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A Question for Biden

October 02, 2008 8:20 PM

Kicking in with a contribution to yesterday's Times, our friend Jeffrey Goldberg (Happy 5769, Jeffrey) suggests a question for Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., for tonight's debate.

"Senator Biden, you told me once that, shortly before the 2004 election, you advised John Kerry to respond harshly to a new Osama bin Laden videotape. You described the conversation this way: 'I’m on the phone, I e-mail, I say, "John, please, say three things": "How dare bin Laden speak of our president this way." No. 2, "I know how to deal with preventing another 9/11." No. 3, "Kill him."' You then threw up your hands in disgust and said of Senator Kerry, 'He didn’t make any of it. Let’s get it straight. None of it.'

"This story was entertaining, but it wasn’t strictly accurate. It turned out that you did not, in fact, even speak with Senator Kerry until well after he had issued a vigorous denunciation of bin Laden. This episode is one of several in which you have appeared to exaggerate your importance. Recently, you spoke of being 'shot at' in Iraq. This, too, turned out to be false. Why should voters trust you, after you have made so many provably embroidered assertions?"

Ouch.

- jpt

October 2, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (134)

User Comments

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Joe Biden is like a man in the barber shop talking about what he knows, stretching what happened to make it sound better.

If he did what Clinton did in the primary saying she was shot at in Bosnia, then I don't know if he has been paying attention.

Even with Joe Biden's visions of grandeur, I don't see him doing 1/10th of the stuff the media allowed Cheney to get away with.

Posted by: Genna | Oct 4, 2008 6:34:22 PM

Who cares? In football terms, Joe Biden is Mr. Irrelevant.

Posted by: Rich N. | Oct 3, 2008 1:22:38 PM

Jake -

Why are you posting accusations made by anonymous e-mailers? People read your blog. So, you need to be a lot more responsible.

Posted by: Lee | Oct 3, 2008 9:28:47 AM

"Hannity" "Greta"--- yeah, right, folks. Those are screen names for folks pushing the democratic talking points? Would not surprise me if you two lovelies were one and the same.

Sorry, Greta, but your snide remarks on the level of sophistication that Palin displayed are just not based on facts. She has good judgment and good instincts, which are things you cannot teach. She has a solid understanding of the issues and her grasp of the details and nuances will continue to grow as she continues to campaign and then to govern.

Hannity, do you take online polls seriously as a general rule? I remember when every poll after Republican debates would reveal that Ron Paul was the clear winner. I took that result with a grain of salt, as I do the result you cited in your post.

Posted by: moderate | Oct 3, 2008 8:45:28 AM

POLL at the FOX News Politics page -

Who won the vice presidential debate Thursday?

Sarah Palin 39%
Joe Biden 61%

Posted by: hannity | Oct 3, 2008 8:30:33 AM

Palin's "ideas" on America are at a grocery shop level. That's fine with me. Good for her.

But, the White House, America and the world stage are no grocery shops, thank God.

Posted by: greta | Oct 3, 2008 8:27:16 AM

Biden was a generous and worthy statesman last night.

Palin was a chihuahua begging for attention.

Posted by: hank | Oct 3, 2008 8:21:40 AM

Biden reduced to a grimacing, squinting shell of a loser.

Posted by: geevill | Oct 3, 2008 8:18:25 AM

Interesting-- a new Biden fib I had not heard before. Not that it surprises me, since Biden seems driven to inflate his own importance on a regular basis. And he went on to launch several new whoopers last night, like the NATO and Hezbollah nonsense. People on these boards want to push the meme that Biden's responses were heavy on facts, but I don't think you can call them facts when so many of them were fabricated, confused, or stretched. I am not terribly impressed with the Senator from MBNA.

Posted by: moderate | Oct 3, 2008 8:06:23 AM

The wind-up doll Palin sportscasted the whole thing. "I wanna send a shout out" "Americans are craving it"

She acted like a child compared to Biden.

Posted by: JV | Oct 3, 2008 1:18:19 AM

Palin to Katie Kouric:
I am the new face, the new
energy and the fountain of
new ideas.
..........................

Maybe. But she lacks the
knowledge and the brains
to become Vice President.


Posted by: anon | Oct 3, 2008 1:10:25 AM

Gov. Palin referred to the middle americans as soccer moms and six-pack joe. Does she see all middle class men as beer drinking joes or did I miss something? Also she called herself a middle class american, shes a multi millionaire don't know any middle class millionaires.She also said that she had or has a diversified cabinet on her Gov. staff, but if you ask the blacks how many afro americans are on her staff or cabinet, they will tell you may tow or three. Ask them about their relationship with Gov. Palin and they will reply what relationship?

Posted by Early: Oct.3,2008, 12:48 AM

Posted by: Early Respress | Oct 3, 2008 12:49:40 AM

Joe Biden carried this debate, without question! He was articulate , knowledgeable, assertive, well reasoned and well spoken. He made his points clearly and convincingly. He reminded me why his ticket is the better choice for the country. He showed me, without question that he would be an excellent and effective Vice president, an asset to an Obama administration and to the American people, and ready to serve as president if the need arose. Sen. Biden , it is great to finally get to hear you debate.

Posted by: Stephani Stephenson | Oct 3, 2008 12:46:40 AM

Palin was as fresh as yesterday's
newspaper.

Posted by: anon | Oct 3, 2008 12:41:54 AM

The fact checkers are going to have a blast with Biden tomorrow: The blovator was at it again tonight ... BIGTIME. Tonight he's for clean coal but two weeks ago he said the Obama team is against it. He says he didn't really mean to authorize a war in Iraq when he voted for the original war resolution. He says Hezbollah was kicked out of Lebanon when no such a thing ever happened. With all of Biden's hot air, no wonder why there's a problem with global warming.

Posted by: petee | Oct 3, 2008 12:39:42 AM

She knows nothing about any
subject.

Why is she running for a job
that is beyond her knowledge
and abilities?

Posted by: anon | Oct 3, 2008 12:38:57 AM

what liberal statement?
you said he looked freaky, like he had botox,- i just thought i would share a true fact.
not botox, surgery

you did ask if anyone else noticed.

so if you are more comfortable saying he had botox, ok, and if it had been botox, what a messed up job they did.

Posted by: j | Oct 3, 2008 12:38:37 AM

Lets ditch Obama & McCain and push a write in ticket of Palin-Biden...a fresh approached with an experienced foundation!!!

Posted by: kevin | Oct 3, 2008 12:37:00 AM

the thing we should keep in mind is biden and obama are running in 08, and trying very hard to make sure things do not turn out as they did in 2000 and 2004.
this time around the smart ones need to win. for the countries sake.

and john mccain has not been a mavrick when it comes to the issues that affect the middle class people sitting around that kitchen sink.

anytime you hear a mccain and palin really believing the hype about the labels and slogans they are using in their campaign-is a sure sign they are not very deep thinkers, hey, they are just like me and you, and we all know i or anyone of you are qualified to be vp or potus.
but my children sing in a choir.
YEA!

CHOIR MOMS ROCK!
COME ON PEOPLE I AM JUST LIKE YOU.
choir mom 2012!

Posted by: j | Oct 3, 2008 12:34:56 AM

Palin was warm, fresh, funny, confident, energetic, personable,
relentless, and on message. She roasted Obama's flip-flops on the surge and tea-with-dictators declarations and dinged Biden's bash-Bush rhetoric

Posted by: Indus | Oct 3, 2008 12:33:28 AM

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