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Biden Again Mistakes Brigades for Battalions
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ShareSeptember 03, 2008 3:03 PM
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., likes to joke that Republicans don't attack him on foreign policy issues because he's "this big expert," but Sen. John McCain's, R-Ariz., presidential campaign believes they have found a chink in the Biden armor.
For the third time in a week, Biden, speaking Wednesday at Harborside Event Center in Ft. Myers, Fla., mixed up battalions and brigades.
"Over a year ago," Biden said of his running mate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., "He said we need two more combat battalions in Afghanistan."
In fact, Obama called for two more brigades.
Moments before mixing up battalions and brigades, Biden, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, had said that when it comes to national security and foreign policy, "I do think I know as much as anyone in government about those things."
The six-term senator also made the same mistake while addressing his party last Wednesday at their convention in Denver, and then again in a speech Saturday in Dublin, Ohio. And Republicans, of course, have noticed.
"Joe Biden, whose celebrated foreign policy expertise sealed his selection as Barack Obama's mentor and running mate, once again confused the difference between battalions and brigades when discussing Barack Obama’s plans for Afghanistan," said McCain spokesman Ben Porritt. "While Americans are already apprehensive about the lack of experience of Barack Obama, the misunderstanding of basic military terms by Joe Biden presents added uncertainty to a ticket that clearly lacks judgment."
The Biden campaign, however, let it be known that it would not back down from a foreign policy fight.
"Does the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld Republican Party really want to debate who is better versed in foreign policy and national security?" said Biden spokesman David Wade. "Did we really get this lucky? If we wanted to stoop to the level of the McCain campaign, we’d point out that John McCain can't get straight the difference between Sunni and Shia, and seems to think Czechoslovakia is still a country. But this is much bigger than words. It's about judgment. On every big foreign policy question from Iraq to Iran and Afghanistan, John McCain has been dead wrong, and Barack Obama and Joe Biden are right. Let’s have that debate."
September 3, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (95)
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Joe Biden is incompetent. dumb and dumber.
Posted by: geevill | Sep 3, 2008 3:07:47 PM
Did Biden not know the difference or was he wrong about what Obama said? Would Gov Palin know the difference? Maybe Lieberman can get a job whispering in her ear like he does for McCain.
Posted by: Julie | Sep 3, 2008 3:15:24 PM
Oh NO! Biden is as dumb as McCain!!! We are in DEEP folks... DEEP!
Posted by: argh! | Sep 3, 2008 3:21:42 PM
Not Ready For Prime Time. Now that makes BOTH of the Dem ticket NOT READY.
Wow.
Posted by: Jo | Sep 3, 2008 3:23:05 PM
and Biden has the nerve to say Bush surrendered to iraq. this guy is a wacko.
Posted by: geevill | Sep 3, 2008 3:25:10 PM
McCain mixes up Sunni and Shia.
He also thinks the Soviet Union is still around.
Posted by: James | Sep 3, 2008 3:26:07 PM
uhm
considering Palin has yet to speak...outside a speech written by someone else...
this isn't worth it's weight in digital pulse.
Posted by: dl | Sep 3, 2008 3:28:09 PM
Who cares? Go do some real journalism
Posted by: MSM REDEMPTION | Sep 3, 2008 3:28:15 PM
Obama will provide for us! We are all lost, anxious, in crisis. Quit your job! If you're at the bottom, using student loans to take trips and drawing food stamps, you're on the way to being the next O! Congrats!
Posted by: greg | Sep 3, 2008 3:29:06 PM
geevil
you can't be that simple...lol
I guess you can...
shia sunni anyone
borders of countries anyone?
a vp who can't answer questions ? anyone?
a stillexisting soviet union?
anyone?
this is a joke...and so is the "gee"
dl
Posted by: dl | Sep 3, 2008 3:30:01 PM
P.S.
I'm glad Democrats cannot spell or we'd be in REAL trouble!
Posted by: greg | Sep 3, 2008 3:30:25 PM
Biden and Barack = losers
Posted by: brigitte | Sep 3, 2008 3:31:34 PM
are you really reporting this? I want to know about his foreign policy experience, not a military experience he never had.
I know the difference between a company, batallion, or brigade because I was a solder. But I don't have a lick of foreign policy diplomacy or experience. Joe Biden can feel those shoes.
Posted by: who freaing cares | Sep 3, 2008 3:33:13 PM
If he's speaking of our shock troops, he's absolutley correct. Our Ranger and special forces teams do not come in brigade sizes! Make comments about things you know and stop underestimating the troops and deployment strategies. Fix my VA if you want to help. Best regaurds wish you were here, Really wish you were here.
Posted by: Military Mark | Sep 3, 2008 3:36:08 PM
His 5 deferments are catching up with him
Posted by: hilly-billy | Sep 3, 2008 3:36:30 PM
If he's speaking of our shock troops, he's absolutley correct. Our Ranger and special forces teams do not come in brigade sizes! Make comments about things you know and stop underestimating the troops and deployment strategies. Fix my VA if you want to help. Best regaurds wish you were here, Really wish you were here.
Posted by: Military Mark | Sep 3, 2008 3:37:05 PM
greg
can you spell ethics...neither can Palin and her band of lawyers that just suppressed the testimony of the leading witness into her ethics investigation...
welcome to Bush III...cover those tracks.
Posted by: dl | Sep 3, 2008 3:37:44 PM
So if you are reporting this. What I am going to say about McSame? Come with something better than this. McSame mixes up Sunni and Shia. You remember Republic zcheq, Czechoslovakia. McSame don't know which one exist at this time. Come with something better.
Posted by: change | Sep 3, 2008 3:38:50 PM
thanks military mark
hopefully this reporter is taking note...
and getting the story right.
Posted by: dl | Sep 3, 2008 3:39:04 PM
Biden is the king of gaffes. History proven.
Posted by: george | Sep 3, 2008 3:42:04 PM
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