Born November 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph R. Biden, Sr. and Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan. Biden graduated from Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware and, in 1965, from the University of Delaware in Newark, where he double majored in history and political science. He then attended Syracuse University College of Law, graduated in 1968, and was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1969.OK, he is more experienced than Barack Hussein Obama. But then again anybody Obama chose would have more experience.
In 1966, while in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter. They had three children, Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi. His wife and infant daughterdied in a car accident shortly after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972.
In 1977, Biden married Jill Tracy Jacobs. They have one daughter, Ashley, and are members of the Roman Catholic Church. In February 1988, Biden was hospitalized for two brain aneurysms which kept him from the Senate for seven months.
Biden is a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In this capacity, he dealt with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. While chairman, Biden presided over two of the most contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings: Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.
As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the nation's "Drug Czar," who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, also known as the RAVE Act. He continues to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as Rohypnol, and drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine. In 2004 he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids like androstenedione, the drug used by many baseball players.
Biden is also a long-time member and current chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1997, he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee from June 2001 through 2003. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections, Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007. His efforts to combat hostilities in the Balkans in the 1990s brought national attention and influenced presidential policy: traveling repeatedly to the region, he made one meeting famous by calling Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a "war criminal." He consistently argued for lifting the arms embargo, training Bosnian Muslims, investigating war crimes and administering NATO air strikes. Biden's subsequent "lift and strike" resolution was instrumental in convincing President Bill Clinton to use military force in the face of systematic human rights violations.
But now here is the $64,000 question: What does he bring to the ticket?
Delaware is a solid blue state, so he brings no swing states into play.
Yes Biden has more experience in foreign affairs, but when the snap decision has to be made, it is the President, not the Vice President who makes them. So while it helps that Biden is a better man in foreign policy, it doesn't mean that he will shape foreign policy.
Joe Biden is a Catholic, but he is also Pro-Choice. He can't help bring in the Evangelical voters. Obama has been trying to reach out to them, but they don't like what they see.
Joe Biden on Obama: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
And Obama cried racism on it. And yet he chooses him for his VP.
What will the PUMAs think?
They will be pissed for one. Obama has done everything in these last weeks to disrespect Hillary Clinton. He didn't even consider her for the VP slot. Only 25% of Clinton supports will vote for Obama. The rest will either not vote at all or switch to McCain.
If Obama thinks this week is going to be an easy one for him, he is very wrong. The PUMAs are going to be both in the Convention Hall and out of it. They will make their voices heard one way or another. The only place they will not be is at Invesco Field. They cannot get tickets.
Senator Joe Biden brings only his years of experience to the ticket. He brings no swing states, no independent voters and no PUMAs. Was he a good choice? No. But he is a safe choice.
3 comments:
Interesting choice, given the apparent burr in Barack/Barry SoetorObamaDunham's saddle about older people, demonstrated by how he subtly and not-so-subtly has criticized John McCain. And even how he's campaigned.
Interesting, too, in that, as you point out, Biden brings nothing to the ticket but reputation as a verobse windbag.
Especially interesting is that JB brings yet more abortion-rights to the ticket. Now that's a signal. That should solidify in the minds of all voters that BBSOD may have even given the one-finger salute to Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, and others who oppose abortion.
Too, for BBSOD, he formerly advertised as candidate of change and new politics, picks someone who's been around since, what, Richard Nixon?
It'll be interesting to see how the McCain camp uses Biden's words against BBSOD during the last couple of months of the campaign--of, course, that's assuming that BBSOD actually gets nominated at the Demockacrat's upcoming funeral--er, ah, um, convention--in Denver.
I think this is a big mistake for Obama, and great for McCain.
Debbie Hamilton
Right Truth
There were so many considerations to be weighed by Barack Obama in his VP choice-so many that there was no perfect choice. But in the end, Obama made the best choice possible in selecting Joe Biden.
To be sure, Biden is not perfect. He has an abrasive personality-at least in public-and has a history of putting his foot in his mouth. This was the man who, not so long ago, described Obama as "bright, clean and articulate"-with all those unconscious racial implications. When he appears on C-SPAN talking down to witnesses in Senate Committee hearings, you find yourself wishing that someone would tell him off for his arrogance. And yes, I did refer to him in a past posting as "Joe the Jerk". He also has an embarrassing past issue of plagiarism that will surely be brought back by his opponents.
In addition, his selection seems to contradict the whole Obama message of freshness and change that has proved so popular up to now. Biden, a 6-term senator, is pretty much Mr Insider in Washington.
Perhaps most troubling for Obama is the fact that during the primaries, when Biden was a presidential candidate, the Delaware senator publicly questioned Obama's readiness for the presidency. Not only that, when asked about it at a debate, Biden stood by the remark-with an obviously uncomfortable Obama standing next to him. That will be sure to get a lot of play in the coming months. How many times will Biden be asked what made Obama ready to be president between then and now?
As for the other choices; Tim Kaine would have only added more inexperience to the ticket. Evan Bayh would have put everybody to sleep in the first week. Bill Richardson would have been a good choice as far as experience was concerned. Hillary? Aside from placating a few million women, Obama knew it wasn't worth the headaches. Bill and Hillary are not comfortable in any other place but number one, and Obama knew it. He would have been crazy to choose Hillary-if she really wanted it.
Biden gives Obama precisely what he needed; someone with political and foreign policy experience plus one perceived as more to the center. (God, I hope these politicos don't revive that word, gravitas.) A few months ago, I opined in this blog that of all the Democratic candidates, Joe Biden was probably the most qualified to be president. Given Obama's glaring lack of experience, that consideration had to be the deciding factor in the decision. (Not that I said it, I mean rather because.......oh, never mind.)
gary fouse
fousesquawk
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