« Previous | Main | Next »

Biden Jabs at Clinton, if Not in Name

Share

January 01, 2008 5:16 PM

ABC News' Brian Wheeler and Teddy Davis report: New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has made experience in world affairs a mainstay of her presidential campaign. But the former first lady was swiped Tuesday by Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, her more seasoned Democratic rival, for what Biden portrayed as an elementary error in Pakistani politics.

"We have a number of candidates who are well-intentioned but don't understand Pakistan. One of the leading candidates -- God love her," said Biden, provoking laughter from the audience. "No," he added, there are "good people running. But to say Musharraf is up for election! Musharraf was elected -- fairly or unfairly -- president six months ago. It's about a parliamentary election."

During a recent interview on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Clinton described Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a candidate who would be "on the ballot". Musharraf was reelected as president in the fall. But in Pakistan's upcoming elections are for parliament, while Musharraf's party will be facing off against opposition parties, the president himself is not a candidate on the ballot.

Asked by ABC News following his speech if he was referring to Clinton, Biden flashed a knowing smile but resisted invoking her name.

"Some of the candidates have not spent as much time on foreign policy as I have," said Biden. "Some of my opponents they just don't have the experience that I have."

The Clinton campaign responded to Biden's criticism by saying that the former first lady was referring to Musharraf's party, not the president himself.

Biden made his oblique swipe at Clinton during a noontime speech at the Raccoon River Brewing Co., a bar in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. 

January 1, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Bush, George W., Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (24)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Good for Biden sticking up for his vast experience on the issues. Hillary ranks 4th in experience behind Biden, Dodd, and Richardson in foreign policy and it is time the world knew that. Hillary can't even touch Joe Biden in the amount of rock solid experience and good judgement that he has. Hillary isn't a bad person but to claim she has the most relavent experience is just plain foolish.

Posted by: mike | Jan 1, 2008 5:32:26 PM

Yes no question Bider has great experience, but theere are two kinds of experience right one and wrong one. If Biden is not a viable candidate i guess it is a good practice switching to a viable, honest, consistent and person with right quality of experience!

Posted by: eskindir | Jan 1, 2008 6:04:52 PM

Hillary has no foreign experience; she has never been a cabinent member in any White House neither has she represented the U.S. in any foreign policy. She should be bold enough to release her hidden record which she based her experience on. Since she has refused to release those records, Hillary has no credibility whatsoever. All she claims is that she has fought the Republicans. We simply cannot afford to be fighting in the next four years. This is the time to unite the country as one and fight the Islamic terrorists. Hillary is a disgraced First Lady with her disgraced husband whose law license was revoked for lying under oath. Shame on the Clintons!

Posted by: Sam Lobey | Jan 1, 2008 6:07:07 PM

Biden will throw his votes to Obama by Thursday.

I would not be surprised to see a Obama-Biden ticket.

Posted by: Adam | Jan 1, 2008 7:07:24 PM

The worst part of this story is the apparent denial that Hillary made a mistake. Go read the transcript of what she said, not only to Stephanopolis but two days before that, talking to Blitzer. Not the slightest doubt that in her mind, Mussharef was about to square off against Bhuttto in a general election, for the leadership of the country. Why, Hillary, why can't you just admit your ignorace of Pakistani politics, and move on? It's not as if any of the other candidates, from either party, would have been any more knowledgable on this point [other than Biden of course who really does know what he's talking about].

Ignorance of the facts is forgivable to a point, lying is a dealbreaker.

Posted by: Dave L | Jan 1, 2008 7:29:38 PM

I think everyone is in for a huge shock when we see how Ron Paul fairs in the primaries!

I am predicting the "Frontrunners" are going nowhere and Ron Paul is going to grab somewhere around 39% of votes. I could be wrong I am only human but, Ron Paul has had more followers since the beginning. I think its going to finally silence all of this talk about how he cant convert the money into votes and how his following is only on the internet.

Prepare for a huge upset ladies and gentlemen. Semper Fi!!!

Posted by: Ezra | Jan 1, 2008 8:01:24 PM

Nepotism does not = Experience.

We are a Democracy - Not a Monarchy.

Biden is a good man.. I like his position on the most pressing issue of our time... Iraq of course.
But - I believe it is more important to have had foresight rather than demonstrate great knowledge in hindsight. The best position on Iraq was to not go in the first place. Keep swingin' Joe !

Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.

Posted by: PulSamsara | Jan 1, 2008 8:56:06 PM

I suspect a lot of people are questioning why Clinton consistently goes into this full-bore, kneejerk denial response whenever she's caught in a mistake.

Posted by: Tom J | Jan 1, 2008 9:02:48 PM

So much for Hillary's claim of vast knowledge in foreign affairs....with a gaffe like that, it is funny that she should call Obama irresponsible and naive. The biggest irresponsibility is to not know what you are talking about!

Posted by: Lioness | Jan 1, 2008 9:08:11 PM

Biden throwing his support behind a rookie upstart like Obama?! LOL! Biden is connecting one-on-one with the people who really count in Iowa, the ones who actually caucus and that's where he's gaining support. He's got foreign policy chops that are without peer and people know it. He only has to come in a strong 4th to stay in the game and I wouldn't be surprised to seem him do better than that.

Posted by: Jayne | Jan 1, 2008 9:22:49 PM

The "experience" arguement for Hiliary just doesn't seem real to me. Now after seeing such a mistake in understanding of an important world event makes me feel even less confident. If she would have immediately corrected herself and admitted her comments were incorrect I might be willing to overlook it-- everybody makes mistakes. Her trying to cover up, just confirms to me how insincere she is.
Obama '08.

Posted by: SaraF. | Jan 1, 2008 9:29:49 PM

Good for Senator Biden. Shame on Hillary for first, not knowing something this basic about Pakistan considering her vast foreign policy experience (lol!) and second, for lying about it afterwards.

I have a great deal of respect for Senator Biden, but experience did not always make him right. He did vote for the Iraq war, and he did criticize Obama when he was absolutely right that the terrorist camps inside Pakistan was where the real threat to the country and the world is. To Biden's credit, however, he has come around on both points.

Obama may not have the years experience Biden does, but his judgment has proven superior. I would actually love to see an Obama/Biden ticket.

Posted by: Terri | Jan 1, 2008 9:34:13 PM

Biden got it wrong too, Musharraf was reelected 3 months (not six) ago and he had to fire the Pakistani supreme court and declare a state of emergency to have his election certified. What the heck does he know about Pakistan ? The Islamabad Marriott hotel lobby and what he read in Foreign Affairs. If he were such an expert he would have voted against the Iraq war in 2002 and for the first Gulf war in 1990.

Posted by: Phil | Jan 1, 2008 10:37:39 PM

I am heartened by new polls showing Barack Obama leading in Iowa. I have supported him since the beginning of the primaries and have listened to many of his speaches. He is honest, brillient and inspiring. I predict that if he wins the presidency that there will be an uprecedented outpouring of support and love for him in our country. I just turned 70 and don't have that many years left to see our country back on the road to greatness.

Posted by: Ronald Joseph | Jan 1, 2008 11:42:38 PM

Hillary should just throw in the towel. It is too obvious that she is just acting up. She was real as long as she enjoyed the innevitable status. Now that that game has come to an end, she tries to act up. Pretending to be what she is not with strong effort to make her human (humanizing her). With all this humanization, my question is; What was she before? Could it be some form of animal, cosmic being, spiritic force or some bizarre illution? America needs a progressive change and not a recircling change.Change with all transparency. These are epitomized in no one else but Obama.

Posted by: charloma | Jan 1, 2008 11:51:54 PM

I'm shocked at this gaffe. Almost as bad as Huckabee's...what average news-reading citizen doesn't know about these things that they have shown their ignorance on? It also calls into question the capabilities of their advisers--how can we trust their judgment in forming a competent administration?!

Posted by: atw | Jan 2, 2008 12:20:19 AM

Imagine an Obama/Biden ticket. The bright, thoughtful voice of change teamed with a seasoned, honorable, experienced Senator with excellent relationships in Congress. Sound familiar? In 1960, we had the same ticket in Kennedy/Johnson, a combination that provided new, yet experienced leadership in the Executive branch. This should happen and hopefully will, sooner than later.

Posted by: steve | Jan 2, 2008 2:40:57 AM

I am independent. Haven't read or heard any candidate that sways me either way, so my insignificant vote won't be there this time, just not going to vote. And at this point I don't care who wins. NONE of the candidates on either side show any of the skills or experience that are needed to turn this country around and get it on the right track. If I ever did vote on a democratic ticket it would be Biden/Obama. I do like Obama, but he could stand to learn from someone like Biden. If Obama doesn't win this time, his wife (the boss LOL) said he won't run again. Who's your momma Obama?

Posted by: joe nunya | Jan 2, 2008 5:53:02 AM

I wish more people (and the media) would pay attention to Joe Biden. He is our best candidate and is being all but ignored (along with the other non-celebrities in the race).

Posted by: jgw | Jan 2, 2008 9:36:52 AM

Well it's getting pretty clear now. Hillary's foreign experience is an illusion. Hillary's strong suit is domestic socialism.

Posted by: LongT | Jan 2, 2008 10:39:28 AM

Post a comment