Joe Biden as VP is something we can all support

[JI7]

foreign policy is the only area Obama is having trouble with and picking Biden would make most people with any worries feel better about voting for him. Biden is ready to be President so that wouldn't be an issue.

as part of the Biden/Lugar resolution it will show that he(democrats) did have another plan rather than no plan at all which is what Republicans always claim and use to play the fear card by saying Democrats would do nothing. as if it was a matter of doing what they did or wanted and doing nothing at all.

most people would say he not only did well in the debates but won most of them. we don't have to worry about how he will do when put up against any of the possible Republican VP candidates.

Biden is not liberal but he is also not part of the DlC which some always complain about.

Biden's Primary campaign did not leave any bad feelings among the Obama or Hillary campaigns. he never endorsed anyone either. so this will help in bringing those who supported both candidates.

[tekisui]

1. I could dig it.

[Kahuna]

2. I can get behind Bidey-Man!

:thumbsup:

[Marrah_G]

3. I could easily support that. Only concern is losing a powerful voice in the senate.

[Hope And Change]

6. I agree but will the Democratic Governor in Delaware be able to replace Biden...

with another Democrat?

Anyone who knows more about this?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. Yes. The governor would appoint a Dem to complete Biden's term.

[Cosmocat]

23. I could be wrong, but I thought Biden ...

has said that he won't seek another term ...

[Muttocracy]

42. no, he's running for re-election right now. nt

[Eurobabe]

4. I could get behind it

:hi:

[Hope And Change]

5. That would be a strong ticket!

[wyldwolf]

7. I'd be on board with that.

[DangerDave921]

8. My man!

Biden was my boy in the primaries. I always supported him over Obama and HRC.

[Olney Blue]

9. Joe was my first choice for pres, so I obviously support this idea!

Obama/Biden 08

[tkmorris]

10. I could live with that

Honestly I want Edwards, mainly because it sets him up for a bid in 2016, but Biden is a good choice. I could definitely get on board with that.

[Mass]

11. I could go with that no problem.

[Skwmom]

12. With all that experience he voted FOR the worst foreign policy debacle in U.S. history.

How is the VP to hammer McCain for his bad judgment when he displayed the SAME BAD judgment? Plus, Biden kills any change message.

If you supported the worst debacle in U.S. history, you are UNFIT to be a CIC or President in waiting.

[Inuca]

19. He would be applying for the VP job

not sainthood. He was wrong in his vote, he acknowledged that, and he has done a lot of good work before and since.

[Skwmom]

27. Sainthood? Whether he was just DUMB or blinded by personal ambition,

he is NOT qualified for the job. Why is that so difficult to understand? It has nothing to do with sainthood. We can't AFFORD anymore such mistakes. Plus, it takes away a MAJOR argument against McCain. You can hardly hammer McCain for his bad judgment when your running mate displayed the SAME BAD JUDGMENT.

This reminds me of the Bush admin rewarding incompetent people.

[Inuca]

31. It's absurd to claim Biden

is dumb or incompetent. He made a mistake, a major one, nobody is perfect (that's what I was referring to when I mentioned sainthood). It does not disqualify him from anything, and those who think that the war vote is the beginning and end of everything are wrong, all IMHO of course. And to imply that Biden and McCain are similar on the war because the both voted for it does not make any sense either. Does anything that happened in the almost 6 years since matter? Or once wrong, there is no forgiveness for you EVER?

[Skwmom]

53. In the REAL world, a mistake like that would DISQUALIFY you from any

kind of promotion. I believe someone pointed out that fact about McCain quite some time ago (I just can't remember who).

Iraq is the type of mistake, that anyone who did their DUE DILIGENCE, knew ANYTHING about history and the Middle East would have said not only NO but HECK NO!

It's not about forgiveness, it about being qualified to be second in line for the Presidency. Plus what message does that send to future elected officials? Vote for war and you too will be greatly rewarded.

Iraq will cost this country TRILLIONS though that is a small price in comparison to the human toll caused by this debacle that did NOT have to happen.

That type of MONUMENTAL MISTAKE should disqualify ANYONE from being anywhere near the Presidency. Hopefully, the Obama camp is smart enough to see that putting someone on the ticket who displayed the SAME BAD JUDGMENT as McCain would be DUMB! Americans are looking for change, not a political hack who puts his own interests ahead of doing what is right for this country. Because if Biden is as smart as so many of his supporters profess, then that leaves only ONE reason why he voted for the war.

[woolldog]

74. This is precisely my concern with Biden.

He eviscerates two of the main themes of Obama's campaign:

(1)Change, getting rid of the old washington stuff.

(2) And he voted for the war, which hamstrings Obama from harping on McCain's support of the war and the bad judgment such support indicates.

[DrZeeLit]

13. He's a great guy. Genuine. Met him while I was working for a public forum organization.

He was very real.
I worked with a lot of politicians and became aware of what I would call the "realness test."
First, was his or her staff helpful, courteous, punctual, and level-headed?
Second, would he or she look you in the eye and not be looking for the next hand or another, "better-connected" person with whom to spend time?
Third, does he or she make any demands (like rock stars with their specific M&M colors and/or bottled water choices)?
Fourth, does he or she show up and go beyond the basics? take questions? speak well? connect with audience?

I'm sure at the time, I had a few more criteria.

Some politicians failed miserably. I could name names, but I won't.
Biden was awesome. At the time, I even think he called me by my name without being prompted by an aide.
His staff was top-notch.

Another person I always admired was Senator Simpson, from Wyoming. A very fine man, even though a Republican. I cannot imagine what he's been thinking with this gang of thieves taking over his party.

Anyway, back to Biden.
Yep, he's the real deal.

[PatSeg]

57. I like your "realness test"

Glad to hear that Biden passed it. He always seemed very REAL to me, but I was not fortunate enough to meet him in person.

[Breeze54]

14. He'd have to lose his "ties" with the Credit Card Companies FIRST!!!

:grr:

[Inuca]

20. YOu do not like Biden's ties?

I find them quite tasteful myself.

[woodsprite]

25. As long as he's a Senator from Delaware, that's not gonna happen.

He is representing the people of Delaware, and most work for DuPont, the University, or the Banking/Credit industry. It's just the way our state is. Like farming or tech in other states.

[mwb970]

15. I've always been impressed with Biden.

Even if he talks a lot. At least he is articulate and makes sense! I would support him in any leadership position he aspires to.

[Lost4words]

65. Havent been following politics long have you, tell the truth.

8643

[mwb970]

79. What an insightful critique of my statement. Thank you! /nt

[rox63]

17. I'd love to see that ticket

:)

[jillan]

62. And Kerry as SoS!

[rox63]

67. Yes!

:woohoo:

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

18. I guess I'm the only one who doesn't support this...

1. Obama really needs to choose a governor, someone with Executive experience.
2. He has foreign policy experience but bad judgment because he voted for the IWR. Doesn't square well with Obama's message.
3. He's better as the Secretary of State!!
4. He has a tendency to run off at the mouth and make verbal blunders. The Repukes would slime him for it and the M$M would go right along with it. Remember, McSame has recently hired Steve Schmidt who is an ace at dissecting every word spoken by a politician. It got Obama in trouble this past weekend.
5. The plagiarism charge has haunted him for a long time. Watch as the Repukes go after him for that.
6. He's DLC, "Mr. MBNA," as a like to call him. Not appealing to the working class voters that Obama needs to sway. He is Catholic, however, which may help.

[Breeze54]

26. and... 'When Democrats Join the Dark Side'

When Democrats Join the Dark Side
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0304-26.htm

Their Kowtowing to Home-State Industries Props up the Republicans

by Jonathan Chait

Not long ago, I was listening to Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) being interviewed, and I was struck at how intelligent and morally serious he was. Biden is justly viewed as a smart foreign policy hawk, but he also expressed his opposition to Social Security privatization in a particularly lucid way.

All in all, he came across as just the sort of person you'd like to have as president.

There's just one issue that's the exception. And that's what's wrong with most of the Democrats: There's always one issue that's the exception. But before we get into that, let me explain Biden's particular problem.

Biden supports a bill in Congress that would make it harder for people to declare bankruptcy. This is one of those abysmal pieces of legislation that exists only because businesses with a vested interest in it have lobbied hard for its passage and that would have no chance of success if more than a tiny fraction of the public were aware of its existence.

Bankruptcy filings have risen slightly in recent years. Credit card companies argue that it's because people are gaming the system, going on irresponsible spending binges and then using bankruptcy to stick their creditors with the bill.

The more likely explanation is that the rise in health insurance costs has driven more people into bankruptcy. A recent Harvard study found that half of Americans who declared bankruptcy did so because of illness or medical bills. Regardless of why you go bankrupt, though, the new bill would make it easier for creditors to seize your assets. Nice, huh?

This isn't to say there aren't abuses in the bankruptcy system. There are. The bill simply does nothing to stop them.

The worst abuses are loopholes allowing corporations or wealthy individuals to declare bankruptcy and keep millions of dollars safe from creditors. One such device is something called an "asset protection trust" — a kind of savings fund that can't be touched by creditors. States actually compete with one another to offer the most generous trusts so they can lure businesses and affluent individuals to park their money in that state.

The most popular state for such trusts is corporate-friendly Delaware.

Delaware, of course, is home to Joe Biden. It's also home to many credit card companies, the driving force behind the bankruptcy bill. You don't have to connect a lot of dots to see the picture here.

The law is littered with abuses like the bankruptcy bill: measures that benefit a narrow economic interest at the expense of the broader public good. Most Democrats, like Biden, are smart enough to oppose most of them. But there's almost always a Democratic senator or two willing to shill for their home state industry's favorite abusive privilege.

When the Enron scandal broke, for instance, it came out that a few Democrats had joined Republicans to help the accounting and financial industry stave off sensible regulations during the 1990s. New York's Charles Schumer helped fight off efforts to bar accounting firms from receiving lucrative consulting deals from the same firms they audit — a practice whose inherent conflicts were made notorious by the misdeeds of the firm Arthur Andersen. Connecticut Democrats Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd shamelessly do the insurance industry's bidding.

On the other hand, Northeasterners like Lieberman and Schumer staunchly impose tougher mileage requirements on the auto industry. Alas, the auto industry staunchly opposes such requirements, and therefore so does Carl Levin of Michigan, normally a supporter of such liberal causes as a clean environment.

There's plenty more. Rural Democrats can always be relied on to support giveaways to agribusiness. Washington Democrat Henry "Scoop" Jackson, an old New Deal liberal, was known in his day as "the senator from Boeing."

The trouble here is that the relationship each Democrat has with his home-state business interests is the relationship every Republican has with every business interest. The bankruptcy bill enjoys unanimous GOP support in the Senate. It's a familiar pattern: Noxious laws enjoy support from a coalition of all the Republicans plus a rotating handful of Democrats who have ties to interested parties. Almost all the Democrats are on the side of the angels on almost every issue. But it doesn't take many Democratic defectors to give the Republicans a majority.

The ultimate problem is that even liberal Democrats consider being in the pocket of a home-state industry an acceptable indulgence. A little bit of shame might go a long way.

..........

[question everything]

48. Obama already said he is going to change the barnkruptcy law (nt)

[lukasahero]

29. You're not alone

And I really wish posters would stop with the "all of us" crap.

Re: not squaring well with Obama's message, nothing says change like a 36-year politcal veteran, does it? ;)

[Inuca]

21. One of the most appealing choices IMHO n/t

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

22. Biden would be a fantastic choice

For the reasons you listed above and many, many more.

[woodsprite]

24. I can't think of or hope for a better match! n/t

[TwilightGardener]

28. Biden makes a lot of sense as VP pick, because of his stellar credentials and experience--

AND, he's likeable. Yeah, he can come across as buffoony and blowhardy and in love with himself, but that's part of his charm. I think he would help with the working stiffs and blue-collars and Catholics.

[tokenlib]

30. Picking Biden would make Obama look like a hypocrite...

Obama attacked Hillary and McCain for their votes on bankruptcy reform. He has consistantly attacked the bankruptcy reform legislation. Just this week he was vehement in his attack on the legislation. And now in this thread most of you ignore the fact that Biden is like the mascot for the banks and lenders. Would Biden be able to stand next to Obama and watch him continually attack legislation he worked for and promoted??? Wouldn't the scene be a bit strange???

Someones sincerity would be in question--and it might end up being Obama's...like he needs to be accused again of changing his position....

[Bullet1987]

38. No VP pick is going to be perfect...you have to live with that

Even Bayh, who most would consider a very safe pick, just voted NAY on stripping immunity.

[tokenlib]

40. We all have our limits--kicking around people who have to go bankrupt is one of mine...

And the way Barack has been seizing the issue consistantly--even this week--there is a major problem with Biden that most of you on this thread are ignoring--or dangerously discounting.

Biden went against EVERY major consumer group in the country--and that was before this recession...

Bankruptcy rules had already been tightened and made oppresive--foe example, the bad credit for 10 years instead of 7 and not allowing student loans to be discharged. There was NO need to make it any worse--except to make the banks and lenders richer..

[Bullet1987]

71. Like I said

There isn't a such thing as a perfect VP.

[SeaLyons]

32. I think that would be an exciting and winning ticket...

[nomaco-10]

33. Of all the candidates for VP, I like him best. n/t

[anonymous171]

34. That's cool. I would totally support that.

I've loved Biden ever since he called Bush's appeasment smear for what it was, "BULLSHIT!"

[MGKrebs]

35. I like Joe Biden... as a Senator.

In 2016 he'll be 74 years old, so we either run him or start over without the advantage of incumbency?

[nomaco-10]

41. In eight years, hopefully we'll have several ....

up and coming new liberal progressives that might be the next junior senator or govenor from some state that gets elected this November.

We're starting something now that will hopefully bring about the change we need in this country that will propel us threw the next 100 years.

[Bullet1987]

36. I'm beginning to like Biden more and more

Maybe even more than Sebelius!!

[Thrill]

37. Supported the Iraq War.......No thanks

[Bullet1987]

39. Obama is the only one that ran that DIDN'T support it

Shit, even Edwards supported the thing. No VP pick is going to be perfect. Understand that.

[question everything]

49. And his opinion did not count. We will never know how he would have

voted had he been in the U.S. Senate.

[Bullet1987]

73. I believe he would have voted against it

As he vocalized opposition towards it WHILE he was running for the Senate. This is a BS Clintonian excuse to ignore what he said. He CLEARLY was very much against it, in ways other Dems weren't.

[Thrill]

52. Tim Kaine is the guy

[elleng]

45. and later recognized his mistake.

How many do that?

[Think82]

60. That's not entirely true...

Biden and Lugar attached an amendment to the Iraq resolution saying the president had to go to the UN before invading... it was shot down in the Senate. Biden met with Bush and being that it was after September 11, Bush wanted Joe's yea vote in a gesture of national unity, and Bush promised him he'd let the inspectors and UN in the country, and bush told him he would. Remember, Bush had handled afghanastan responsibly up to this point and had not shown his true colors yet.

Also, Biden held hearings in the months leading up to the war warning we needed a plan for after the invasion and that we would be committing to a decade, not six months if we took out Saddam.

So, in hindsight, was it the wrong vote? Yeah. Is there more to Biden's position than a simple "yea" or "nay" on the IWR. YES

[jillan]

61. I recently read that Daschle put the Biden/Lugar amendment on hold.

Something happened. Even Specter said he wanted to voted for the Biden/Lugar amendment instead of the IWR but it never came to the floor.

[newmajority]

43. Two senators on the ticket = McLoon landslide

Biden should be considered for Secretary of State though.

[Bullet1987]

44. That's a knee jerk opinion if I've ever read one

[newmajority]

50. No, it's a historically correct opinion.

And you don't even have to dig out the books. 2004 should be recent enough for you to remember.

[MGKrebs]

55. By that logic, even one Senator running wouldn't have much of a chance.

But I agree that 2 Senators is probably even worse.

Too many variables for that to have much significance.

[newmajority]

58. That's also true.

There hasn't been a Senator elected President since 1960, and it was even longer before that. You can make a reasonable argument that RFK would have won in 1968 had he not been murdered, or that Kerry was robbed in Ohio, but it never should have been remotely close enough to steal. And even in those cases, it would still be a rarity that a Senator won.

This time, both parties have a Senator as nominee, so that cancels each other out. There's a reason that Grandpa McLoon's people are only talking to governors. They might not accept the economic and military realities that the policies of the Bush Crime Family are complete failures, but at least they understand the historical reality that two senators will not win.

Obama's team had better do the same.

[question everything]

46. By the time I "discovered" Biden, it was too late

he dropped after Iowa.

But it was clear, after the debates, that he was the best, certainly when it was clear that we would be attacked on foreign policy and national security. He talked about Pakistan even before Bhutto was murdered.

Yes, he will provide just the right balance for Obama... as much as I would not like a two-senators ticket, he is the best.

[ReverendDeuce]

47. Obiden ticket all the way, baby!

I am all in for that ride.

[paulk]

51. I really like Biden, he was my number 2 choice

that said, I don't think he brings much to the ticket in the way of votes. He did poorly in the primary - he had almost no support. We don't need his state, we already have it, he doesn't appeal to the constituencies that Obama doesn't, which I think should be Obama's main concern. A lot of people in the purple parts of the country will see him as just another eastern liberal. He does bring foreign policy cred for those that pay attention (which isn't the majority of voters, who, even now, will be saying "Joe who?", but outside of that I don't see much upside.

[AngryAmish]

54. You mean Biden (D-MBNA)?

No thanks. Too corrupt.

[beachmom]

56. I like Biden or Tim Kaine (VA governor). Either one would work for me. nt

[jillan]

59. This is the buzz all over the place.

Personally I would like to see Biden as Sec of State - BUT - he
would bring so much to the Obama ticket, esp in taking down McCain.

[JaneQPublic]

66. I agree Biden would make an excellent Sec. of State

My main problem with him as VP candidate is his name.

"Obama-Biden" is courting all sorts of comparisons with "Osama bin Laden."

But apart from the name thing, we could do a lot worse for VP.

[Lost4words]

63. where have you all been the last 25 years? MBNA Joe SUCKS

we dont need any establishment democrats at all in this race.

you folks are worshiping false profits by supporting MBNA Joe!

8643

[mwb970]

80. How come you driveled so much more here than in your response to *my* post?

All I got from you upthread in response to my support of Biden was "haven't been following politics long, have you?" (Actually yes, I have, thanks. Funny how you think you know me well enough to insult me!)

This post demonstrates your illiteracy. If you were smarter, I would think you were making a joke with your "false profits" misspelling, but I think instead you just don't know how to spell "prophets". And by the way, "don't" has an apostrophe in it, and we capitalize the first letter of our sentences.

Haven't been writing English long, have you?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

64. Biden?

Isn't he the one leading the charge against steroids in baseball?

[jillan]

70. No - that's Specter, silly.

[politicasista]

68. I can support that

And no, I wasn't offended by the "clean and articulate" remark either. :)

[Stop Cornyn]

69. Not me. Sure, Biden is clean and articulate, but he is a gaffe machine who embodies "not change"

[AtomicKitten]

72. I like Joe.

[antigop]

75. Please don't speak for all of us-- I don't support him for VP

but I would support him for Secretary of State.

[otohara]

76. Excellent Choice

two thumbs up

[TheDonkey]

77. would love it.

[Awsi Dooger]

78. Every time I take one of those candidate alignment tests on the internet

They stick Biden atop the list, supposedly who I'm closest in agreement with. It surprised me until it happened repeatedly.

He's always impressive and certainly wouldn't be a dull VP candidate, or VP itself.

I could go along with it, but once again it would be forfeiting a VP choice in terms of influencing the presidential vote. I'm getting a bit sick of that in such a tightly contested era. When we have 3+ points worth of artificial pull in a given state, potentially a vital state, I'd like to use it. Tim Kaine or Bob Graham seem like the only remaining options in that category.