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Biden Criticizes GOP for Breakdown in Bailout Talks, Says of McCain 'a Lot of Mavericks Don't Know a Lot'
September 25, 2008 10:27 PM
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Thursday blamed Republicans for the breakdown in economic bailout talks and ripped their presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, noting that "a lot of mavericks don't know a lot".
“We had a deal this morning, it looked like, when I say we – the leadership of the House and the Senate, the Democrats had an agreement on this so-called bailout package and it looked like it was all going to be set," Biden said at a fundraiser in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. "There was a call from the president - would Barack come to the White House with the Congressional leadership and sort of sign on the dotted line?"
But then the Republican nominee arrived and, Biden said, suddenly, for some reason, "things changed."
"We were going to all put this behind us and then I’m told that things changed, that John McCain landed about four o'clock and all of a sudden, I don’t know what the reason, but some of the House Republicans decided that this, this wasn’t going to go forward, at least not, not right away."
"It looked like the principles initially that were offered that they’re all agreed," Biden said. "But that’s not happening right now and it’s a shame."
The Democratic vice-presidential nominee accused President Bush of running an administration less accountable than Richard Nixon's regime and acting as if "somehow he'd just come to office and this crisis had dropped on his table."
“There’s nobody responsible for anything that’s gone wrong," the Delaware lawmaker said. "Think about it now, I mean that literally. Even in the Nixon administration people were held accountable. Mistakes were made, identified the person or persons and they held them accountable and there was a change. In this administration no one’s held accountable. And now my good friend’s John’s trying to act as though he wasn’t even around when any of this was happening.”
"There’s been virtually no explanation out of the White House, virtually no explanation, and all of a sudden the president as appears as if somehow he’d just come to office and this crisis had dropped on his table.”
Taking another jab at McCain, Biden commented that "a lot of mavericks don't know a lot" and "a lot of mavericks don't change".
“John’s talking about how, that he is, he is going to be fundamentally different. All of a sudden he is the ‘maverick.’ Maverick is a code word now for change. Well, you know a lot of mavericks don’t know a lot. You know a lot of mavericks don’t change. John changed his rhetoric, but didn’t change any of his philosophy, didn’t change any of the policy - because if he did, he’d have to acknowledge the economic policy that he’s been adhering to has been bankrupt, as bankrupt as Lehman Brothers.”
September 25, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (163)
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Did he make these comments before the Obama staff used a butterfly net to sequester and gag him?
Posted by: Diamond Lou | Sep 25, 2008 10:36:56 PM
Amen Biden. I couldn't have said it better myself.
This is a ridiculous stunt by McSame. The American people deserve better than political posturing in such a dire time in our history.
McSame has no solutions and is constantly following Barack Obama's lead.
I don't believe McSame has the moral character to be president. We need a person with character leading us.
OBAMA 08!!!!
Posted by: mike | Sep 25, 2008 10:39:27 PM
Why would they do that? He's making more sense than anything McPalin can muster.
Posted by: RD | Sep 25, 2008 10:39:32 PM
So, Obama proved himself that he will have to dependent on the so Called "Status Quo". He He He.
Posted by: Tim | Sep 25, 2008 10:48:33 PM
Diamond Lou, I love the fact that Joe can speak his mind, free speech, unlike Palin, they keep her in hiding and when she does speak to the press, she's an idiot, there is a reason you don't see much of her...
Posted by: matt | Sep 25, 2008 10:48:37 PM
Democrat All My LIfe, are you a total moron, or did you get hit with a brick...
Posted by: matt | Sep 25, 2008 10:50:47 PM
Democrat All My LIfe, are you a total moron, or did you get hit with a brick?...
sorry, I forgot the question mark, don't want to confuse you more than you already are...
Posted by: matt | Sep 25, 2008 10:52:18 PM
Right: Obama is clueless because he didn't want the candidates to go to Washington and inject politics into important proceedings that seemed to be going smoothly and on which the future of our economy depends. Gee, not like THAT could ever happen.
Posted by: TRBoston | Sep 25, 2008 10:55:13 PM
GOD HELP US IF PALIN GETS VP AND HEARTBEAT FROM POTUS
COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--
COURIC: Mock?
PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.
COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.
PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--
COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.
Posted by: Omentum | Sep 25, 2008 10:56:45 PM
Wow, there never was a deal that everyone agreed on. The original deal was practically just to give $700 billion in tax payer money to companies like AIG, Lehman, Fannie, and Freddie. I am in complete agreement with the House Republicans questioning whether handing over 700 billion dollars worth of bail out money for one person to give away is the correct course of action. I am in agreement with the House Republicans saying that Fannie, Freddie, etc should be held at least somewhat accountable for their actions. I agree with the House Republicans saying lets not just give away the money, but make those companies accountable by giving them a loan with an extremely low interest rate. That will hold the companies accountable and will overtime eradicate the portion of the national debt incurred by this bailout. Guess what 75% of Americans agree with this as well.
Posted by: Mark | Sep 25, 2008 10:58:55 PM
I like Sen Biden"s remarks about "a lot of mavericks don't know a lot" of McCain. Sorry to say Senator Biden, you are not a maverick and you don't know a lot either. When was the first television brodcast?
Posted by: Dencio | Sep 25, 2008 11:00:25 PM
Typical of Biden to blame the negotiations stall on McCain.
The deal was apparently one that the House Republicans were not accepting at all, despite the B.S. Pelosi and Frank were spouting. They just thought they would shove this thing through whether it was proper or not, and leave the other representatives to explain to their constituents why they agreed to it.
These people all have to go home at some point, and if you would bother to notice, the general public is NOT in favor of the bail-out, and there are even protestors in D.C. making that point very clear.
What good is the plan if only Pelosi, Frank, Reid and Bush are in favor of it?
Posted by: Lee | Sep 25, 2008 11:02:17 PM
Way to go, Joe. I certainly hope they don't gag you. I love you despite your, ahem, occasional gaffe. I've actually been pointing the same thing out about mavericks. Oftentimes, they're just rebels without a clue. Drama queens. Grandstanders. People who can't live without creating a bunch of chaos and smoke. And the shoe fits McPain. Also, Mike, I agree that McPain seems to have no good ideas of his own. He steals themes, lines (the change we need), ideas, principles. He has no solutions, no honor, no character. It's unbelievable. He's turned out to be someone so different than how I'd dreamt him up to be after reading his good press all these years. I'm hoping the American people are smart enough to see through all this crapola.
As for D.A.M. life-- um, yeah, right. You haven't been a democrat, and you're not fooling anyone. We're intellectually elite remember? We can spell criticize, form lucid sentences and cool stuff like that without resorting to bizarre, false and rather paranoid accusations.
Posted by: Alyson | Sep 25, 2008 11:03:23 PM
You know Tim...you would make a much stronger point if you used correct grammar.
It should be "depend on", not "dependent on". Sorry. Your point is moot.
Just what this country needs...a bunch of dumb people who don't talk good Amurikan telling us what to think.
Posted by: Greg | Sep 25, 2008 11:05:11 PM
Something doesn't smell right. I will make my pronouncement here that this has been planned by the Republicans all along. They look bi-partisan then at the last minute a new plan is introduced. Now Democrats have to follow it or be labeled the problem. McCain backs the new plan and Republicans get to take all the credit. So instead of working in a bipartisan way they craft this behind the scenes. Country first my butt!
Posted by: Jim | Sep 25, 2008 11:07:24 PM
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Thursday blamed Republicans for the breakdown in economic bailout talks and ripped their presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, noting that "a lot of mavericks don't know a lot".
This from the person who thinks that
Franklin Roosevelt was President of the
U.S. during the great depression and that Roosevelt went on TV to reassure
the American People!
As anyone with a minimal education
knows Herbert Hoover was the president
during the great depression and there was No TV at that time!
Biden should just Shut His Mouth!
He is a Moron and a Disgrace to the
U.S. Senate!
Posted by: reaganfan | Sep 25, 2008 11:07:33 PM
Something doesn't smell right. I will make my pronouncement here that this has been planned by the Republicans all along. They look bi-partisan then at the last minute a new plan is introduced. Now Democrats have to follow it or be labeled the problem. McCain backs the new plan and Republicans get to take all the credit. So instead of working in a bipartisan way they craft this behind the scenes. Republicans always put party first not country.
Posted by: Jim | Sep 25, 2008 11:09:03 PM
I'd rather have Palin for VP than Obama for Pres. who believes "Iran is a tiny country that doesn't pose a serious threat." If Iran is not a serious threat then why are so many members of the United Nations posing sanctions and trying to ensure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons. How can Iran not be a threat to the U.S. when it is giving $100 million per year to the terrorist organization Hezbollah and sending the Iranian Revolutionary Guard into Iraq to kill our soldiers? How can Obama not see Iran as a serious threat?
Also Obama wants to meet with foreign aggressors without any preconditions! The Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice (the expert in foreign affairs) says the U.S. should and would never go in to meetings with Iran or North Korea without preconditions. There must always be some preconditions and leverage. That doesn't mean that you don't meet (we've been negotiating with Iran for years) but you handle the situation with caution and using your brain! I would choose Palin over Obama any day.
Posted by: Mark | Sep 25, 2008 11:10:57 PM
Thre you go Greg. You got my point.
Posted by: Tim | Sep 25, 2008 11:12:33 PM
keep attending those fundraisers..I'm sure Washington will call if they need you
Posted by: zeke | Sep 25, 2008 11:13:44 PM
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