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Joe Biden's Mouth: 'If the Sparks Fly, So Be It'
August 23, 2008 10:22 AM
"The White House isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation," said a TV ad for Sen. Joe Biden's 1988 presidential campaign. "A President has got to know the territory, but that's not enough."
The ad says, "Joe Biden thinks its time to remind the world of what America stands for. Freedom. Equality. Justice. Opportunity. He thinks it's time to put courage over compromise, time to express America's outrage once again towards repression, brutality, violence, the abuse of human dignity around the world. And if the sparks fly, so be it."
If the sparks fly, so be it. Not a bad slogan for Mr. Biden.
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Dela., has long said what's on his mind with that attitude.
He's got a mouth on him. The sparks have flown.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and his team are hoping it's a mouth that does them good, not ill.
He told our friend Jeffrey Goldberg three years ago, "The Lord Almighty, or Allah, whoever, if he came to every kitchen table in America and said, 'Look, I have a Faustian bargain for you, you choose. I will guarantee to you that I will end all terror threats against the United States within the year, but in return for that there will be no help for education, no help for Social Security, no help for health care. What do you do?' My answer is that seventy-five per cent of the American people would buy that bargain."
Campaigning for president in New Hampshire in 1987, Biden admitted he had misstated several facts about his resume after a man named Frank questioned his Syracuse Law School resume.
''I think I have a much higher I.Q. than you do," Biden responded.
He added that he ''went to law school on a full academic scholarship - the only one in my class to have a full academic scholarship,'' adding that he ''ended up in the top half'' of his class (not true) and ''graduated with three degrees from college" (not true).
Five months later, Biden acknowledged that he graduated 76th in a class of 85. ''I did not graduate in the top half of my class at law school and my recollection of this was inaccurate," he said in a statement. He graduated with one degree -- a B.A. -- in two majors, history and political science.
''I exaggerate when I'm angry,'' Biden told the New York Times, ''but I've never gone around telling people things that aren't true about me...'I guess every single word I've ever said is going to be dissected now.''
More recently, Biden raised eyebrows as a presidential candidate running in 2008, telling an Indian-American, "In Delaware the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans, you cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent." (Watch HERE.)
Responding to a question from Fox News' Chris Wallace about how a Northeastern liberal like him could compete in the South, Biden said, "you don't know my state. My state was a slave state, my state was a border state, my state has the 8th largest black population, it's anything but a Northeast liberal state." (Watch HERE.)
He has a grittiness, a candor, a feistiness.
He said he would shove a troop funding bill veto down President Bush's throat. (Watch HERE.)
He called former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani "the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency...Rudy Giuliani, there's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, and a verb and 9/11." (Watch HERE.)
And of course he said of Obama himself, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." The implication that other African-American leaders weren't clean or articulate certainly raised some hackles.
"Barack Obama is probably the most exciting candidate that either the Democratic or Republican party has produced at least since I've been around," Biden later qualified. "He's fresh, he's new, he's insightful."
Biden said he regretted that "some have taken totally out of context my use of the word 'clean.'..My mother has an expression 'clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack,'" Biden said. "Look, the idea is, this guy is something brand new no one has seen before."
According to Biden, Obama told his colleague, "'Joe, you don't have to explain anything to me.'" Biden said he felt Obama "knew what I meant by it."
Both men are no doubt hoping he doesn't have any similar explanations to make in the next three months.
- jpt
August 23, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (122)
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I am still a Hillary Clinton supporter. I don't really care if Barack Obama had picked St. Peter for his running mate. This man ran the lowest of low primary campaigns. He overtly and subtley used gender bias to his own advantage and when it would really help him he would throw the race card at anyone who said anything negative against him. I liked Joe Biden but my opinion of him has gone down the drain the moment he said "yes" to being Barack Obama's running mate.
Posted by: Dennis Andrews | Aug 23, 2008 11:01:59 PM
Having two Lawyer/ Senators on the same ticket is really insane.
In most polls Senators rank just below loan sharks and used car salesmen and only slightly above lawyers.
If this pair gets in we are truly screwed.
Posted by: Robert P | Aug 23, 2008 8:27:00 PM
What a laugh, Obama with no experience picks a democrat from a congress with the historically lowest rating of any congress in history; a do nothing congress that passed NO major bills.
Obama can't tell the same story twice and cant speak without a teleprompter telling him what to say. He kisses up to a radical that tried to blow up the pentagon and congress, and blew up police stations and brags about it, has a minister that hates america and went to the biggest elitist university around. Plus he's never held a paying job and handed out sweetheart contracts to his rezco crooked buddy.
Some change all right, americans would have to be idiots to elect him.
Posted by: colonialgirl | Aug 23, 2008 7:45:59 PM
Very interesting, Peach. Biden cna say "Clarence Thomas is on the Court is because he is black. I don't believe he could have won had he been white." Geraldine Ferraro leaves the Clinton campaign for saying . "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position." Yet Biden gets chosen as VP. Interesting.
Posted by: Tracy Lynn | Aug 23, 2008 5:56:35 PM
BIDEN:
"Clarence Thomas is on the Court is because he is black. I don't believe he could have won had he been white. And the reason is, I think it was a cynical ploy by President Bush."
It's like being a racist is a resume enhancer in the Democratic party. Biden has made so many racist gaffes and look where he's ended up.
Posted by: Peach | Aug 23, 2008 5:23:19 PM
It is so easily forgotten that Biden supported McCain for the Dem Vp spot last time around. Biden voted for the action in Iraq. You Dems and Bush haters that support this decision surely are deluded.
Posted by: J | Aug 23, 2008 3:54:04 PM
EDWARDS your right. one of the great things about america is its filled with people who think differently and all cultures and colors.
WITH the freedom to say what we think or feel. Just because someone doesnt agree with you doesnt make you UN-AMERICAN it makes you A-AMERICAN.
PROOF- just look in this chat room right now most of us disagree....
Posted by: melissa
***************************************
Hey wait !!!! I agree with you on that !!!!! Hee, hee
Posted by: spacerook1 | Aug 23, 2008 3:50:36 PM
If Joe Biden has gone over to Obama, I'm on board too. Biden is smart, honest, and decent. I imagine he, like me, is disappointed by the way McCain has changed into just another smearing republican. I can support this ticket
Posted by: katharine | Aug 23, 2008 3:41:45 PM
You have got to be kidding!!!
All you people putting down the others parties and extolling the virtues of your own.
We should all be embarrassed that this is the best we have to offer the American people.
Both parties have put together abysmal tickets (regardless of who is McCain’s VP).
Obama/Biden is a socialist ticket and McCain/??Liberman?? is a democrat ticket. No representation for the conservatives.
Posted by: Old School GOP | Aug 23, 2008 3:25:59 PM
There is something desperately wrong with the USA. It has become a country of small minded lunatics. The types found amongst people working for their own down fall.
It is only in the USA rational people like Obama and Biden has question marks over them. The lunatics like McCain pass off as some patriotic bastard everyone should love. Certainly every country has their own bastards but they need to make sense but McCain takes the biscuit, for he's a class of his own in rank stupidity.
The USA need to resell itself to the world. That even the USA can even still look at McCain as the one to sell USA to the world is in itself a complete idiocy and out of touch with reality. Only a country that wants to accelerate it own down fall can think in that direction.
McCain has got absolutely nothing to offer other than some tried tired and irrational dead ideas.
Posted by: Broderick | Aug 23, 2008 2:46:17 PM
Ok, Ruthie, here's your break, but you better use it reading a paper or two. If you think Obama is the only one that's had his spit broken down, then you either live in a cave or are in Obamadenial. It's become a disease, ya know, just like BDS. Obamanuts really should try reality, it's much more refreshing. I can't wait for Biden to totally implode this Obama mania!
Posted by: Ann | Aug 23, 2008 2:26:00 PM
Oh give me a break, that's been the problem with Obama, the media breaking every spit of his down, throwing it on the tube and using it against him, his being afraid to say anything and everything, so I hope Biden tells them all where to shove it if they to muzzle him. Even the Obama campaign needs to leave him alone, they shouldn't worry or wonder if he will help or hurt otherwise they shouldn't have selected him, period. Biden is great, Obama needs him in this capacity, he is his own man and it should be just that way. Go Biden!! Obama/Biden '08!!!
Posted by: RuthieM | Aug 23, 2008 2:17:42 PM
Biden will not help Obama's performance in the polls. Face it, people have already dug in and made up their minds, and they have made up their minds that they will not support Barack Obama. They don't like him, they don't trust him, they don't have that "warm and fuzzy" feeling of familiarity, warmth, and a comfortable sense of identity with this man. McCain is a known quantity, and right or wrong, he is known as an independent person who is a maverick and has worked across the isle and gone against his own party. Obama, doesn't have any sense of identity, he can't and doesn't even try really, to connect to the masses. And guess what, you need the masses to win an election. Hillary's supporters, of which I am one, have dug in. They aren't going to support Obama no matter what. Now they might not vote for McCain, but in all liklihood, they will probably just not bother to vote at all. And that can really hurt the down ticket Dems. Republicans will support McCain simply because Obama is a worse propect. We shot ourselves in the foot. And we will get what we deserve because of it. John McCain.
Posted by: jdona | Aug 23, 2008 2:00:46 PM
Listen people this is not about Mad Cow Joe it is still about Change-boma, and it is still about the judgement of a President and so far it is very poor. You Libs are right there is nothing Republican can say about Mad Cow Joe but there are still a lot to say about Change-Boma. Can you see the changes so far? I have and clearly so.......(picking a congress member of the lowest aproval rating in history to become the VP).
Posted by: vegas | Aug 23, 2008 1:59:43 PM
Len: Are you saying that you do not take each and every legal write off on your Federal income taxes? Obviously you don't, because it would mean you are a hypocrite for saying you are honored to give the treasury your money.
I have had it with libs who claim how great high taxes on the rich are, but they TAKE EVERY LOOPHOLE AVAILABLE. Don't claim otherwise, moron.
Posted by: gM | Aug 23, 2008 1:51:01 PM
BHO's lies, misjudgments, boneheaded decisions and flip-flops: (Part 1)
• BHO has AUDACITY TO HOPE that Americans will not look at the character of the person to be president and he will be able to mislead them with his smoke and mirror tactics and speeches.
• BHO claims to have good JUDGEMENT, but contradicts himself by keeping relationships with anti-Americans, terror-mongers and racists for 20+ years
• BHO claims to be the MESSIAH of HOPE, but says ‘people cling to religion and cling to guns’ out of frustration. Is BHO equating Americans to ‘terrorists’ where the terrorists usually claim that they ‘cling’ to religion and guns out of frustration and economic woos?
• BHO claims to be a UNITER, but always tried to divide America on RACE and ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES
• BHO is trying to court the PRO-LIFE Americans by lying about his voting record, but also publically said that he would not PUNISH his daughters with babies.
• BHO claims to be INTELLIGENT and EXPERIENCED but proves that he is DUMB and NAÏVE by rolling out plan WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING the real situation by visiting the war zone and getting briefed by the Generals on ground who know the best.
• BHO talk about leveling fields as a non-politician. BHO entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it. BHO back stabbed his friend and mentor Alice Palmer by nullifying Palmer’s nominating petitions, forcing her to withdraw.
• BHO was DEFENDING Wright's anti-American, racist rants until his lack of credibility was exposed by Mr. Wright when he said "Obama had to say what he said as a politician", thus bringing BHO down to the ORDINARY politician level where he really belongs.
• BHO claims to be ‘TRUE’, but he is full of lies like - he never opposed hand guns, He never heard Mr. Wright making the incendiary quotes, He never said – he will not wear flag lapel pin, He is against NAFTA but had his adviser meet privately with the Canadian government to assure them he didn't really mean what he said about NAFTA and the list goes on and on
• BHO wants us to BELIEVES in CHANGE, but the kind of CHANGE he is really talking about is to go down to his knees to negotiate unconditionally to Iran’s Ahmadinejad, Hamas and other terrorist groups.
• BHO’s claims to be a STRONG speaker – but only when he is reading a teleprompter. Look at his goofs when there is no such aid available - "I have been to 57 states and 1 to go" or "veterans who lost there lives, some of which are in the audience” or "Arabic translators taken from Iraq and sent to Afghanistan" or “he'd like to meet with "President Maliki" when he travels to Iraq.
• BHO is TOUGH enough to throw his grand mother under the bus, but he neither has GUTS to repudiate his anti-American, racist pastor nor has GUTS to vote NO to stop Adult Porn Shops from opening up next to our children’s schools.
• BHO took 20 years to finally accept that his pastor is an anti-American. BHO is an opportunistic liar.
• BHO Claims to be a PATRIOT, but refuses to wear flag lapel pin and his wife Michelle says: For the first time in her adult life she is proud of this country and America is a mean country
• BHO claims to be the better Commander-in-Chief, but how can he get that position if he can not even obtain the Top Security Clearance?
• BHO says WORDs MATTER, but is always short of words and steals them from others and constantly demands the people whom he insults to give him the benefit of the doubt for his misspeaks.
• He says he is Washington Outsider, but admitted in the debate that his campaign played negative tactics against Clinton in PA. BHO has more Washington Insiders endorsing him thus OWEs to them something that will MAKE HIM BIGGEST WASHINGTON INSIDER.
Posted by: CJ | Aug 23, 2008 1:46:19 PM
Thanks "CJ". Hear! Hear! to you as well. This was a desperation pick, plain and simple.
Posted by: PhillyPaul | Aug 23, 2008 1:34:51 PM
Yeah, Joe Biden of foreign policy experience that wanted to give $200 million to those Arab Iranians after 9-11. LMAO! Iranians are Persians and it would be just like someone with soooo much foreign policy knowledge to want to pacify a terrorist nation with money and not military strength.
He is going to appear like a giant bobble head doll standing next to THE ONE. If this is to demonstrate Hope and Change what a laugh! Non compos mentis is my mantra on THE ONE'S choice.
I would like the thank the DNC for providing us with the most laughter we have had in this nation in such a long time. Is this a SNL skit or is this reality? I cannot tell the difference! LMAO AGAIN!
Posted by: freeus | Aug 23, 2008 1:34:46 PM
As you know any professional that seeks to work on any DOD/Government contract/position that may provide access to 'classified' or 'national security related information' requires a 'security clearance' where they scrutinize your background for current and past associations/friends/relatives, where they live and their current and past associations too. Getting 'Top security clearance' is even harder. Knowing Obama's radical views and terrorist/anti-American friendships, do you think Obama will get 'security clearance'? I do not think so. In that case how can he run for President of USA and Commander-In-Chief?
This is an important issue and may answer many of Obama supporters who take an issue with giving importance to the 'character' and 'judgment'.
Posted by: CJ | Aug 23, 2008 1:26:20 PM
Go get 'em, Joe!!!
Posted by: Colorado Dem | Aug 23, 2008 1:26:17 PM
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