Joe Biden
So Senator Obama has selected Senator Biden as his running mate. It is a good year to be a senator. The conservative columnist David Brooks recently praised Biden. Your thoughts on Senator Biden?
August 23rd, 2008 by Leo Brown 
Leo Brown
August 23rd, 2008 by Leo Brown Leo Brown
So Senator Obama has selected Senator Biden as his running mate. It is a good year to be a senator. The conservative columnist David Brooks recently praised Biden. Your thoughts on Senator Biden?
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Biden was the best choice, thats why it was predicted. I only wrote about him in comments, but Ed Firmage has been cheering for him since the beginning.
Joe Biden for President and Biden Has Gravitas - Ed Firmage
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:05 am
I would have preferred someone who did not vote to authorize the invasion of Iraq. However, in 2002 all the Democratic senators with presidential ambitions voted for war. Probably Obama would have, if he was in the Senate at the time.
Senator Biden predicted that the downfall of Saddam would lead to chaos. He must have known an American invasion was a bad idea. To his credit, three years later he admitted his vote for war was a mistake. However, I have never heard him apologize for being part of the worst foreign policy fiasco in U.S. history.
I wish Biden would also apologize for his inept advocacy of partitioning Iraq along sectarian lines. It infuriated Iraqis, who have had quite enough of western powers drawing boundaries where they live.
Next week’s Democratic National Convention will provide the perfect opportunity for Joe Biden to humbly apologize for his poor judgment and promise to do better in the future.
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
I didn’t sign up for the text message gimmick, but 3 am? The Obama campaign denies it was a dig at Hillary’s stupid 3 am ad, yet…
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Biden is a dream pick, for Republicans. With two known plagiarizers on the ticket it will be fun to play “name that lifted quote” in their speeches. Maybe it was the fact that Biden gave Obama credit for being “The first mainstream African-American who is clean and articulate” that got him the VP nod? Watch for Hillary, she is going to torpedo Obama, mark my words.
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Senators have a terrible track record of winning presidential races, with any luck, none of the above will become president.
How can a convicted plagiarist have gravitas? Ed, I thought you were a University professor. Have we sunk this low?
He quit his own presidential campaign after his deeds, I mean copying were discovered. This is not good people.
News flash, plagiarist comes up as Joe Biden in it’s most common form of mis-spelling at the #2 spot on google. #1 by morning. DOH! It’ll be known as the Cliff notes administration.
Best choice in a crowd of losers. Good God the reps are going to make hay with this. It is so formulaic as to be witless. This choice will be regretted.
Now McCain picks Leiberman, my guess, and on record months ago, and it’s all over but the crying.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 pm
If Ken thinks it is a weak pick, I’m using past performance to project the future and say that Biden is an excellent pick. If I ever run for office, God help me if Ken endorses my campaign.
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Agreed, Obi!
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Ken,
Could you please comment here more often. It would save me the trouble of tuning in to Rush and Hannity every so often just to see what the talking points for idiots are going to be.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Oh No! Biden is endorsed by David, (Moonie Times), Brooks. I didn’t need to know that!
He looks like such a nice man, or a cocker spaniel though, doesn’t he [Brooks]?
August 24th, 2008 at 4:54 am
I find it interesting, that instead of dealing with the issue, to count how many people are talking about Ken instead of the issues he raises.
Guess it’s like gun control, go after the law abiding gun owners instead of tackling the causes of violence, so instead of addressing the factors about Biden as a choice…You attack a person who talks about the issues. Way to make yourself proud guys.
Does anyone not think that Hillary will be up to something at the convention?
August 24th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Whistling in the dark Obi, Don, and Albert…whistling in the dark.
August 24th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Let me address Ken’s “issue” with plagiarism. More than twenty years ago, Senator Biden paraphrased a couple of sentences from British politician Neil Kinnock in his stump speech. One time, he forgot to attribute the thought to Kinnock.
If this is the worst the GOP can come up with on a politician who’s been in Washington for 35 years, they are not trying very hard!
August 24th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Hey listen RM, no one is going to give a crap about the facts by the time this gets spun into the media circus.
The problems with progressive thought is that adherents somehow think the facts have ANY bearing on political outcomes. Politics operate from a logic all its own, a veritable stew of the psyches of what each element of the electorate want to believe, and how they will review the “facts” to their own cognitive consonance, that is justification.
It is a game that does not rely on actual facts, but who believes what “facts” and how strongly.
In that regard Biden is a terrible choice. Sorry progs, you took your finger off the piece, and the move cannot be taken back. Just like chess, there is no morality, only somebody that wins, and someone that loses, and the occasional draw, which republicans seem to have won recently.
Learn to play the game Democrats, there is no real possible reason for McCain to be anywhere near Obama, the fact that he is, is due to flat Democrat incompetence originating at the DNC. YEEE HAAAWW! Pathetic. I can only hope Democrats can hold out for the onslaught.
August 24th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Bob:
You haven’t been around long enough to appreciate Ken’s comments; accordingly, then, the substance (or lack thereof) of your last comment will be overlooked.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Bob,
Let me know when Ken raises an issue and I’ll be happy to talk about it rather than him.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
The Who has a good point about the nature of politics. I think it’s time to mention McCain’s “cross in the dirt” story which was lifted from Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago.
This isn’t from 20 years ago, McCain re-told the story just recently at the Saddleback Mega-Church non-debate.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
So then Richard, what are we to understand about the reason McCain has drawn up tight with Obama? It is clear to me anyway, that those that impact perception, i.e. elites, are battling it out. One faction represented by Obama, the other McCain.
What is happening is purely a human nature, with McCains’ supporters clearly holding the upper hand simply by resurrecting this Keating 5 corpse, the man who flamed 13o crew mates in an act of immaturity, to even be competitive. That these stories have no traction but Obamas’ and Bidens will, rather tells which way the wind is blowing.
The people believe one story or another dependent on their belief, no matter the calls to “fact” their dogmatic religious persuasion, and that has nothing to do with a deity.
No amount of denial can avoid the fact that all the stories we are told and believe have in their basis the subjective interpretation of them. Simple as asking two witnesses what happened that observed the same crime. They often don’t jive. Our entire country now is being decidered on this kind of anomalous perception, the divide in it so great as to be incredible.
Wish us luck, we are going to need it.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I’ve noted elsewhere that only 17 percent of the national public says that the country is on the right track, yet essentially the same sample is divided equally (within the margin of error) between McCain and Obama. Makes no sense in policy-preference terms, which probably means the superficial stuff carries more weight.
Of course, the election isn’t a national election. It will be decided in the swing states. Obama already has the lead in electoral votes. Biden could deliver Pennsylvania.
On ABC this morning, Cokie Roberts (how’s that for an elitist?) predicted another 50/50 election, and observed that in that scenario all the mud gets thrown, by both sides. It may come down to who has the better Teflon coat.
August 24th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
McCains veep choice could swing it. Fence sitters don’t like Biden. His outspoken manner has no appeal to them, he isn’t their kind of people. I get the sense they think him obnoxious.
I’m thinking it could be Lieberman. Who knows? Yet given that Israel has overplayed its hand in the Caspian, Russia is arming Syria and Iran, is listening to nobody western, has a great strategist in Putin, Israeli interests will go all out to lobby for Lieberman so as to have him one heartbeat away from Granpa. Who is the biggest lobby in Washington? Aipac has to be working overtime this last month.
Israels’ existence could depend on it. Which means our own future in the mideast as well. I don’t believe this is hyperbole either. We have been badly outplayed in every arena entered into. Sure, we can cream anyone, but it doesn’t stick without bleeding us dry.
Most dangerous time since ‘62. By far. Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea what the hell just happened. Tactical and Strategic defeat with a very small move in Georgia.
The neo cons will regret they artificially pumped the price of oil to 142 dollars. It gave Russia all the capital it required to resurrect itself. Europe is now chained to them for their foreseeable energy future. The Anglo-American alliance can’t expect much help from them. Ah, the law of unintended consequences. Hard. Hard lessons. This will leave a mark.
You must see at least 25 moves in advance to be a chess master, and then have experience. Consider our side. We have no one like that. Well, maybe Rove, but he is a rat.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:18 am
The Russians are playing chess. I have no clue what game our leaders are trying to play, and I wonder if Bush, Cheney, McCain, Lieberman etc. even know.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Bob S.,
I think you might be right about Hilary possibly being up to something. I just can’t figure out what her motivation for hurting Obama would be. If she becomes estranged to Obama and he does get elected she will have burned a pretty powerful political bridge as a senator. I only have three ideas for why she might want to cause him trouble.
1. She wants him defeated so that she can oppose a Republican four years from now.
2. She wants to promote some of her political stances with Obama, which would seem to be counter-intuitive if she does him too much harm.
3. She simply is acting on behalf of her ego and can’t take the fact that she was defeated.
Regardless, anything she might do to derail Obama’s bid can’t be good for the Democratic Party.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Glenn Greenwald’s take, sad but true:
August 25th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Richard it is pretty obvious.
She torpedos Obama now, McCain wins, is a one termer, and then she gets to be presidentess in the next go round.
If Obama wins and becomes a 2 term president, she has lost her chance most likely. It is after all, all about her, and the children of course, and the village, and bunch of other platitudes.
#3 sounds good, nothing like a woman scorned.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Once again, Richard, you are completely wrong. There is no such story in “Gulag Archipelago”. Of course, you’d know that had you ever read it, wouldn’t you?
Seems that you’re lifting talking points from Daily Kos an DU, no?
Of course, Richard, if you can point to a page number in “Gulag Archipelago” that has a similar story, I’d be happy to retract my statement.
Are you man enough to pick up the glove, Richard?
August 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
jd:
Being a condescending asshole is really beneath you, but it is fun to watch you go through the effort.
At any rate, why don’t you tell us when you read the book? Or, perhaps more likely, you should just admit that your info comes from the web just like many others’ info comes from the web!
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/solzhenitsyn_biographer_crossi.php
August 28th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Albert,
I’ll admit I’m getting my info from the web on this but I’m confused.
Your link shows that it isn’t in Solzhenitsyn’s book so McCain couldn’t have stolen it from there.
This link on the other hand provides evidence that maybe it really happen.
Conclusive proof, Nope but supportive evidence to say least.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Just cross-examining Richard, Albert. Picking his credibility apart.
The Miller decision.
Chemical weapons.
Cross in the dirt.
There are more…vast oceans of factual misrepresentations and falsehoods promulgated by Richard.
I guess I’m just having a bit of fun.
Oh - and I read Gulag in college, Albert. It reinforced my dislike of Russian authors.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Somthing I brought up on the air last night. If Biden is such a big deal, why did he have to play second fiddle to Clinton?
This begs the real question: If Bill Clinton were to come out against Obama between now and November, could Obama still win? Just a hypothetical, it would never happen… but what if… and if it did would it forever ruin Hillary’s chances barring a divorce?