make sure that a nominee with the least chance of winning gets nominated.

Clinton claims to be experienced, and the only person who points out that the Empress has no apparent clothing is Maureen Dowd, of all people.

Lots of people have been in the White House, but we would not think that their presence there qualifies them to be President. Let's review: Bush twins, Scooter Libby, Sandy Berger, Scott McClellan, Roland Mesnier, Nancy Reagan, for a start. Yet the media dutifully writes about Clinton's experience claim as though it is serious and well-founded. And Obama is a gifted and brilliant man, but he is not experienced in anything related to the presidency. But at least he does not have Michael "the surge is working" O'Hanlon on his foreign policy team, as Clinton does.

Biden has experience. Dodd has experience. Richardson has experience. But the Serious Journalists write about Clinton and Obama.

Posted by Susan in Iowa | November 28, 2007 12:20 PM

I found out why I don't like Biden but just couldn't figure out why I liked him and didn't like him -- why I don't like him: he has a snide underhanded bigotry about him and I can only imagine what he says to his wife on the subject of racial equality. Why I like him: I don't anymore.

Posted by RuthieM | November 28, 2007 1:12 PM

In these troubled and dire time we live in, Joe Biden, to me, encompasses all that we desperately need for our nation:

1) Intelligence
2) Experience in ALL phases of government
3) Strength
4) Respect from world leaders
5) Diplomacy
6) Command of issues
7) Solutions to problems that face our nation
8) Honesty
9) Integrity
10) Respect and trust from his peers
11) Respect and trust from the people who follow him
12) an EXPERT in foreign policy

Joe Biden certainly meets ALL of the criteria above.

I pray and hope every day that Mr. & Mrs. America, the people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina know in their hearts, that if we lose Joe Biden, we'll have lost one of the best Presidents our nation will ever have.

Please watch a video I produced to show my support for Senator Biden. If you support him, please send the link below to family and friends, and ask them to do the same.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OtGCaqOdIJ4

Posted by JDS NY, NY | November 28, 2007 2:28 PM

Biden consistently comes across as a racist punk kissing a white woman's butt to pander for a cabinet position.

He always says something swell about HRC but then knocks Obama with a backhanded complimented that focuses on negative ethnic stereotypes. Yet he can never seem to bring himself to pose the relevant question of how being First Lady makes Hillary experienced on foreign policy relevant to his own career in the Senate.

If Biden had integrity and wasn't so racist he'd put his record of accomplishments up against Obama for a change. That is what political rivals do ...they compare track records of achievements and outcomes. Better yet how about Biden tell us how his legislative career stacks up next to Baracks when it comes to significant and impactful legislation on issues of importance to Americans, like ethics and nuclear proliferation and healthcare or transparency in government?

Biden is too racist to do that when it comes to Obama. Why doesn't Biden compare his education or how does he stack up next to someone who was President of the Harvard Law Review. What were his legal accomplishments as a public defender? How does that experience compare with being a civil rights lawyer and constitutional law instructor?

Biden has nothing to stand on because he has not once had an original thought and is too intellectually lazy to put forth the effort to achieve on his own merit..thus he plagirizes and can't even give an original speech.

He might have had some tough times but obviously they did not strengthen his character. He is full of cynicism and likes to cheat to get ahead while disrespecting fellow human beings.

Biden needs to remain in the Senate and stop trying to entertain his ego by coming out and pretending to run for President as all he has done is serve as a surrogate for Bill at the Democratic debates by protecting Hillary's flank.

Geez, what a HRC sycophant.

Posted by vicissitudes | November 28, 2007 3:10 PM

Marc - I hear they are hiring at Fox News.
Since you report in the same manner as they do, you would be a perfect fit. Or maybe the Swiftboat Veterans could use a new voice . . .

Next time, try posting the complete sentence and not cherry-picking out a few words to slam somebody.

Here is what Biden really said for those of you that appreciate HONEST journalism:
He moved on to Obama. "Sen. Obama [is] talking about experience and change. He's a great guy...I was a public defender. I spent times in the projects. That's where I come from. That was my experience. I would suggest I probably have as much experience working with minority people as anybody running for president, just based on my resume and my record. But when you do that, it comes off I think in the press, as somehow criticizing them, rather than laying out who you are."

Posted by Jillian | November 28, 2007 5:04 PM

No wonder why you "can't find the link".
You misquoted what he said!

Here is the link
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/27/biden_fans_ask_why_not_take_on.html

Posted by Jillian | November 28, 2007 5:07 PM

vicissitudes,

You obviously don't know anything about Senator Biden. First, to your assertion that he is is a racist, please check your facts. Sen. Biden is one of the strongest supporters of Civil Rights in the senate. He's consistently voted for programs and polocies benefitting minorities, this in his 34 yrs in Congress, back when fighting for such things was extremely difficult.

Now to your claim that he always compliments Sen. Clinton, again, look at the facts. With regard to Sen. Clinton he said this before moving to Sen. Obama: "Sen. Clinton has done really good work. She points out she's been working for people for 35 years. And she has. It's true...But while she was doing that work, I was passing laws," said Biden, noting several legislative victories related to child welfare, a Clinton priority since her law school days."

I don't agree with him on everything, but at least I try to be informed.

The excerpted portion below is from Wikipedia, it lists several of Sen. Biden's accomplishments:

Judiciary Committee

Biden is a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In this capacity, he dealt with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. While chairman, Biden presided over two of the more contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings: Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.[9]

Biden has been involved in crafting many federal crime laws over the last decade, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law. He also authored the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA), which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. Although part of this legislation later was struck down as unconstitutional, it was reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. In March 2004, Biden enlisted major American technology companies in diagnosing the problems of the Austin, Texas-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and to donate equipment and expertise to it.[10][11][12]

As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the nation's "Drug Czar," who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, also known as the RAVE Act. He continues to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as Rohypnol, and drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine. In 2004 he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids like androstenedione, the drug used by many baseball players.[13]

Biden's legislation to promote college aid and loan programs allows families to deduct on their annual income tax returns up to $10,000 per year in higher education expenses. His "Kids 2000" legislation established a public/private partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet access, and technical training to young people, particularly to low-income and at-risk youth.[14]

Throughout his career Biden has vehemently opposed tort reform, while continuously joining Senate Republicans to support stricter bankruptcy laws.[15]

[edit] Foreign Relations Committee

Biden is also long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1997, he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee from June 2001 through 2003. His efforts to combat hostilities in the Balkans in the 1990s brought national attention and influenced presidential policy: traveling repeatedly to the region, he made one meeting famous by calling Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a "war criminal." He consistently argued for lifting the arms embargo, training Bosnian Muslims, investigating war crimes and administering NATO air strikes. Biden's subsequent "lift and strike" resolution was instrumental in convincing President Bill Clinton to use military force in the face of systematic human rights violations.[citation needed] Biden has also called on Libya to release political prisoner Fathi Eljahmi.[16]

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Biden was supportive of the Bush administration's efforts, calling for additional ground troops in Afghanistan and agreeing with the administration's assertion that Saddam Hussein needed to be eliminated. The Bush administration rejected an effort Biden undertook with Senator Richard Lugar to pass a resolution authorizing military action only after the exhaustion of diplomatic efforts. In October 2002, Biden voted for the final resolution to support the war in Iraq. He has long supported the Bush administration's war effort and appropriations to pay for it, but has argued repeatedly that more soldiers are needed, the war should be internationalized, and the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about the cost and length of the conflict.[17]

[edit] The Biden-Gelb Plan for Iraq

In November 2006, Biden and Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan calls for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions. [18] The key points include:

1. Giving Iraq's major groups a measure of autonomy in their own regions. A central government would be left in charge of interests such as defending the borders and distributing oil revenues.
2. Guaranteeing Sunnis — who have no oil rights — a proportionate share of oil revenue and reintegrating those who have not fought against Coalition forces.
3. Increase, not end, reconstruction assistance but insist that Arab Gulf states fund it and tie it to the creation of a jobs program and to the protection of minority rights.
4. Initiate a diplomatic offensive to enlist the support of the major powers and neighboring countries for a political settlement in Iraq and create an Oversight Contact Group to enforce regional commitments.
5. Begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces in 2007 and withdraw most of them by 2008, leaving a small follow-on force for security and policing actions. The plan named as The Biden-Brownback Resolution passed on the Senate floor 75-23 on September 25th, 2007, including 26 Republican votes.

That goes to his record against Sen. Obama who's been in office as a Senator for one term!

Moving to your touting of Sen. Obama's position as a law professor, well, Sen. Biden has been an adjunct professor of Constitutional Law at a Law School in Delaware for quite some time. His son Beau will be deployed to Iraq in January, he was a public defender and spent a lot of times helping people from the projects and has walked in civil rights marches and picket lines his whole career. What's more, he is an expert on foreign policy and on the judiciary, not to mention a nice guy.

You say he plagiarizes? This is laughable. If you believe that, then I'm not even sure that Sen. Obama would want your support as that is a misinformed and libelous accusation against a highly regarded senator. Look into the history of what happened and then ask yourself if what you believe is correct. Again from wikipedia:

"In 1987, Joe Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate. When the campaign began, he was considered a frontrunner because of his moderate image. However, the campaign ended when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party. Though Biden had correctly credited the original author in all speeches but one, the one where he failed to make mention of the originator was caught on video. In the video Biden is filmed repeating a stump speech by Kinnock, with only minor modifications. “Why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go a university? Why is it that my wife . . . is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? . . . Is it because they didn't work hard? My ancestors who worked in the coal mines of northeast Pennsylvania and would come after 12 hours and play football for four hours? It's because they didn't have a platform on which to stand.” After Biden withdrew from the race it was learned that he had correctly credited Kinnock on all other occasions. He failed to do so, however, in the Iowa speech that was recorded and distributed to reporters (with a parallel video of Kinnock) by aides to Michael Dukakis, the eventual nominee. Dukakis fired John Sasso, his campaign manager and long-time Chief of Staff, but Biden's campaign could not recover."

I don't expect you to read this Vici, but wanted to respond to your false and clearly biased statements to set the record straight.

Posted by Response to vicissitudes | November 29, 2007 12:09 AM

JoeBidenSaysWhat, Part 930

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