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Biden Touts Support for Troops as His Son Prepares for Iraq
September 22, 2008 5:39 PM
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: With his eldest son Beau about to be deployed to Iraq, Sen. Joe Biden insisted he, rather than Sen. Barack Obama, address the National Guard Association Monday, delivering an emotional speech criticizing Sen. John McCain, who had spoken to the Guard the day before, for his foreign policy judgment, campaign tactics, and commitment to the troops.
“Now I know some of you wonder why the Republicans sent the first team, and the Democrats sent the second team,” Biden told the Guard's annual conference in Baltimore. “Well, let me tell you why. There's few things vice-presidents and vice-presidential nominees get to do, you can only call a card once. I told Barack, I'm coming. I'm coming.”
“I’m also here today as a father of a guardsman,” he continued. “My son Beau is proud to wear the uniform, and proud to answer the call to serve.”
At times fiery and angry, the animated Biden grew quieter and paused momentarily when describing the impact on families when a soldier's life is lost.
“Eight-hundred and seventy members of the Guard and Reserve are among the fallen angels, among the fallen angels in this war,” he said as he recalled flying back from Baghdad on military planes with coffins aboard. “All I can think about when I fly back with those caskets - all of which come to my state, the state of Delaware, the Dover mortuary - all I can think about is the parents, husbands and wives, children waiting at the other end.”
The senator touted his work to provide the troops with $20 billion worth of newer, stronger military vehicles known as MRAPs, dubbing himself, “the bastard at the family picnic.”
“It wasn’t until I stood on the floor of the United States Senate and said I’m gonna be the bastard at the family picnic here, I’m gonna stand here - not a joke - I’m gonna stand here, I’m gonna stand here until we appropriate the money to build these vehicles.”
The Delaware lawmaker accused McCain of employing “the politics of division” in the Republican nominee’s address to the Guard Sunday, when he claimed that behind Obama's positions lay the ambition to be president.
“We can question each other’s judgment, that’s what elections are all about, but we have to stop questioning each other’s motives and each other’s patriotism. You know, whether we’re Democrats, whether we’re Democrats or Republicans or Independents, we all share a profound desire to do right by America. We all, we all put country first...When John and I send our sons to war, they don’t wear a Republican flag or a Democratic flag. They wear the American flag.”
Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, also ripped McCain for an Iraq policy where the definition of "victory" means “you’re there for a lifetime.”
"What’s John’s definition, God love him? No Iranian influence. Did John happen to notice when we have 140,000 American forces in Iraq that the president of Iraq invites Ahmadinejad from Tehran to Baghdad and then embraces him and kisses him on both cheeks? Ladies and gentlemen, read history! So if you go by John’s definition of what constitutes success and victory, hang on, you’re there for a lifetime.”
Biden urged the focus not be on Iraq, but rather, “that superhighway of terror that exists between Afghanistan and Pakistan” where Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda are based.
“If God forbid that attack comes, it will come from the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Biden warned. “It will not come from Baghdad."
September 22, 2008 in Biden, Joe, McCain, John, Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (94)
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Hallelujah! The heart of Al Queada is in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Where we have let it flourish and grow, thank you very much Mr. Bush.
Posted by: Danny | Sep 22, 2008 5:44:29 PM
Dear concerned citizens of America and Mass Media of the U.S.A.
As a concerned registered independent voter, forensic psychiatrist, disabled American I made my decision to vote after taking into consideration following joint tickets attributes and characteristics.
1. Has the ticket shown adequate calmness, coolness, and connectedness's under pressure to lead our nation [Presidential Temperament]?
2. Has the ticket shown sustained sound "Judgment and Caliber"?
3. Has the ticket shown adequate understanding of depth and degree to address the crucial challenges in their their purpose, policies, and positions [ Honesty, integrity and sincerity]?
4. Has the ticket sufficient "understanding and knowledge" of inside Washington workings [Experience]"?
5. Has the ticket reservoir resilience, wisdom, and vigor to address the present and future f our beloved "Great-grand Nation"?
6. Has the ticket enough joint foreign policy experience and exposure based on " Values, Virtues, Vastness, and " [American moral soul]"?
7. Has their campaign talk, slogans, ads, plans, and programs based on facts and are they free of fear, fiction, frivolous labels, unfair attacks, negativity, and impulsively? [No "imminent danger to national
security and safety"].
8. Has the ticket genuinely kept on message of country first and politics last and avoided copying [Message change"]?
9.Has the ticket message stayed away from Culture divide and war[ Disaster prevention ]?
10. Has the ticket resisted being surrounded, supported and surrogate's by divisiveness, distortion's, and destructive characters, [ Real patriotism VS shiftiness and shameless parrot-ism]?
11. Has the ticket thoughtful, real non-partisan, & non-impulsive plans to address our current economic crisis or political tactics and temperamental statements.
I have personally and professionally concluded that OBAMA-BIDEN ticket will lift and inspire our greatgrand nation back to its greatness within and restore our global standing with the use of maximum, firm
international diplomacy and minimal force if and when indicated {" Peace thru Strenght "}.
Yours sincerely,
COL. A.M.Khajawall [Ret] MD.
Forensic psychiatrist, Disabled American Veteran and Iraq
Freedom team. Grass roots California leader per Senator McCain's mailings.
PS: Protect U.S.A from McCain-palin's reactive and knee-jerk reactions.
Posted by: COLCOL.A.M.Khajawall [Ret[ | Sep 22, 2008 5:45:54 PM
Obama B+ with the Vets.
McCain D with the Vets.
Does this tell you something?
Posted by: beck | Sep 22, 2008 5:48:50 PM
What a great guy! I love Joe Biden.
Posted by: hang | Sep 22, 2008 5:55:00 PM
Biden, from the party of "WE'VE LOST THE WAR" has a lot of guts saying anything about the military. DEMS have hated the military since the mid 60s when they turned into hippie Commie traitors.
Posted by: Jack | Sep 22, 2008 5:56:03 PM
Jack: How can we lose a war that we lied about to begin with. I do not understand some of you. We lie and start a war then we are mad because we leave without winning it. Winning what?? What we did to that country is unthinkable....in the mean time we are still looking for the person behind 9/11...Hello!!!!!
Posted by: beck | Sep 22, 2008 6:06:25 PM
To: Jack-"hippie commie traitors"
Posted by: B. Bear | Sep 22, 2008 6:10:45 PM
we "WON" the war when Saddam was removed from power. everything since has been politics.
Posted by: Danny | Sep 22, 2008 6:11:01 PM
So Biden's son is volunteering? I thought that only high school dropouts go to the Military according to the Dems. He must have been a dropout then.
Posted by: Biden | Sep 22, 2008 6:13:29 PM
Jack: "Hippie Commie Traitors"
Remember Walter Reed Hospital, remember McCain's vote against any new G.I benefits and Bush's veto of same. These brave young and women fighting and dying for us are not "serfs" in your "factories of greed".
Posted by: B.Bear | Sep 22, 2008 6:14:50 PM
Dear Col. Kajawall. We honor your service. I was fortunate to return from six years of service during the Vietnam era with little more than a bad haircut and a smoking problem and the realization that waving the flag and questioning someone's patriotism, or being a POW does not make someone Presidential material. While we also honor McCain's service, the last thing we need in the White House is John McCain and Sarah Bush-in-a-skirt Palin.
Posted by: algwriter | Sep 22, 2008 6:15:40 PM
A very good speech. And meanwhile the dems are cleaning up the Bush mess from the mortgage meltdown, Russians are encroaching our territory and docking their ships in Venzuela. I just hope Palin can see Venezuela from her backyard as well!!!
Posted by: Guy From LA | Sep 22, 2008 6:22:19 PM
When Palin talked of her son going to Iraq, the headline was "Is Palin exploiting her son's service?" When Biden talks of his son's service, he's "supporting the troops." I'd like to think that someday we'll look back on this media bias and laugh.
Posted by: Just following along | Sep 22, 2008 6:26:10 PM
Did Joe explain to his son why he (Joe) received an "F" in ROTC in college?
Did Joe also explain that he (Joe) was healthy enough to play sports in school, but not healty enough for the service (Joe had student deferments and when those ran out he got himself classified 4F so he would have to go to Vietnam.)
Posted by: susie | Sep 22, 2008 6:30:12 PM
Biden is the man!!!
Obama/Biden 2008
Posted by: aC | Sep 22, 2008 6:31:32 PM
So Joe's son is off to war.... well being part of JAG in an office isn't quite like being on the front line.
Posted by: Andie | Sep 22, 2008 6:32:53 PM
John McCain is an avid reader and is known for rereading many works of his favorite authors. The favorite author of John McCain is Herman Wouk who has written The Winds of War, War and Remembrance, and the Caine Mutiny. Wouk served as an executive Naval officer aboard a minesweeper during War War II and used that experience in forming the character of Captain Queeg in the Caine Mutiny. Victor Henry the main character in Winds of War and War and Remembrance was a naval officer who became a confidant both to FDR and Harry Truman. FDR and Harry Truman went outside the normal channels of military command and relied on Victor Henry for straight talk advice on how to approach Russia and Germany and Japan prior and during World War II. John McCain sees himself as the Victor Henry character who was a realist in foreign policy and understood the nuances of war and foreign policy better than anyone. John McCain is a realist and more knowledgeable about foreign policy than either Joe Biden or Barack Obama due to his experiences and also just growing up as the son and grandson of Navy admirals. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have no military background between them and do not even have the background to know who to connect with to get straight back channel information. Barack Obama and Joe Biden lack the knowledge to even ask the right questions even if they could line up a current day Pug Henry commander to give them the straight scoop. It is totally inaccurate to argue that John McCain is somehow dogmatic in his approach and understanding of foreign affairs. Herman Wouk wove history into his novels. There is saying that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat history. John McCain knows history and has lived it and will use that knowledge to guide the United States through the tough challenges that we face in the war on terror, radical Islam and dealing with a resurgent Russia.
Posted by: bhcg89 | Sep 22, 2008 6:39:16 PM
A JAG officer usually could almost work for the other side.
McCain/Palin's kids are combat soldiers. They are not chicken hawks.
Not that this matters much when the stock market dies in October and the Great 21st Century Depression starts.
Posted by: Bill H | Sep 22, 2008 6:41:44 PM
TO: COL. A.M.Khajawall [Ret] MD.
Sir, bite me.
Sincerely
W Hensler
CPT, FA, USAR (ret)
"Peace through superior firepower"
Posted by: W H | Sep 22, 2008 6:45:23 PM
COL Khajawall's comments are short-sighted. Regardless of the legitimacy of the invasion we have a precedented obligation (see the Law of Land Warfare) to provide security for a nation that is unable to do so on its own. Neither candidate has more than little influence in that arena. Senators Obama and Biden are naive to think that their potential administration or the McCain Palin team will have significant influence to affect the outcome of our efforts in Iraq. Any solution will be an Arab solution. Yes...Arab and definitely not Persian. Iran is going to be the biggest thorn in the side of ANY U.S. administration, Israel and Western culture. The reality is that American efforts in Iraq will result in a strategic hub of diplomacy that will stabilize the Middle East for our children's children and create a boon for countering the real future conflict and the new "cold war" against...you guessed it...Islamic fundamentalism. Some of the most dangerous ideology ironically comes from both our greatest ally and greatest enemy in the Middle East...Saudi Arabia and Iran respectively. What a dilemma and what ignorance to think that Senators Biden and Obama are going to be SO much better to counter the greatest threat that will face at least the next two generations.
Posted by: Ben Williams | Sep 22, 2008 7:07:35 PM
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