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Biden Argues McCain/Palin Are No Change Agents

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September 07, 2008 9:00 PM

ABC News' Matt Jaffe reports: Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., today accused Republican running mates Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin of being far from the real ticket of change.

"John McCain and Sarah Palin are talking about being the agents of change," Biden told reporters aboard a flight to Kalispell, Mont. "There may be something I’m unaware of, but what one major item do they disagree with the last eight years on? On taxes? On jobs? On exporting jobs? On education? On college tuition? On alternative energy? On not one! Not one that I know of! The only change I know of that they’re talking about in those areas is they’re gonna tax your healthcare."

"They may change the style of the administration," he continued. "They may change, you know, the feel. But on things that matter to people's lives, I haven’t heard a single solitary thing that would affect the life of somebody struggling to keep their job, or somebody who is going to go out there and try to send their kid to school, or somebody who is worried about losing their health care. I haven’t heard a thing."

It is these issues, said the Delaware lawmaker, once on the ground in Montana, that will ultimately decide the election, not gender or war heroics.

"The fundamental issue in this campaign is not whether John McCain is a good man and a hero, which he is," Biden told a gym full of supporterts in Kalispell this evening. "It's not whether Sarah Palin can aim an assault rifle and hit dead target, which she probably can and I hope it's not me. It's not whether or not she's a good mother, because I think for everything I've read she is ... but it's about priorities. It's about what are we going to do, what are we going to do and how are we going to do it."

Aboard his plane, the Democratic number-two also hit out at his Republican counterpart Palin for not being available to the media.

"Sometime Sarah Palin’s going to have to do what I’m doing right now. She’s actually going to have to talk to you, you know. She’s actually going to have to tell you what she thinks. She’s actually going to have to defend her record, I mean, not through a press release -- straight up.

"It seems to me that she's gonna be put to the test like I'm put to the test every day," said the running mate of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.. "Like John McCain's been put to the test, and like Barack's been put to the test.

"You're holding me to that standard, as you should. Been holding me to that standard my whole life. Somewhere along the line, you will and she will, I think she will not avoid it, she will start to stand before the nation and the public and you know, determine whether or not her views, her breadth of knowledge, her record, is one that people say, 'Yeah I want that person as vice president, a heartbeat away from being president.'"

Biden also accused Republicans of living in a time warp if they believe that female voters will support Palin just because she's a woman.

"Do you know any women reporters who automatically decide, 'Well, there's a woman, I'm automatically for that woman? I don't agree with a single thing she says but I'm for that woman.' Do any of you know or hear a minority who says, 'Oh, that guy's a Catholic' -- that's not a minority -- 'or a Hispanic or African-American or Chinese-American or Asian-American generally?' So I just think people are way beyond that. I think that's sort of a Republican time warp, you know what I mean? I think they're just, you know, behind the curve."

September 7, 2008 in Biden, Joe | Permalink | User Comments (240)

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"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because Janet Reno is her father."

John McCain

Posted by: DUH | Sep 7, 2008 9:05:25 PM

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS DON'T WIN WARS!
(EXCEPTING LINCOLN, THE MAN)

Posted by: HUH | Sep 7, 2008 9:06:11 PM

BARACK OBAMA!

Brought to you today bt Abe Lincoln, Republican!

Posted by: LOL | Sep 7, 2008 9:07:50 PM

Yes, these next 60 days should be exciting, and the debates will be very illuminating. I think they'll clearly show that John McCain is just paying lip service to change, while Barack Obama has the vision, character, temperament and leadership ability to give our country the kinds of changes it so badly needs after eight years of an administration that's given us an endless, costly war and an economy that's in the dumps and still facing huge problems. As a member of Congress and an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq (and of the urgent need for more troops in Afghanistan), Obama clearly has better understanding than McCain and more national experience than Sarah Palin. I believe that if Americans elect McCain and Palin, they will eventually regret the choice, a choice of likability and sameness over the courage that America is known for to pioneer and take our country forward with integrity. I'm voting for Obama and Joe Biden because they will keep America moving in the right direction, rather than setting us back.

Posted by: Don Stevens | Sep 7, 2008 9:11:26 PM

Can't argue with that!

Posted by: Thinking | Sep 7, 2008 9:14:48 PM

Can someone name a Deomocrat that has taken on their party or one taken to task on coruption?

I can name two Republicans that have who just happen to be running for President and VP that has.

No change angents my a##!

Posted by: Kenny Jones | Sep 7, 2008 9:18:44 PM

aFTER LISTENING TO JOE TODAY I JUST MAY VOTE THE DEMO TICKET UP TO NOW I WAS A WRITE IN FOR HILLARY, THEY ONLY REASON MCBUSH PICKED THE VP HE DID WAS TO GET THE HILLARY VOTES BUT SHE CAN'T COME CLOSE TO HAVING THE SMARTS HILLARY HAS. sHE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF HER SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD . AFTER ALL MCBUSH IS 72 AND HAS A SLIPPING MIND WHEN IT COMES TO THE PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CONTROL MEMORY HIS IS GONE.

Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Sep 7, 2008 9:19:42 PM

Words of Wisdom from a guy who had to have his daddy buy his law degree from Syracuse.

McCain/Palin 2008

Posted by: anonymous | Sep 7, 2008 9:21:48 PM

I just heard today from this message board about some really cruel comments that McCain made about Chelsea Clinton when she was just a kid during the 2000 campaign. They are really awful comments (you can find them on the web if you want to know what he said). He just lost my vote.

This should be absolutely forbidden. The poor kid. He should have attacked Bill --- his policies were bad and there was monica too. But poor Chelsea had nothing to do with this! Why on earth would a SENATOR make crude jokes about an innocent girl! He's a jerk.

I still cant' bring myself to vote Obama, but NO WAY I am voting for McCain.

Posted by: Janet | Sep 7, 2008 9:23:10 PM

Kenny: I can name one senator with Ethics violations: McCain. (Remember Keating 5). And a governor currently being investigated: Palin.

Posted by: Kennyiswrong | Sep 7, 2008 9:25:03 PM

MCBUSH HAS BEEN A SENATOR FOR HOW MANY YEARS SO I WOULD SAY HE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CORRUPTION.AND HE WILL CONTINUE THE SAME BUSH POLITICS THAT HAS NOT WORKED WE NEED TO PICK UP THE ECONOMY AND TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO GET MANUFACTURING JOBS BACK.ABD IF YOUR COMPANY SUPPLIES YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE THAT WILL BE TAXABLE AND CONSIDERED INCOME UNDER MCBUSHES HEALTH CARE PLAN WHICH COULD PUT PEOPLE IN A DIFFERENT TAX BRACKET.

Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Sep 7, 2008 9:25:05 PM

DIDN'T KNOW JANET RENO HAD THE EQUIPMENT TO BE A FATHER

Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Sep 7, 2008 9:26:35 PM

yeah Janet. I'm the same. I just saw the same crude comments that McCain made about Chelsea and it really got my blood boiling. I don't want the white house to be animal house!

Posted by: Carol | Sep 7, 2008 9:27:05 PM

HAS ANYONE TAKEN A GOOD LOOK AT MCBUSH WHEN HE IS SMILING IF I EVER SAW A FAKE SMILE THAT IS IT

Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Sep 7, 2008 9:28:33 PM

What a strange contrast, Obama talked change but brings in the "Old Guard" you know the old guys Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, that's been in Washington sense Hector was a pup, how do you pull new ideas out of old dogs, teach them a new trick yes, let them come up with a new idea, fat chance. That tells me it's the continuation of the party line no change there either.
At least McCain is bringing in a new generation of youngblood, ones that can still chew their own meat. Basic ideals yes but there is change in the air and it will be good.

Posted by: RMS | Sep 7, 2008 9:29:20 PM

It seems the republicans have degererated to being the party of snarking and sniping. The RNC was a huge disappointment. There was very little discussion of policy -- only snipes at Obama. I'd really love to see my republicans talk about issues again --- until that happens, they won't be getting my vote.

Posted by: Snark | Sep 7, 2008 9:29:57 PM

The VP doesn't matter. The head of the ticket sets the direction.

Posted by: Joel | Sep 7, 2008 9:30:51 PM

Sarah Palin strongly believes that Men must be paid MORE than women! Sarah Palin also wants to force women/girls that are victims of rape/incest to carry such fetuses resulting from the said rape/incest to full term, then deliver the baby - irrespective of the will of the victim or even her age. And to think that women are cheering Sarah Palin from the rooftops as the poster girl of womens rights who will spectacularly smash through that presidential/Vice presidential glass ceiling.

Some folks wrongly think that being a woman she will moderate or help turn McCain around from his opposition to equal pay to women. Like this statement one Dave from Baltimore, posted on another site:”I hope Palin breaks with McCain on equal pay for equal work - it would pave the way to a better future for her four children and grandson.”

Are you kidding me?!!! Gov. Palin is even more hardcore in her opposition to equal pay for WOMEN, than is McCain. Sarah Palin believes that women must be paid LESS than men - no ifs and buts about it. Period.

McCain, when pushed about his vote AGAINST giving women equal pay as men, has tried to flip-flop saying that ‘if women are to aspire to equal pay, they must first aspire to achieve college eduction”.

In other words, in McCain’s world, only college educated women shall be extended equality with men in terms of pay/wages. Sarah Palin’s views about (rather against) equal pay for women are very straightforward, and cast in stone: Women must get paid LESS than men. College educated or not, when it comes to pay parity, women are less than men. Coming from a Woman herself, its ironic, but true!

Kind of like an Afro-American person advocating slavery and segregation of the black population!! Wierd isn’t it?

Strangely, Sarah Palin is being trumpeted as the symbol of a woman smashing through the glass ceiling!

(We are not even going into her strident opposition to abortion even if the pregnancy is a result of rape/incest, and the victim wants to abort the fetus. Sarah Palin believes that such rape/incest survivors must be forced to carry the fetus resulting from rape/incest to term, then deliver the baby. NO exceptions, no termination. If such a woman chooses to abort the baby, she commits a crime, and must be tried as a criminal and punished for opting to abort the fetus. Even if the pregnant female is a MINOR child, she would still have to deliver the baby.

Just so you know, several courts in the country have allowed visitation/parental rights to rapists and the parents or rapists to meet and bond with children born due to the said rape.

I shudder to even imagine what happens when victims of rape/incest are forced to bear the children resulting from the rape (one Sarah Palin’s wishes becomes the law), and then having to drop off the child at the rapists (child’s father) door for court sanctioned visits to dad. What would go through the mother’s mind? Would such rapists not molest these children all over again. What if this rapist rapes this child/daughter all over again…repeating this unbelievably grotesque cycle!!!!!!

Is this American women we are talking about or some burqa clad subjugated women from some Taliban country?!

Sam

setu.madhavan@gmail.com

Posted by: Sam | Sep 7, 2008 9:31:47 PM

Snark: the problem is that the republicans are losing on the issues so they go back to non-issues.

It is hard to win on the issues when the last eight years have been republican policies, the country is now a mess, and your platform is entirely more of the same. Just read the detailed platform.. yawn.. Nothing in it is at all different from what Bush is doing now.

Posted by: Joel | Sep 7, 2008 9:32:53 PM

Biden arguing for change? This coming from a man who has been a senator in DC longer than I have been alive??

Posted by: Sean | Sep 7, 2008 9:33:48 PM

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