Posted on 08/23/2008 7:41:41 AM PDT by Kaslin
Forget the idea that opposition researchers got cracking the very moment that Sen. Barack Obama announced Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate—they’ve long been poring over his records and background, and those of all the most likely vice-presidential picks.
For all that, though, the likeliest attacks in Biden are all matters of public record, and often problems of his own making.
Biden, who dropped out of the 1988 Democratic primary after he was accused of lifting sections of his stump speech about his humble origins from British Labour party leader Neil Kinnock, more recently took heat in 2006, when he said, “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.”
This year, he managed to blow up his official announcement he was entering the race when he deemed Obama “the first mainstream African American [candidate] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”
Reporters and opposition researchers are already salivating at the verbal grenades yet to be launched.
More substantively, Biden supported the 2002 resolution that authorized the war in Iraq—a resolution that Obama opposed and, in the primaries at least, painted as “the most important foreign-policy decision in a generation.”
Biden was on the wrong side of that thinking, by Obama’s lights. In 2002, he said that America had “no choice but to eliminate” Saddam Hussein.
While preparing for his own run at the party’s nomination last year, he took several shots at Obama’s inexperience, warning that “If the Democrats think we’re going to be able to nominate someone who can win without that person being able to table unimpeachable credentials on national security and foreign policy, I think we’re making a tragic mistake.”
When Obama gave a speech saying he’d send troops into Pakistan if he had actionable intelligence and the Pakistani government was unwilling to act, Biden told NPR that “It’s a well-intentioned notion he has, but it’s a very naïve way of thinking how you’re going to conduct foreign policy,” adding of his then-rival, in a remark Republicans are sure to revive, “Having talking points on foreign policy doesn’t get you there.”
Biden also said last year of his now running mate, that “I think he can be ready, but right now I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.” He may also see clips from his 1988 presidential run, when he ran an ad in which the narrator warns:
”The White House isn't a place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power... the economic future of the next generation,' the narrator of Biden's 1988 ad for the Democratic nomination said. "The president has got to know the territory.”
Biden, 65, came to Congress at the age of 30, meaning he’s spent more than half his life in the institution, which Republicans will surely charge makes him an unsuitable running mate for a candidate of change.
Another moment likely to be re-used against him is his August 2, 2005 Daily Show appearance where Jon Stewart asked him of a potential 2008 run, “You may end up going against a Senate colleague, perhaps McCain, perhaps Frist?”
Biden replied, “John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off — be well off no matter who...”
First elected to the Senate at the tender age of 29, Biden has now spent more than half his life there, which cuts against Obama’s change message, even as it insulates the first-term Illinois Senator from charges that he’s too green for the White House.
Biden has accepted $5,133,072 in contributions from lawyers and lobbyists since 2003. Obama does not accept contributions from federally registered lobbyists.
And he has one other weakness that hasn't received much attention to date. One of Biden's sons, Hunter, is a registered Washington lobbyist in a year in which Obama has been excoriating lobbyists and the culture of corruption in Washington. The younger Biden is a name partner at the firm Oldaker, Biden & Belair, LLP, and seems to have specialized in lobbying for just the kind of earmark spending by Congress that Obama has vowed to slash. Republican insiders say the party is likely to make an issue of Biden's family lobbying ties.
Also expect to hear more about Biden's close ties with credit card companies. His largest contributor (based on total contributions by employees) over the past five years has been MBNA, the Delaware-based bank aquired in 2005 by Bank of America than until then was the world's largest independent credit card issuer and a major supporter of the 2005 bankruptcy bill that Biden crossed the aisle to support.
Top five donors (including employee donations): MBNA Corp. (Delaware-based bank acquired in 2005 by Bank of America) Pachulski, Stang et al. (law firm with major Delaware officers) Young, Conaway et al. (large Delaware law firm) Law Office of Peter Angelos (mid-Atlantic trial law firm) Simmons Cooper LLC (national trial law firm)
Top five industry group contributors: Lawyers/law firms Real estate Retired Securities & investment Miscellaneous finance
Alexander Burns contributed to this report
The DUmmies are freakin. The koskids are crappin. This is going to be fun.
Biden brings baggage to The Inexperienced One’s camp. What a brilliant stroke. I suppose Rove was in on this.
Biden brings lots of experience to the green Obamamessiah,
He brings experience in gaffes, plagarizing and general boneheaded statements.
Its either one or the other.
Please tell us more about Kos and DU.
I’ve already taken a shower.
I couldn’t believe it when he was announced for VP slot...I thought it must have been a mistake.
I thought, “...they must have meant White House Jester...”
Now it’s Biden’s turn to look at Obama and say, “Hey Boss”! What a stupid choice. It must mean that everyone else turned Obama down!
Ok, I am grasping at straws here. I have been trying to make sense of “why Joe Biden?” and I am failing to see any angle that suggests he helps nObama win a state or group that he doesn’t already have, nor does he add any real weight of gravitas in the way Cheney did for Bush.
This is a stretch, but given this guys past record of controversy, I am tinkering with the idea that perhaps they think they need a lightning rod to draw away attention from some of the “bubbling” issues about nObama himself (constitutional eligibility, cocaine use and homosexual conduct, lack of achievement, “whitey”, etc).
By providing conservatives with a guy who has so much in his record to feast on, they might be hoping to do an end-around to avoid having to deal with nObama’s skeletons, thinking that we are like sharks...put a little blood in the water and we’ll go into a frenzy while nObama makes his escape.
Of course...if that is what they were thinking I believe it’s a doomed strategy.
A ‘statesman’
Oh really!!!
I am indebted to the wise seasoned Freepers at Free Republic “baggage” check who open the “suitcases” and keep me informed! Glad we don’t have an item prohibited or size limit policy at “baggage” check on this 74 day journey to DC! Thank you posters!
Who could ever describe Biden as a Statesman?
The boys at Politico and of course that will be picked up by the other drivebys.
As for no Statesmen in last 50 years. George H W Bush is very close in my view. He was such a Statesman he was not a good politician.
Maybe Obama realizes he is going to lose BIG, and wants someone to blame it on when it happens!
Biden has wanted to be POTUS for along time.
Maybe Obama’s just his puppet to get into the White House.
I don't know who I dislike more Obama or Biden. At least Obama’s just stupid. But Biden is power hungry with an ego and sharp tongue that makes this ticket really scary.
Time to buy a three pound container of Costco Orville Redenbacher popcorn for this one.
I seem to recall that on Sept 10, 2001, Biden published an article belittling Bush on W’s “obsession” with rouge states and terrorism. Bad timing to say the least. Can someone find this article?
There have been very few lately and many like Bush 41 were close but not the same in stature as I’ve always seen the word. I think the word came into being early in the last century and always, regardless of country, centered around war (hot or cold). They were a different breed than the politician today. Don’t get me wrong we had politicians back then and they have changed little. But we also had Statesmen and the current crop of politicians aren’t statesmen.
Scary? Are you kidding? Its going to be a laughathon all the way to election day. Obama bin Biden is a an unbelievable gift for the pubbies.
Make sure you listen to Rush next week. He’s going to have a field day with it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.