Biden responds to Ocasio-Cortez criticism: 'Tell her to check' my record

[brooklynite]

The Hill

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) on Tuesday pushed back against criticism of his forthcoming climate plan by progressives who have characterized it as a "middle ground" approach to addressing global warming.

“You never heard me say middle of the road. I’ve never been middle of the road on the environment,” Biden told reporters in New Hampshire. "Tell her to check the statement that I made and look at my record."

"I don't think she was talking about me," Biden added.

His office did not immediately respond to an inquiry about which statement of his he was referencing.

[George II]

1. Excellent response.

[Cha]

3. Wasn't it?! That and this Tweet I posted

yesterday on DU..

Link to tweet

[Cha]

2. And, goes along with this tweet I posted yesterday..

Link to tweet

Thanks!

[left-of-center2012]

5. Seems she wants to take Biden down

Seems we should all work at taking Trump down.

[Blue_true]

34. It is not going to be a surprise when she backs Bernie.

It is being telegraphed. And her support of him won't matter a lick. The people that head over heals adore her already are backing Bernie, others are looking for sound policy proposals and will back people that lay out such proposals, like Senator Warren or Senator Harris, or Biden, or Buttigieg, or Booker, or Inslee.

[Kurt V.]

6. According to the reuters story it was heather zichal who said this not biden.

on edit: biden should be talking to her, not aoc et al.
“I respect where they (activist groups) are coming from,” Zichal said. “What we learned from the Obama administration is unless we find middle ground on these issues, we risk not having any policies.”

[murielm99]

7. Doesn't she have some constituent needs

and problems to address? Has she opened all her local offices yet?

[MGKrebs]

11. I'm pretty sure she considers GND a constituent need.

[guillaumeb]

26. Climate change is a global problem.

Her constituents live on this globe.

[RelativelyJones]

8. She doesn't have the influence she thinks she has.

[quickesst]

9. My opinion of AOC has always been....

.... that she is just too full of herself. It's like a siren, a beacon, and a cannon all going off at the same time. Buyer beware!

[RelativelyJones]

10. She's always retweeting tweets about how brilliant she is.

[Skya Rhen]

12. Well, she just got schooled by an accomplished statesman...

I can't wait for the debates, next month...

[quickesst]

18. She really does like herself....

.... a lot.

[comradebillyboy]

36. A common flaw among politicians.

[quickesst]

37. I don't see much of that flaw....

....in Joe Biden, nor do I see it in Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and I could go on. There are those who are wise beyond their years, and then there are those who think they are wise beyond their years. I am not belittling AOC's intelligence, but there is a distinct difference between being intelligent and being wise. I am of the opinion that having the latter requires some measure of humility.

[MGKrebs]

13. Yikes. If Biden supporters are going to get bent every time

someone to the left of Joe says something, it's going to be a long campaign.

P.S. Just because someone on the left is pushing their own agenda doesn't mean they are working for trump for god's sake.
Chill out.

[BannonsLiver]

15. You're confusing that with Biden telling AOC she's wrong.

[padah513]

14. The Smears-R-Us Campaign

First Hillary, now Joe, who's next?

[pnwmom]

16. I think he should release a climate change plan. This is all I can find on his website.

Climate change threatens communities across the country, from beachfront coastal towns to rural farms in the heartland. We must turbocharge our efforts to address climate change and ensure that every American has access to clean drinking water, clean air, and an environment free from pollutants.

Here is Jay Inslee's page on climate change:

https://jayinslee.com/climate-mission

And Inslee's page on 100% clean energy:

https://jayinslee.com/issues/100clean

[TCJ70]

19. Bidens website is pretty lack luster in terms of details...

...and that's surprising for someone who was "running" for so long. Just to add to the list, here's Sanders climate change page:
https://berniesanders.com/issues/combat-climate-change-and-pass-a-green-new-deal/

[gtar100]

17. "It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to." (wcf)

Didn't hear her call Biden out by name. Her speech where this came from is really quite good. Calling out people for ignoring the warnings over the years and making compromises with polluters that did very little to make things better. Truly sad state of affairs in this world. The self interest of corporate owners and investors has been put ahead of the lives of our children and all future generations.

We are poisoning the planet with our waste. And AOC is pointing out the painful fact that we cannot compromise with businesses who want to continue to exploit nature's resources and avoid responsibility for cleaning up the shit they leave behind. The younger generations want to live, they see the writing on the wall.

Where will Biden stand? If could articulate his concerns and ideas to the younger generations, it would go over quite well if he shows that he really does care. Denial of this reference and telling people to just look at his record does him no favors. He ought to get in front of the issue with bold ideas on climate change. Would love to hear it from him.

[Hekate]

20. I like how quick Joe is

[Kahuna7]

21. He is well aware of the JDs smear campaign and tactics. nt

[MGKrebs]

22. Who are "the JDs"?

[Kahuna7]

24. Justice Democrats. Google them.

[MGKrebs]

25. So if I am to understand this,

Biden spokesperson Heather Zichal said "What we learned from the Obama administration is unless we find middle ground on these issues, we risk not having any policies", and AOC responded "This is a dealbreaker. There is no “middle ground” w/ climate denial & delay."

And this is a smear tactic? AOC has consistently pushed and defended the GND, and 6 or 7 other candidates have signed on.

[Kahuna7]

27. Consistently pushed.....????? She's only been in congress since January....

and she is not in a position to preach about anything, especially climate change when it comes to Joe Biden who took initiative before she was born. Is there a law that says he has to accept her proposal??? I don't think so. How weak would he look letting a junior rep dictate terms of the debate to him?

She can throw around all the threats she wants, but the reality is, unless the Democrats have an overwhelming majority in both houses, which they do not have and are not likely to have, it will take compromise.

As the saying goes: Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[MGKrebs]

31. "she is not in a position to preach about anything,"

I should probably alert on that comment.
She most certainly is in a position to preach.

I have no problem with Joe responding. It is the comments here trying to cast every little criticism as a "smear tactic". AOC is not the enemy.

[LiberalLovinLug]

28. +1000

Its right there in black and white.

[WeekiWater]

23. Respectful statement.

Biden is ahead of the curve on this one.

[Demit]

29. Biden is in a quandary. He leans on his association with Obama, and how closely they worked, but

he's going to have to put some sunlight between himself and Obama's policies on energy & climate change if he wants the support of green groups.

[Otto Lidenbrock]

30. Biden introduced legislation about climate change before AOC was born

Biden spoke about the bill on the Senate floor in January 1987 in terms that seem uncannily familiar to present-day warnings. He discussed, among other ills, the threat to human habitat resulting from melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels.

"Life on this planet exists only under highly specialized circumstances," Biden said during a Senate session. "Indeed, so special are these circumstances that even a small rise in temperature could disrupt the entire complicated environment that has nurtured life as we know it."

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/may/08/joe-biden/was-joe-biden-climate-change-pioneer-congress-hist/

[MGKrebs]

32. Well hopefully he will come up with something a little more

forceful at this time than the 1987 bid to create a task force.
Ho could just endorse the GND, but if not, I look forward to see what he proposes.

[Blue_true]

35. The GND is a collection of problem statements with nothing behind them

in terms of solutions. So, hell, even a task force would be an improvement. At least a task force could be charged with coming up with solutions.

[MGKrebs]

38. Granted, it's just a resolution at this point, but

that is a commitment. You sign on and you commit to further legislation to fulfill the goals outlined.
I would be perfectly happy if Joe (and the other Dems candidates) come up with something more specific.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109/text

[hatrack]

33. When Biden spoke in January 1987, atmospheric CO2 was 348.52 ppm

In April, 2019, it was 413.32. IOW, about another 130 billion tons of CO2 added to the atmosphere in the interim. This would lead me to conclude that however prescient then-Senator Biden was in his legislation, it had little to no effect on our current trajectory.

Oh, and on reading the Politifact article, what did Sen. Biden's legislation due? It authorized and funded the establishment of a task force to study global warming.

Meanwhile, back in 1982, five years before Sen. Biden's bill, ExxonMobil predicted that atmospheric CO2 would break 415 parts per million in 2019. And, well, here we are.

https://earther.gizmodo.com/exxon-predicted-2019-s-ominous-co2-milestone-in-1982-1834748763

[isidisbasin]

39. Biden scored 95% by the LCV on environmental issues( back in 2003)

Biden scores 95% by the LCV on environmental issues
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental movement and the only organization devoted full-time to shaping a pro-environment Congress and White House. We run tough and effective campaigns to defeat anti-environment candidates, and support those leaders who stand up for a clean, healthy future for America. Through our National Environmental Scorecard and Presidential Report Card we hold Congress and the Administration accountable for their actions on the environment. Through regional offices, we build coalitions, promote grassroots power, and train the next generation of environmental leaders. The 2003 National Environmental Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the environmental voting records of all Members of the first session of the 108th Congress. This Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes on which Members of Congress should be graded. LCV scores votes on the most important issues of the year, including environmental health and safety protections, resource conservation, and spending for environmental programs. Scores are calculated by dividing the number of pro-environment votes by the total number of votes scored. The votes included in this Scorecard presented Members of Congress with a real choice on protecting the environment and help distinguish which legislators are working for environmental protection. Except in rare circumstances, the Scorecard excludes consensus action on the environment and issues on which no recorded votes occurred.

Source: LCV website 03n-LCV on Dec 31, 2003