Monday, August 25, 2008

VP and Judgment


THE ABSURD TIMES

Just to bring busy people up to date, here is the Wikkepedia Article on Joe Biden, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.  Whatever one thinks of his record, his style and attacks on the Bush Administration shows Obama has excellent judgment. 

Those of you reading on the site can see the illustrations at Wikipedia, link supplied.


Joe Biden

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Joe Biden
Joe Biden

Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 3, 1973
Serving with Tom Carper
Preceded by J. Caleb Boggs

In office
January 4, 1987 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by Strom Thurmond
Succeeded by Orrin Hatch

In office
January 3 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by Jesse Helms
Succeeded by Jesse Helms
In office
June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by Jesse Helms
Succeeded by Dick Lugar
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 4, 2007
Preceded by Dick Lugar

Born November 20, 1942 (1942-11-20) (age 65)
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Political party Democratic
Spouse Neilia Hunter (deceased)
Jill Tracy Jacobs
Residence Wilmington, Delaware
Alma mater University of Delaware
Syracuse University
Profession Lawyer, Politician
Net Worth between $59,000 and $366,000[1]
Religion Roman Catholic
Signature Joe Biden's signature
Website Joe Biden
Joseph Biden at the World Economic Forum in 2003
Joseph Biden at the World Economic Forum in 2003

Joseph Robinette “Joe” Biden, Jr. (pronounced /bаɪ' dɛn/) (born November 20, 1942), is the senior United States senator from Delaware, and the presumptive Democratic Party vice presidential nominee in the 2008 US presidential election.

Raised in Delaware, Biden trained as a lawyer and became a senator in 1973 at age 30; the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He has served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. He is a long-time member and current chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and has worked on resolutions concerning the former Yugoslavia and Iraq.

Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1988 and in 2008. Currently in his sixth term in the Senate, Biden has served for the sixth-longest period among current senators, fourth among Democrats, and is Delaware's longest-serving senator.

In August 2008 Barack Obama's presidential campaign announced that Biden would be Obama's running mate for the 2008 US presidential election.

Contents

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Early life and family

Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph Robinette Biden, Sr. (Baltimore, Maryland, November 13, 1915 – Wilmington, Delaware, September 2, 2002), and wife (m. 1941) Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan (Scranton, Pennsylvania, ca. June, 1918 –).[2][3] He was the first of four siblings[3] and is of English heritage on his father's side and Irish heritage on his mother's side. He has two brothers, James Brian Biden and Francis W. Biden, and a sister, Valerie (Biden) Owens.[4] The Biden family moved to Claymont, Delaware, when Biden was 10 years old,[3] and he grew up in suburban New Castle County, Delaware, where his father was a car salesman. In 1961, Biden graduated from Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware[3] and, in 1965, from the University of Delaware in Newark,[5] where he double majored in history and political science.[3] He went on to receive his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968, and was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1969.[5][6]

In 1966, while in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter. They had three children, Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi Christina. His wife and infant daughter died in a car accident shortly after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. His two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured in the accident, but both eventually made full recoveries. Biden was sworn into office from their bedside. Persuaded not to resign in order to care for them, Biden began the practice of commuting an hour and a half each day on the train from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, DC, which he continues to do.

In 1977, Biden married Jill Tracy Jacobs. They have one daughter, Ashley, and are members of the Roman Catholic Church. In February 1988, after suffering from neck pains, Biden was hospitalized and underwent lifesaving surgery to correct two brain aneurysms, one of which began leaking.[7] The hospitalization and recovery kept him from the Senate for seven months.

Biden's elder son, Beau, was a partner in the Wilmington law firm of Bifferato, Gentilotti, Biden & Balick, LLC and was elected Attorney General of Delaware in 2006. He is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, where he serves in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. He is set to be deployed to Iraq in October, 2008.[8] Biden's younger son, Hunter, works as a lawyer in Washington, D.C., serves on the board of directors of Amtrak, and previously worked in the Commerce Department.

Hunter Biden was also briefly the president of a hedge fund group. That enterprise ended badly, in mutual recriminations between the Bidens and a business partner, and lawsuits in New York State.

Since 1991, Biden has also served as an adjunct professor at the Widener University School of Law. He teaches a seminar on constitutional law.

In 2002, Biden became a member of the exclusive Washington, D.C. Alfalfa Club. Biden has attended the World Economic Forum in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007. He sits on the board of advisors of the Close Up Foundation and is a part of the NATO Observer Group in the U.S. Senate.

United States Senator

In 1969, Biden began practicing law in Wilmington, Delaware, and was soon elected to the New Castle County, County Council, where he served from 1970 to 1972.[5]

The 1972 U.S. Senate election presented Biden with a unique opportunity. Popular Republican incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs was considering retirement, which would likely have left U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell, Jr. in a divisive primary fight. To avoid that, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon was invited to a meeting to convince Boggs to run again with full Republican support. Boggs ran, but Biden eventually won.[9]

Biden took office on January 3, 1973, at age 30, the minimum age to become a U.S. Senator; he became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history.[10] In 1974, then-freshman Senator Biden was named one of the 200 Faces for the Future by Time magazine.[11]

Biden has since won additional terms easily, defeating James H. Baxter, Jr. in 1978, John M. Burris in 1984, M. Jane Brady in 1990, and Raymond J. Clatworthy in 1996 and 2002, usually with about 60% of the vote. He is now the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Delaware history. He is running for re-election as senator in 2008. In 2007, Biden reported that he "garnered $67 million worth of projects"[12] for his constituents through congressional earmarks. With a net worth between $59,000 and $366,000, he is considered one of the least wealthy members of the Senate.[1][13]

110th Congress

Biden serves on the following committees in the 110th U.S. Congress:[14]

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 notably contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings: Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.[15]

Biden on Meet the Press
Biden on Meet the Press

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. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the section of VAWA allowing a federal civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence exceeded Congress' authority and therefore was unconstitutional.[16] Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000 and 2005.[17] 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.[18][15]

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.[15]

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.[19]

Foreign Relations Committee

Biden is also a long-time member and current chairman 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. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections, Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007. 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.[20] Biden has also called on Libya to release political prisoner Fathi Eljahmi.[21]

Biden gives his opening statement and questions to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and General David H. Petraeus at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Iraq; September 11, 2007
Biden gives his opening statement and questions to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and General David H. Petraeus at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Iraq; September 11, 2007

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Biden was supportive of the Bush administration's efforts, calling for additional ground troops in Afghanistan.[citation needed] He stated in 2002 that Saddam Hussein was a threat to national security with no options but to eliminate the threat.[22] 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 in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, justifying the Iraq War. He has long supported the appropriations to pay for the occupation, 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.[23]

Biden is a leading advocate for partitioning Iraq.[24] 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.[25] Senior military planners cautioned that a partition policy would require American military presence of 75,000 to 100,000 troops for years to come.[24]

Presidential campaigns

Biden has twice run for the Democratic nomination for President, first in 1988, and again in 2008. Both times he was unsuccessful. He also considered joining the Democratic field of candidates for the 2004 presidential race but decided otherwise, saying he did not have enough time to cultivate a sufficient fundraising base. Some thought Biden a possible running mate for presidential candidate John Kerry, but Biden urged Kerry to select Republican Senator John McCain instead, saying the cross-party ticket would help heal the “vicious rift” dividing the country.[26] Biden had also been widely discussed as a possible Secretary of State in a Democratic administration.[27]

1988

In 1987, Joe Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate, formally declaring his candidacy at the Wilmington train station on June 9, 1987. In his speech, he challenged Americans to step beyond the materialism of the Reagan years. When the campaign began, Biden was considered a potentially strong candidate because of his moderate image, his appeal to Baby Boomers, his high profile position as chair of the Senate Judiciary committee during the Robert Bork confirmation hearings, his oratory and his fundraising appeal - $1.7 million raised in the first quarter of 1987 was more than any other candidate.[28] Biden seemed to try to inspire the same hope and idealism associated with 1960s liberals such as Robert Kennedy, especially as related to civil rights. He received considerable attention in the summer of 1986 when he excoriated Secretary of State George Shultz at a Senate Hearing because of the Reagan administration's support of South Africa, which continued to support a system of apartheid.[29]

By August 1987, Biden's campaign had begun to lag behind those of Michael Dukakis and Richard Gephardt.[28] In September 1987, the campaign ran into trouble when he plagiarized a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party.[30] Kinnock’s speech included the lines: "Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Then pointing to his wife in the audience, he continued: Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?" While Biden’s speech included the lines: "I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? Then, pointing to his wife: Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?"

It was also discovered that, while law student at Syracuse Law School, Biden had plagiarized a law review article. Though the then-dean of the law school, as well as Biden's former professor, played down the incident of plagiarism, they did find Biden drew "chunks of heavy legal prose directly from" the article in question. Biden said it was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and Biden was permitted to retake the course after receiving a grade of F, which was subsequently dropped from his record.[31] Biden also released his undergraduate grades, which were unexceptional.[31] When questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school, Biden had inaccurately recollected graduating in the "top half" of his class when he actually graduated 76th from 85, that he had attended on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees.[32] He had received two majors, History and Political Science, and a single B.A., as well as a half scholarship based on financial need.[32] Faced with these revelations, Biden withdrew from the nomination race on September 23, 1987, saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his mistakes.[33] After Biden withdrew from the race, it was learned that the Dukakis campaign had secretly made a video showcasing the Biden/Kinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets.[34]

2008

Biden declared his candidacy for president on January 31, 2007, although he had discussed running for months prior,[35] and first made a formal announcement to Tim Russert on Meet the Press on January 7, stating he would "be the best Biden I can be."[36] In January 2006, Delaware newspaper columnist Harry F. Themal wrote that Biden "occupies the sensible center of the Democratic Party."[37] Themal concludes that this is the position Biden desires, and that in a campaign "he plans to stress the dangers to the security of the average American, not just from the terrorist threat, but from the lack of health assistance, crime, and energy dependence on unstable parts of the world."[37]

Themal goes on to quote Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen as saying that Biden's candidacy might be endangered by his "manic-obsessive running of the mouth."[37] This foreshadowed Biden's January 31 remark on fellow Democratic candidate and Senator Barack Obama, frequently transcribed as, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that's a storybook, man."[38] However, several linguists and political analysts stated that the correct transcription includes a comma after the word "African-American", which "would significantly change the meaning (and the degree of offensiveness) of Biden's comment".[39] Still, his comments took second place on Time magazine's list of Top 10 Campaign Gaffes for 2007.[40] Biden had earlier been criticized in July 2006 for a remark he made in an edition of C-SPAN's Road to the White House about his support among Indian Americans: "I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking."[41] Biden later said the remark was not intended to be derogatory: "It was meant as a compliment."[41]

Despite speculation to the contrary,[42] Biden has rejected the notion of accepting the position of United States Secretary of State, focusing only on the presidency. At a 2007 campaign event, Biden said, "I know a lot of my opponents out there say I'd be a great Secretary of State. Seriously, every one of them. Do you watch any of the debates? 'Joe's right, Joe's right, Joe's right.'"[43] Other candidates commenting that "Joe is right" in the Democratic debates was converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad.[44]

Biden was noted for his one-liners on the campaign trail, saying of Republican then-frontrunner Rudy Giuliani at the October 30, 2007, debate in Philadelphia, "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11."[45]

On January 3, 2008, during the Iowa caucuses, Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the presidential race when over half of the precincts were tallied in which he only captured 1% of Iowa's delegates behind Barack Obama, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Richardson.

After ending his Presidential bid, Biden chose to focus instead on running for a seventh Senate term. In late August, he was picked by Obama to be his running mate. It is unclear whether or not he has suspended his Senate re-election campaign as Delaware law allows an individual to run in both elections.

2008 Presidential campaign on Obama ticket

In a June 22, 2008, interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Biden confirmed that he would accept the vice presidential nomination if offered.[46] The Associated Press reported on August 22, 2008, that Biden had been chosen by Barack Obama to be his running mate, citing anonymous Democratic Party sources. The choice was confirmed via text message at 2:45 a.m. EDT[47] on August 23, and Obama's official campaign website confirmed the selection shortly thereafter.[48][49] The New York Times reported that the strategy behind the choice reflected a desire to fill out the ticket with someone who has foreign policy and national security experience—and not to help the ticket win a swing state or to emphasize Obama's change message.[50]

Biden and Obama in Springfield, Illinois after Biden's formal introduction as the running mate
Biden and Obama in Springfield, Illinois after Biden's formal introduction as the running mate

Polling in the days leading up to the announcement indicated Biden's presence on the ticket was unlikely to affect whether voters would support Obama.[51] If elected, Biden would be the first Roman Catholic vice president and the first vice president from Delaware.

Biden is up for re-election to the Senate in 2008 and would presumably run in both races. If he won both, he could resign from the Senate and Delaware's Democratic governor, Ruth Ann Minner, would appoint someone else to serve the first two years of his term, possibly his son, Beau Biden;[52] however, Beau Biden's impending deployment to Iraq as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard makes a Senate appointment problematic. Another solution that has been suggested is that Gov. Minner might pick the losing candidate in the 2008 Democratic primary for governor of Delaware—Lieutenant Governor John C. Carney, Jr. or State Treasurer Jack A. Markell—as the appointed senator.[53]

Political positions

Various interest groups have given Senator Biden scores or grades as to how well his votes align with the positions of each group.[54] Biden has a lifetime 72% score from Americans for Democratic Action through 2004, while the American Conservative Union awarded Biden a lifetime rating of 13% through 2007.[55] Biden has a lifetime average liberal score of 77.5%, according to a National Journal analysis that places him ideologically among the center of Senate Democrats.[56] The ACLU gives Senator Biden an 86% lifetime score, with a 91% score for the current session of Congress.[57]

Almanac

Public Offices
Office Type Location Elected Term began Term ends notes
County Council Legislature Wilmington 1970 January 4, 1971 January 3, 1973 4th District
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington, DC 1972 January 3, 1973 January 3, 1979
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington, DC 1978 January 3, 1979 January 3, 1985
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington, DC 1984 January 3, 1985 January 3, 1991
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington, DC 1990 January 3, 1991 January 3, 1997
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington, DC 1996 January 3, 1997 January 3, 2003
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington, DC 2002 January 3, 2003 January 3, 2009
United States Senate service
Dates Congress Majority President Committees Class/District
1973–1975 93rd Democratic Richard M. Nixon
Gerald R. Ford
Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1975–1977 94th Democratic Gerald R. Ford Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1977–1979 95th Democratic James E. Carter, Jr. Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1979–1981 96th Democratic James E. Carter, Jr. Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1981–1983 97th Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1983–1985 98th Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1985–1987 99th Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1987–1989 100th Democratic Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1989–1991 101st Democratic George H. W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1991–1993 102nd Democratic George H. W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1993–1995 103rd Democratic William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1995–1997 104th Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1997–1999 105th Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1999–2001 106th Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2001–2003 107th Republican
Democratic
George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2003–2005 108th Republican George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2005–2007 109th Republican George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2007–2009 110th Democratic George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2

Electoral history

Election results
Year Office Election
Votes for Biden %
Opponent Party Votes %
1970 County Councilman General
10,573 55%
Lawrence T. Messick Republican 8,192 43%
1972 U.S. Senator General
116,006 50%
J. Caleb Boggs Republican 112,844 49%
1978 U.S. Senator General
93,930 58%
James H. Baxter, Jr. Republican 66,479 41%
1984 U.S. Senator General
147,831 60%
John M. Burris Republican 98,101 40%
1990 U.S. Senator General
112,918 63%
M. Jane Brady Republican 64,554 36%
1996 U.S. Senator General
165,465 60%
Raymond J. Clatworthy Republican 105,088 38%
2002 U.S. Senator General
135,253 58%
Raymond J. Clatworthy Republican 94,793 41%

Works

  • Administration’s Missile Defense Program and the ABM Treaty: Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, December 2004) ISBN 0756719593
  • Examining The Theft Of American Intellectual Property At Home And Abroad: Hearing before the Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, May 2004) ISBN 0756741777
  • Hearings to Examine Threats, Responses, and Regional Considerations Surrounding Iraq: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, November 2003) ISBN 0756728231
  • Strategies for Homeland Defense: A Compilation by the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, September 2003) ISBN 0756726239
  • Putin Administration's Policies toward Non-Russian Regions of the Russian Federation: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, September 2003) ISBN 0756726247
  • Threat of Bioterrorism and the Spread of Infectious Diseases: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, September 2003) ISBN 0756726255
  • How Do We Promote Democratization, Poverty Alleviation, and Human Rights to Build a More Secure Future: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, June 2003) ISBN 0756724783
  • Political Future of Afghanistan: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, January 2003) ISBN 0756730392
  • International Campaign Against Terrorism: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, January 2003) ISBN 0756730414
  • Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS: Future Efforts in the U.S. Bilateral & Multilateral Response: Hearings before the Comm. on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate edited by Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, 2002) ISBN 0756734541
  • Hague Convention On International Child Abduction: Applicable Law And Institutional Framework Within Certain Convention Countries Report To The Senate by Jesse Helms, Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, April 2000) ISBN 0756722500
  • Homeland Security Law and Policy edited by William C. Nicholson with a foreword by Joseph Biden (C. C Thomas, c2005) ISBN 0398075832

Notes

  1. ^ a b Wallsten, Peter (2008-08-24). "Choice of Biden is a demographic calculation too", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2008-08-25. 
  2. ^ "Ancestry of Joe Biden". wargs.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Joe Biden Timeline". United States Senate. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  4. ^ "Joe Biden biography". Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
  5. ^ a b c "Biden, Joseph Robinette, Jr.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
  6. ^ Delaware’s Senators: Biden. See also: Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, p. 376. 
  7. ^ Altman, Lawrence, M.D. (1998-02-23). "The Doctor's World; Subtle Clues Are Often The Only Warnings Of Perilous Aneurysms", New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. 
  8. ^ Cooper, Christopher (2008-08-20). "Biden's Foreign Policy Background Carries Growing Cachet", Wall Street Journal, p. A4. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. 
  9. ^ Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, DE: Grapevine Publishing, 199. 
  10. ^ Giroux, Greg (2007-01-26). "Political Trivia for Jan. 29", The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-08-25. 
  11. ^ "200 Faces for the Future". TIME (15 July 1974). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  12. ^ "Clinton tops 2008 rivals, gets $530M in earmarks", TheHill (2007-11-09). Retrieved on 2008-08-24. 
  13. ^ AP - A look at Biden's Net Worth
  14. ^ "Senator Joe Biden — Senator for Delaware: Committees".
  15. ^ a b c Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, p. 377. 
  16. ^ "United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000)". Cornell University. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  17. ^ Bash, Dana (October 11, 2000). "Senate votes to allow compensation for terror victims, re-authorizes Violence Against Women Act". CNN. Retrieved on 2008-08-24. See also: "Deal Reached on Violence Against Women Act". Fox News (December 16, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
  18. ^ "History of the Violence Against Women Act". End Abuse. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. See also: "Making connections to end Domestic Violence". Microsoft. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  19. ^ "Kids 2000 Program". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  20. ^ "Democratic Presidential Candidates". The Iowa Caucus. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  21. ^ "Biden Renews Call for Release of Libyan Political Prisoner". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23.
  22. ^ Tim Russert (2007-04-29). "MTP Transcript for April 29, 2007", MSNBC, p. 2. 
  23. ^ Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, p. 378. 
  24. ^ a b Thom Shanker (2007-08-19). "Divided They Stand, but on Graves", New York Times. 
  25. ^ "Biden: Iraqi Progress on Oil is Important Step, But More Needs to be Done". Biden's senate website. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  26. ^ ""McCain Urged to Join Kerry Ticket"". Archived from the original on 2004-08-03., Reuters via MSNBC (May 16, 2004).
  27. ^ "Kerry to opt for the senator who copied Kinnock". The Times. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
  28. ^ a b Toner, Robin (August 31, 1987). "Biden, Once the Field's Hot Democrat, Is Being Overtaken by Cooler Rivals", The New York Times. 
  29. ^ "Lifelong ambition led Joe Biden to Senate, White House aspirations". Dallas News. Retrieved on 2008-08-25.
  30. ^ Dowd, Maureen (September 12, 1987). "Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo From Abroad", The New York Times. 
  31. ^ a b Dionne Jr., E. J. (September 18, 1987). "Biden Admits Plagiarism in School But Says It Was Not 'Malevolent'", The New York Times. 
  32. ^ a b Dionne Jr., E. J. (September 22, 1987). "Biden Admits Errors and Criticizes Latest Report", The New York Times. 
  33. ^ Dionne Jr., E. J. (September 24, 1987). "Biden Withdraws Bid for President in Wake of Furor", The New York Times. 
  34. ^ "Offers Briton His Talks `Without Attribution' Biden Meets Kinnock, but He's Not Speechless", Los Angeles Times (January 12, 1988).  See also: "Joseph Biden's Plagiarism; Michael Dukakis's 'Attack Video' – 1988", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-19. 
  35. ^ "Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate". Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  36. ^ "The "Best Biden" for President?". Salon.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  37. ^ a b c Harry F. Themal (January 23, 2006). "unknown", The News Journal. 
  38. ^ "Biden Unbound: Lays Into Clinton, Obama, Edwards – observer.com".
  39. ^ "Language Log: Biden's Comma".
  40. ^ Christine Lim and M.J. Stephey. "Top 10 Campaign Gaffes". Time. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
  41. ^ a b "Biden's Comments Ruffle Feathers, Senator Forced To Explain His Remarks About Indian-Americans", CBS News (2006-07-07). Retrieved on 2008-08-24. 
  42. ^ "A Candidate For Secretary Of State". The New York Observer (June 12, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  43. ^ "Biden Won't Serve As Secretary of State". FOX News (Thursday, November 29, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  44. ^ "Joe is Right". YouTube. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  45. ^ Joelle Farrell. "Concord Monitor – 'A noun, a verb and 9/11'". Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  46. ^ "Biden: I’d say yes to being VP". CNN. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  47. ^ "Text message is out and it's official".
  48. ^ Associated Press (August 23, 2008). "Obama's veep message to supporters", Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. 
  49. ^ "Welcome the Next Vice President". BarackObama.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
  50. ^ Nagourney, Adam; Jeff Zeleny (August 23, 2008). "Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate", New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. 
  51. ^ Cohen, Jon (August 23, 2008). "New Data: Impact of Biden", Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. 
  52. ^ Murray, Shailagh (August 20, 2008). "Biden's Son Off to Iraq", Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. 
  53. ^ "Swing State Project:DE-Sen: Bidenmania". Swing State Project. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
  54. ^ Mayer, William. "Kerry's Record Rings a Bell". The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-24. "The question of how to measure a senator's or representative's ideology is one that political scientists regularly need to answer. For more than 30 years, the standard method for gauging ideology has been to use the annual ratings of lawmakers' votes by various interest groups, notably the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) and the American Conservative Union (ACU)."
  55. ^ Kiely, Kathy. ""Judging Judge Roberts: A look at the Judiciary Committee", USA Today, 2005-09-12. Retrieved 2008-08-24]". See also: "2007 U.S. Senate votes". American Conservative Union. Retrieved on 2008-08-24. Lifetime rating is given.
  56. ^ "Biden's Senate Vote Record". nationaljournal.com (August 23, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
  57. ^ "ACLU Congressional Scorecard". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved on 2008-08-25.

References

  • Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005). Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal Group. ISBN 0892341122. 
  • Boyer, William W. (2000). Governing Delaware. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0874137217. 
  • Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, DE: Grapevine Publishing. ISBN B0006S3PP8. 
  • Peirce, Neil R.; Michael Barone (1977). Mid-Atlantic States of America. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0393055418. 

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United States Senate
Preceded by
J. Caleb Boggs
United States Senator (Class 2) from Delaware
January 3, 1973 – present
Served alongside: William V. Roth, Thomas R. Carper
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Strom Thurmond (R-SC)
Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
January 4, 1987–January 3, 1995
Succeeded by
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Preceded by
Jesse Helms (R-NC)
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
January 3, 2001–January 20, 2001
Succeeded by
Jesse Helms (R-NC)
Preceded by
Jesse Helms (R-NC)
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
June 6, 2001–January 3, 2003
Succeeded by
Dick Lugar (R-IN)
Preceded by
Dick Lugar (R-IN)
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January 4, 2007–present
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James M. Tunnell, Jr.
Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Delaware
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1972, 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002
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2008
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Kieth Olbermann on McCain

Olbermann chastises McCain: Grow up!
Senator is acting like a child, needs immediate attitude adjustment
SPECIAL COMMENT
By Keith Olbermann
Anchor, 'Countdown'
updated 8:24 p.m. CT, Mon., Aug. 18, 2008

Four times in just two days, Sen. McCain’s campaign managers have, simply, hung him out to dry.

First, trying to scapegoat the media, in the exact way that has spelled doom for other presidential candidates already watching from the sidelines.

Second, doing so with a petulant statement so full of holes that it virtually confirms that which was reported, and which set off this pointless temper tantrum in the first place.

Third, sending the candidate out to speak before the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, even as the millstones of a series of disastrous, anti-veteran votes, still figuratively dangled from around his neck.

And fourth, encouraging Sen. McCain, while there, to address his opponent in the language of unseemly contempt, undignified calumny, and holier-than-thou persiflage unsupported by reality, near-nonsensical bluster that at best makes the speaker look like a dyspeptic grouchy neighbor shouting “Hey you kids, get out of my yard.”

“Though victory in Iraq is finally in sight,” you told the VFW today, Sen. McCain, “a great deal still depends on the decisions and good judgment of the next president. The hard-won gains of our troops hang in the balance. The lasting advantage of a peaceful and democratic ally in the heart of the Middle East could still be squandered by hasty withdrawal and arbitrary timelines. And this is one of many problems in the shifting positions of my opponent, Sen. Obama.”

The shifting positions of Sen. Obama?

Sen. McCain, on the 22nd of May, 2003, you said, of Iraq, on the Senate floor, “We won a massive victory in a few weeks, and we did so with very limited loss of American and allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimum overall loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghani and Iraqi citizens.”

Senator, you declared victory in Iraq, five years and nearly three months ago.

Today you say, “victory in Iraq is finally in sight?”

The victory you already proclaimed five years ago?

Are we going back in time Sir?

If that had not been enough, in June of 2003, with even Fox News noting “many argue the conflict (in Iraq) isn’t over,” you answered, “Well, then why was there a banner that said ‘Mission Accomplished’ on the aircraft carrier? Look, I have said a long time that reconstruction of Iraq would be a long, long, difficult process, but the conflict, the major conflict is over, the regime change has been accomplished, and it’s very appropriate.”

In 2003, your war was won, because somebody was putting up a banner.

In 2008, your war might finally be won, because you are putting up a campaign based on the mirage that Iraq is winnable.

And yet it is Obama shifting positions on Iraq?

Even if this country were to forget, Senator, the victory lap you and President Bush took five years ago just on their face, your remarks today at the VFW, Senator, are nonsensical.

“Senator Obama commits the greater error of insisting that even in hindsight, he would oppose the surge. Even in retrospect, he would choose the path of retreat and failure for America over the path of success and victory.”

This construction, Senator, is extremely simple.

If your surge worked, the troops would be home from Iraq. Or most of them, would be. Or all of them who were surged, would be. Or at least we’d have the same number of troops in Iraq now, as we did then. Or maybe one or two guys would be out of harm’s way.

Please, Sen. McCain, stop! This is embarrassing. Whether on his own impetus or an advisor’s, the Senator also foolishly invoked his opponent in that speech today.

Previous political careers have foundered on the rocks of the VFW Convention: The Republican majority in Congress and the Senate, the very viability of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, began to unravel at this convention two years ago—that was the venue for the first of Rumsfeld’s two references to Bush critics as Nazi Appeasers.

Prudence and judgment, demanded that Sen. McCain tred lightly. Instead he told the convention, “I suppose from my opponent’s vantage point, veterans concerns are just one more issue to be spun or worked to advantage.”

This would explain why he has also taken liberties with my position on the GI Bill.

“As a political proposition, it would have much easier for me to have just signed on to what I considered flawed legislation. But the people of Arizona, and of all America, expect more from their representatives than that, and instead I sought a better bill. I’m proud to say that the result is a law that better serves our military, better serves military families, and better serves the interests of our country.”


Sen. McCain spoke out against that very bill last May on the asinine premise that the rewards to our heroes were so good that it didn’t encourage them to stay in the service. Or perhaps force them. More over, Sen. McCain missed 10 of the 14 Senate votes on Iraq up to the middle of last year. This year, he has missed them all including one to honor the sacrifice of the fallen.

He has voted to table or oppose:

  • $20 million for veteran’s health care facilities
  • $322 million for safety equipment for our troops in Iraq
  • $430 million for veterans outpatient care
  • $1 billion in new equipment for the National Guard
  • And, in separate votes:

  • $1,500,000,000 in additional Veterans’ medical care, to be created by closing tax loopholes
  • $1,800,000,000 in additional Veterans’ medical care, to be created by closing tax loopholes
  • And yet, Sir, you have the audacity to stand in front of the very Veterans you repeatedly and consistently sell out, and claim it is your opponent who has put politics first, and country second.

    “Behind all of these claims and positions by Sen. Obama lies the ambition to be president,” you said, with a straight face, today. “What’s less apparent is the judgment to be commander-in-chief. And in matters of national security, good judgment will be at a premium in the term of the next president as we were all reminded ten days ago by events in the nation of Georgia.”

    Senator, three points:

  • Your increasingly extremist and reactionary language towards Sen. Obama really the method by which you want to try to achieve the Presidency or perhaps split the country if you succeed?
  • Criticizing a man for having quote “the ambition to be president?” Seriously? You do realize you are currently running for president, as well, right? That either you also have “ambition to be president” or, what?, somebody’s blackmailing you into it?
  • You might want to ask somebody, somebody other than say, your Foreign Policy Advisor, Randy Scheunemann whether or not you are making a jackass out of yourself every time you bring up the conflict between Georgia and Russia.
  • The Georgians have paid Mr. Scheunemann and his companies 800-thousand dollars over the last several years to lobby for them. It’s pretty clear the Georgians have bought Mr. Scheunemann. And, Sen. McCain, it sure as hell looks like the Georgians thought they had bought you.

    When you had the tastelessness to paraphrase the rallying cry of 9/11 and say that we are now all Georgians, that nation’s President called you out. He said that your words were very nice, but he needed action not a verbal receipt from a lobbyist and his pet Senator!

    Going back to the beginning of this sad 48 hours of paranoia from the McCain Campaign.

    We have manager Rick Davis’s unfortunate letter to NBC News, about Andrea Mitchell’s reporting on the possibility that Sen. McCain violated the so-called “Cone of Silence” for the Rick Warren Presidential Forum over the weekend.

    The coverage of this detail, and that forum in general, is, to start with, overwrought. But Mr. Davis has elevated them to the ridiculous.

    As Nate Silver at the website 538.com noted, Andrea’s reporting, reporting of what the Obama camp claimed, included two essential observations:

  • “McCain may not have been in the cone of silence” and that he
  • “May have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama.”
  • Rick Davis writes to NBC: “The fact is that during Senator Obama’s segment at Saddleback last night, Senator McCain was in a motorcade to the event and then held in a green room with no broadcast feed.”

    As Silver astutely notes, for roughly the first half of Obama’s participation, his own campaign manager places McCain in a car where he could have been made aware of the questions to Sen. Obama. “In a motor vehicle,” Silver writes, “one may use the radio, a cell phone, a Blackberry, Bluetooth Wireless, a Sling box, and perhaps a satellite TV feed. Whether McCain actually used any of those devices, we have no idea. But he absolutely had the ability to use them, which is all that Mitchell had reported. Silver also tripped over Mr. Davis’s strange observation that for roughly the second half of Obama’s participation, his own campaign places McCain “in a green room with no broadcast feed.” Not a green room without cell service or internet, nor without a closed-circuit feed, nor, for that matter, without a guy running back from the audience with notes, written in crayon.

    Rick Davis’s argument is, in short, illegitimate.

    It is an attempt to pick a fight with the media, over the journalistic equivalent of chewing gum in class.

    “This is irresponsible journalism and sadly, indicative of the level of objectivity we have witnessed at NBC News this election cycle,” he writes.

    “We are concerned that your News Division is following MSNBC’s lead in abandoning non-partisan coverage of the Presidential race. We would like to request a meeting with you as soon as possible to discuss our deep concerns about the news standards and level of objectivity at NBC.”

    What Davis is really saying here, of course, is that he wants no level of objectivity, that the only campaign he wants questioned is Obama, and that “partisan coverage” consists of questioning whether McCain or his campaign support the stage whispers branding Obama as somehow ‘foreign,’ or whether McCain is to be inoculated from all criticism by dint of his military service.

    Sen. McCain, did you pay any attention to the Democratic primaries?

    Did you notice the hair-pulling frenzy of some of Sen. Clinton’s supporters who could not face the possibility that her loss might have been her fault or theirs and thus it must be ours?

    Do you remember the apoplexy of a washed up Republican operative named Ed Gillespie, writing a furious letter to NBC on behalf of President Bush?

    Mr. Bush’s support has since dropped.

    And Sen. Clinton’s supporters have now relocated to such a degree that her “eighteen million voices” first re-counted themselves as “two million” and were then unable to get even 250 people to show up at a meeting.

    The public sees through this nonsense, Senator, they see through it quickly.

    NBC and MSNBC do not have the power to seriously impact an election.

    If we did, Sen. Pat Buchanan would already be serving with you.

    Besides which, Senator, who in your camp thought it was a good idea to take a shot at NBC and MSNBC during the Olympics on NBC and MSNBC?!?

    During the Olympics, Sen. McCain, on which you have already run millions of dollars’ worth of McCain Campaign commercials on NBC and MSNBC!?!

    Senator, let me wrap this up. You and your campaign need a serious and immediate attitude adjustment. Despite what you may think, Sen. McCain, this is not a coronation. Despite how you have acted, Sen. McCain, you have no automatic excuse to politicize anything you want.

    Despite how you have whined, Sen. McCain, you have no entitlement to only sycophantic, deceptive, air-brushed coverage in the media. And despite how you have strutted, Sen. McCain, you have no God-given right to the Presidency.

    Let’s have an adult campaign here, in other words and I am embarrassed to have to say this to a man who turns 72 at the end of this month Senator, grow up!

    URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26271658/


    © 2008 MSNBC.com

    Tuesday, August 19, 2008

    Conventional Catharsis





    THE ABSURD TIMES





    Well, I've been asked enough times "What's a Catharsis?" lately, and this is because Hillary thinks that her followers need to have one at the convention -- it'll be good for Obama, she contends. Since those who ask me usually change the subject before I complete answering their question, I wonder why they asked it is the first place. Anyway, I am going to answer it here.
    Catharsis goes as far back as Aristotle. His first use of the term was medical, referring to "katamenia" which is menstrual fluid and catharsis meant getting rid of it. Today, women use the term "having my period," as a rough translation. But don't be fooled. You will not see hundreds of Hillary supporters having their period at the convention, no sir ee bob, no way.
    Aristotle used it in his Poetics to say "screw you, Plato, tragedy is good for you." It meant purging of yucky emotions, such as fear and pity.
    So, where do these yucky emotions come from? From the Hamartia, of course, of the tragic hero, or heroine, in this case, Hillary. (We can be reasonably sure of this because she is not Tammy Wynette "standing by her man," (who was George Jones and after Tammy divorced him, he had a resurgence in his career, but I digress.)
    Now, the term is used in the New Testament to mean "sin," or at least is translated that way. In tragedy (or "goat song" as the convention will be), it means flaw, or error, or mistake which caused a peripetia, or "shit hitting the fan". One of the main flaws, and most popular is hubris, or pride, or getting too big for yer britches.
    In the best case, the shit hitting the fan causes an anagorisis, or waking up and smelling the coffee. I don't know if she did or didn't, but we are more interested here in the catharsis which takes place in the audience.
    The whole idea, then, is to get rid of the bad emotions of Hillary supporters through their witnessing of her peripetia, or loosing the nomination, and then everyone will be happy and Barak will become President.
    Couldn't be simpler. It's a Democratic political strategy.
    I should add that these ideas were reintroduced to western civilization after Christianity tried to killed them. The first reappearance was in a translation by Hermann the German who translated Averroes' Arabic information into Latin. (Just didn't want to leave anyone out.)
    So, starting on August the 25th, get ready for a catharsis.

    This writer further saith naught.







    Sunday, August 10, 2008

    Let's Really Investigate

    The Absurd Times








    Illustration: Visit www.whatnowtoons.com

    Now for the real issues. The media is really trying its best to cover the burning issues of the day.
    Why, I've noticed that all the networks have run Paris Hilton's response to John McCain's silly phallic-ridden ad, and the McCain campaign thanked her for agreeing with McCain's energy policy (it didn't).
    The latest big story, no, not the invasion of Gerogia -- well, let's look into that. His Decidership announced that "Georgia is a Sovereign nation" and, I assume, Russia should follow our example towards such nations, such as we showed in Iraq and Venezuela and so forth. Putin was with him at the Olympics and replied diplomatically, "Up yours."
    But no, I'm talking about what is really important -- Edwards had an affair two years ago. Over and over, and we even get photos of the blonde photographer he had it with. However, if the story is that important, really, they really should dig into it. I mean, was he on top or was she. Did they do it doggie style? Was oral sex involved? She mentioned his being willing to try "new things" -- did they include equiptment or costumes? Handcuffs? How many orgasms did she have? Comon, media, we want to know how to vote and it is your job to get us the facts, so shape up!!


    Investigate Now!



    Tuesday, August 05, 2008