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Does Biden Need to Watch His Language?

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August 30, 2008 9:26 AM

ABC's Matt Jaffe and Sunlen Miller Report:

For Senator Biden – known for his loose lips and frequent gaffes – every word is being closely watched now that he's a Vice Presidential candidate.

At the new ticket's first public event on their bus tour throughout swing states, Senator Biden said a word that was taboo – at least for his running mate - just days before.

"I knew somebody famous was gonna come out of Scranton and I sure as HELL knew it wasn't gonna be me so I left," Biden joked of his upbringing.

Using the word "hell" in front of an audience is something that Obama frowned upon and corrected his own mistake at a town hall just last week in Wisconsin.

"If we can spend 10-12 billion dollars a month in Iraq we sure as HELL can pay 10-12 million dollars - billion dollars right here in the United States,: Obama said Sunday in Eau Claire.

A moment later Obama stopped and said, "I apologize by the way, I usually say 'heck,' especially after church. That sort of slipped out. Sorry kids."

Senator Biden and Obama didn't offer up such an apology to the audience of 8,000 in Pennsylvania tonight.

Biden was also heard to say "goddamn" at a meet-and-greet with Denver firefighters on Thursday.  Thanking them for saving his sons' lives in a 1972 car crash that killed his wife and daughter, Biden said, "My two boys are alive because of you guys…I'm alive because my fire company got me in the middle of a goddamn snow storm before my aneurysm burst."

In 1988, Biden needed surgery for two berry aneurysms.  And that expletive was not the only one Biden dropped in Denver. Speaking before Pennsylvania delegates earlier in the day, Biden used the word "hell" at least twice.

August 30, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (277)

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Orezko: Surrounding himself with insiders and lobbyists and claiming he's for change!

Posted by: Soetoro_No! | Aug 30, 2008 10:14:00 AM

What was Obama thinking when he picked Biden as his runnig mate ?

SO THAT BIDEN CAN PICKED UP THE 3AM CALL ON HIS BEHALF

Posted by: McCain/Palin 2008 | Aug 30, 2008 10:15:26 AM

Wannabe

How very unoriginal!

Posted by: Aston_ | Aug 30, 2008 10:15:30 AM

Orezko: An empty suit held upright only by a lot of hot air and BS!

Posted by: Soetoro_No! | Aug 30, 2008 10:16:42 AM

Let's see ... community organizer .... hmmm governor of the state of Alaska ... hmmm uhhh ahhh welll uhhhh yesss, said Obama, Yes uhhh ahhhh she uhhh does have more experience than me, my running mate or her running mate. Girl Power! we change the world one baby at a time. yipeeee. McCain/Palin 08. Gosh it must crush some dems to know she's the only one on either ticket who has ever been elected to govern anything. bah hahah approval rating for congress? low very low. her approval rating HIGH! lol

Posted by: Kitty | Aug 30, 2008 10:17:07 AM

Orezko: Change you can laugh at!

Posted by: Soetoro_No! | Aug 30, 2008 10:18:03 AM

Turn him loose.....Like the American people have not heard these words before ,,,,

Posted by: indp voter | Aug 30, 2008 10:18:31 AM

Bridge to no where; campaign going no where, McCain Palin is a good fit

Posted by: Keating | Aug 30, 2008 10:18:41 AM

BIDEN does not need to watch his language as much as his back ...

... get ready for Chicago style politics ... when the polls numbers starts to head south ...

guess who is Obama going to blame ?

Posted by: McCain/Palin 2008 | Aug 30, 2008 10:19:23 AM

Orezko: A race-baiting sexist-elitist!

Posted by: Soetoro_No! | Aug 30, 2008 10:21:00 AM

"exactly what does a vice president do" Sarah Palin

This is the type of thoughtful leadership our country needs.

Posted by: Kudlow | Aug 30, 2008 10:21:08 AM

The idea that many Republicans are comparing Palin to Obama is laughable. Let's review: a former beauty pageant queen with a degree in communications from the University of Idaho, 1.5 years of experience as governor of a state with fewer people than Dayton, Ohio, and prior experience as Mayor of a village of 6,500 vs. a former community organizer with a law degree from Harvard who has worked as a constitutional law professor, a productive state senator in one of the largest states in the country for 8 years, and a U.S. Senator for 4 years is laughable. And, just for the record, "no experience" Obama has done the following:

Illinois State Senate:
a) Led sweeping, bipartisan ethics reform;
b) Led an effort to expand health care to 150,000 people (that's 1/5 the size of Alaska);
c) Led an effort to pass the Earned Income Tax Credit;

Senate (and, to those who say Senator Obama has spent all of his time running for President, somehow he has also achieved the following):
a) Passed the most sweeping Congressional ethics reform in history;
b) Led a successful effort to improve the medical care provided to our noble veterans
c) Fought against so-called loyal-vet McCain to EXPAND the GI Bill so that our brave vets have a chance at a better future through education when they return home;
d) Led the fight for legislation to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the hands of rogue states and actors (somehow more impressive than commanding the Alaska National Guard as governor of Alaska where, at best, she's authorized to deploy them to dig Anchorage out of a big snow storm)
e) has traveled extensively internationally PRIOR to this campaign, and, at this point, has met with the leaders of most of our major allies in Europe and the Middle East;
f) Spoke out against the Iraq War when it was unpopular to challenge the Bush administration (and when Sarah Palin was still presiding over a village smaller than my high school);
h) Challenged Bush and McCain to focus on real threats to our security in Afghanistan and Al-Queda instead of costly, Bush-created threats in Iraq;
i) Developed a nuanced foreign policy based on engagement as a first principle, and force as a last option. After mocking him for arguing for the importance of engaging Iran to reduce their nuclear threat, the Bush administration is now doing just that!

Not only do Obama's achievements stand up to those of McSame, who voted with Bush 90% of the time, they dwarf those of Palin.

Let's review here: Former Mayor of a town of 6500 who has been Governor for 1.5 years being compared to Senator Obama, who has been in state and national office for 12 years. Senator Obama has already influenced and helped to shape domestic and international dialogue on U.S. foreign policy, and his positions have been proven right on Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. Laughable comparison.

The Republicans are shocking in their bravado, which is why they nominated Dubya twice! People voted for Hillary Clinton because she had REAL experience and credibility, and McCain insults them by picking this neophyte. Her record of independence from the corruption of her party is admirable; her abuse of her authority to punish her ex-brother-in-law was not, and sounds awfully Karl Roveian.

Ladies and Gentleman, Sarah Palin is NO Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama has my vote. He has a better record on women's issues than this feaux-feminist, "Trophy VP" nominee, who opposes a woman's right to chose and saddled up with a candidate who voted against equal pay for women and the Family Leave Act. McCain picked her after meeting/SEEING her ONCE over much more experienced women like Kay Bailey Hutchinson in Texas and Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina. Those two must feel like the disabled wife whom McCain left for his current trophy wife (whom he recently offered to enter in a nude beauty contest in exchange for the the votes of some biker dudes). Women of America, this is a slap in the face. I'd rather wait until Claire McCaskill, Kathleen Sebelius, or a number of other MUCH more qualified Democratic women have their chance (and think Obama will pick one of them as his VP for his second term).

Posted by: Anna | Aug 30, 2008 10:23:02 AM

Orezko: Number one choice among Chicago gangsters and international terrorists.

Posted by: Soetoro_No! | Aug 30, 2008 10:23:10 AM

Oh Obama is going to blame (for his loss) Biden, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, all teh Hillary supporters and their bitter positions they hold on to. Heck, he'll probably end up blaming his lil girls for not wearing their hair right. He is such a loser, and our country will be the loser if this bitter Obama becomes president.

Posted by: Kitty | Aug 30, 2008 10:23:26 AM

Palin built a natural gas pipeline. Biden supports the national joke that is Amtrack. Let's see, pipeline, Amtrack--I'll take pipeline!

Posted by: Scott | Aug 30, 2008 10:23:42 AM

Nice, Kudlow, you know how to use Ctl-v, I'm impressed

Posted by: Scott | Aug 30, 2008 10:24:58 AM

Going to be a long four years for all the angry white guys after November 4th. Take solace though "your great americans", losers, but still great.

Posted by: Rushbo | Aug 30, 2008 10:25:31 AM

Palin: Governor of Alaska. Obama: never elected to govern anything. Obama has no experience governing a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. Obama is the one who doesn't get it. Get it? PUMAs unite! woo hoo

Posted by: Kitty | Aug 30, 2008 10:28:19 AM

Ooooh, the nasty bad words have tainted my little ears. As a society, we need to grow up a bit. If this incredibly important election has been reduced to conversations about "swearing," then America is doomed, and maybe rightly so. ABC can kiss my @ss.

Posted by: Not2Frumpy | Aug 30, 2008 10:28:30 AM

Anybody see the Ayers commercial?
The unrepentant terrorist gave Obama money, and they work together...

Posted by: ASTON | Aug 30, 2008 10:29:06 AM

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