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Biden Treads Carefully With Palin Comments

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September 02, 2008 4:39 PM

ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Barack Obama's Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., weighed in Tuesday with his first observations about Republican John McCain's running mate pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, but the famously verbose lawmaker treaded carefully with his comments.

"The press has been asking me that question and I have not answered it for two reasons," Biden said at a town hall meeting in Deerfield Beach, Fla. "Number one, first of all, I don't know the governor. Everything I know about her, there's no reason not to respect her and believe she's qualified to be the vice president. I’m not going to make that judgment. That's for the people –- for you all to make.

"I know people worry about Biden's style and answering the question, but the truth is, I simply don't know," he added. "And I take her on face value -- she's the governor, that's no mean feat, and she seems to have a strong personal story."

The Alaska governor, mother of five, revealed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five-months pregnant and planning to marry the baby's father, but Biden, like Obama before him, believes that talking about such a personal issue is inappropriate.

"I have a simple proposition: children are off limits," Biden stated. "Children are off limits. And as my mom would say, we should treat each other -- and in this case, we’ve all been through things with our children, and it’s about common decency -- just treat people with common decency."

Like many people in politics, Biden acknowledged that he simply does not know much about Palin, a surprise pick by McCain to share the GOP ticket. 

"Quite frankly, I'm sure I'll know a lot more before it' over," Biden noted. "But I don't know much more about her positions on the issues than I've heard."

Rest assured, Biden will know much more about Palin by the time the two face off in the vice presidential debate on Oct. 2 in St. Louis, Mo.

September 2, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (55)

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Love Biden. He's the man. Biden08, McCain/Palin08

Posted by: Kitty | Sep 2, 2008 4:50:36 PM

That debate should be a doozy. Joe will likely shred her

Posted by: DublBogey | Sep 2, 2008 4:55:20 PM

If she is even still a candidate by then. There is speculation that, with all that is swirling around her, she will drop out.

Posted by: DublBogey | Sep 2, 2008 4:56:17 PM


John McCain is now sending in his vetters to Alaska to VET Sarah palin AFTER THE PICK IS MADE.

McCain response:' thats judgement you can believe in MY FRIENDS'.

YIKES!!!!!!

Posted by: ryan | Sep 2, 2008 4:58:57 PM

kitty/moron 08

Posted by: bhrandon | Sep 2, 2008 4:59:45 PM

If she is in this race, she better be able to take the punches... and not hide behind the republican whinning of using the sexism card.

What a bunch of babies

Posted by: lmg | Sep 2, 2008 5:00:32 PM

It really doesn't matter what Obama and Biden say about the Palin family. The 2,500 paid workers and Obama supporters will keep the attacks coming. Obama does not have control of his workers or supporters.
She is more qualified to be VP than Obama is President. OK

Posted by: Mary | Sep 2, 2008 5:03:30 PM

VP pick not a plus for McCain campaign which in in the ditch.

"John McCain best days are behind him"

Posted by: Lookup | Sep 2, 2008 5:04:53 PM

Wal*Mart is waiting for John McCain.

Posted by: Lookup | Sep 2, 2008 5:06:26 PM

yes, peaceful non cooperation. it works.

in the event that you've been smoked by the baby decoy (and apparently most people have) here's the real agenda and the real story that needs to be heeded.

be sure to watch the video and allow the Gov. to speak for herself.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html

Mr. McCain is suffering from PTSD. If you know anything about him, you know that he can not
utter a word without referring to the nightmare in which he constantly lives. The continuation of the war that can not be lost. The Viet Nam War.

The Governor as you know now if you watched the video in the link, has a direct connection to the big guy in the sky (pointed to 'him' a number of times in the talk). and as such is going to do what it takes to 'do the will of the man himself'

When you spend your whole life in a place like Wassila (see for yourself what it is like here
http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/a-photo-safari-of-wasilla-alaska-home-of-sarah-palin/) constantly hounded by common tax evaders cloaked in the guise of 'doing god's work your world view can tend to be filtered, shaded, colored a particular color that has a nice glossy sparkly sheen to it on the surface but gets a little nasty looking after time (kind of like snow around town),

these fundamentalists talk a talk that is so frighteningly like what you hear out of the other side of the battle field i.e. 'doing the will of god'
that any rational human being who has been anywhere in the world and seen how diverse the living situations are around this globe can do nothing but this, which is to say to those of you who have not, wake up!

Wake up before these people send your children to their certain death in the defense of

1. their own personal recurring nightmare
2. their own opinion of the 2000 year old myth as opposed to someone else's opinion of the 1500 year old myth that so consumes so many of the more than 6.7 billion minds on this earth and has wasted so many billions of lives over the entire span of recorded history.

Wake up folks before your kids are sent to their certain death too. It's not too late and you can make a difference. Just speak rationally. It's that simple. There is no tooth fairy no Santa Claus no boogey man. you get it? Just us humans here.

Posted by: unbrainwashed | Sep 2, 2008 5:12:30 PM

Biden better watch his back and not be too "chivalrous". If he comes on too strong, the Big Fat Idiot will call him a bully. If he doesn't fight back, they'll say he's weak etc. Damn if you do damn if you don't.

Biden should put this one way. NO MERCY NO COMPASSION. Who cares if she's a mommy with a Down's syndrome baby etc. WHOAAAAAAAA!!!!

Posted by: Vetter | Sep 2, 2008 5:22:02 PM

I support McCain but hopefully she'll be dropped from the ticket before she debates Biden.

Posted by: rebecca | Sep 2, 2008 5:23:43 PM

On second thought Biden should get some Grecian Formula for the debate. You know he wouldn't want to look like the gray old man vs. the pretty young thing etc.

Posted by: Vetter | Sep 2, 2008 5:24:16 PM

On second thought Biden should get some Grecian Formula for the debate. You know he wouldn't want to look like the gray old man vs. the pretty young thing etc.

Posted by: Vetter | Sep 2, 2008 5:24:17 PM

Of course Biden is holding his tongue. What else can he do?

http://delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080824/NEWS/80824009

Posted by: dan | Sep 2, 2008 5:32:42 PM

Biden's line as he rips into Palin:

"Vladimir Putin won't worry about whether people will see him as a bully."

Posted by: Bob | Sep 2, 2008 5:35:38 PM

What is the deal with Biden and Obama?? There is a republican ticket with nominees who consistently vetoed social services for teenage mothers, is againt birth control education, is against sex education, and anti-abortion (even in the case of rape and incest) - and Obama/Biden is going to sit there and say the daughters unplanned pregnancy is off limits!!!! Wow - so if your rich and get knocked up its not an issue - well duh. Nice to see class-ism alive and well in the good ol' USA.
Obama/Biden - you better get it together (and hope Palin stays on ticket), because I am loosing faith in your ability to stand up for all those people who are seeing the American dream slip away...

Posted by: TripsyDaily | Sep 2, 2008 5:40:50 PM

Joe Biden is a class act.

Perhaps McCain should be the one to get the Grecian Formula, "Vetter". He's the one that looks like a doddering old man, and very much more so next to "Perky Palin". What a contrast!

Posted by: Donna Hughes | Sep 2, 2008 5:44:34 PM

Speaking of tongue, since Sarah is a Pentecostal, doesn't she speak in tongues??? Tongue action in a debate would be so cool...

Posted by: Vetter | Sep 2, 2008 5:46:30 PM

Okay dokey, give the old man a bottle of Grecian then.

Posted by: Vetter | Sep 2, 2008 5:47:45 PM

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