Sen. Biden touts experience in 2008 bid

[Infinite Hope]

NEW YORK - Democratic Sen. Joe Biden wants you to know he is running for president. Definitely. Unequivocally. Absolutely.

"I'm the only guy who will tell you honestly what I'm doing. The others won't tell you, but I will," Biden said, wrapping up a fundraising trip to New York before heading to New Hampshire, his ninth visit in just over a year. He's also campaigned extensively through other early voting states, spending 17 days in Iowa, nine in South Carolina, and four in Nevada.

In a potentially crowded Democratic field dominated by New York Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama — neither of whom has formally entered the race — a Biden candidacy seems a bit of an anachronism.

But the 64-year-old Delaware lawmaker insists there's never been a better time for him to run.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061226/ap_on_el_pr/biden2008_2

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. He has good experience losing

I will give him that

[Pastiche423]

6. How many times has he run for president?

You'd think he'd have gotten the message by now.

[saigon68]

29. He's the senator from MBNA

The father of the bankruptcy reform act that Clinton Vetoed and Bush passed

[Radical Activist]

2. Experience doesn't matter.

Voters don't pick a President with more experience over a candidate with a more compelling message.

[Skittles]

3. *yawn*

NEXT

[Sherman A1]

4. With all due respect,

How just does one gain experience at being President? I don't think you enter the office on day one, with a Presidential resume'. It is pretty much on the job training from what I have concluded.. I want someone with good judgement and the ability to at the very least ask questions and listen to a variety of opinions.

[Algorem]

5. America's been bidin' it's time for Biden!

He knows how to survive a bad brain,America needs to survive the bad Republi-brains.Or not;whatever.They are a hairline fracture on the republic.I believe he can plug that up.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. Yep, one more shot

Oooh, was that a cheap shot?

[IndianaGreen]

8. Biden is becoming our Harold Stassen

a perennial candidate for President.

Biden's much vaunted experience did not keep him from supporting the war and globalism.

[devilgrrl]

9. Say Joe, how 'bout those contempt of congress charges against John Ashcroft????

Experience????? What good is that if there's no "follow through"?

[IndianaGreen]

10. The only experience that Biden and others like him have, is a track record of mistakes

Voting to enable Bush's wars and nominees.

[rpannier]

11. Is this experience his own, or

did he plagiarize that too?

[Joe Bacon]

12. Gee, Joe, now what were you thinking with that "bankruptcy reform"?

Yes, what were you thinking when you decided to screw millions of people forced into indentured servitude by your "bankruptcy reform".

I won't waste my vote on such a loser.

[closeupready]

23. Yep.

n/t

[sofa king]

13. "The others won't tell you, but I will."

Who said that first, Joe?

[Vanje]

14. ZZZz zzzzzzz ZZZZZZ Zzzzz..........nt

[sofa king]

38. Is that the sound of a Xerox machine?

[Kenergy]

15. Is he the one that pushed for Bankruptcy reform?

I'm not voting for any corporatist.

[SKKY]

16. Why not Biden???

Someone has to finish 4th. He seems as good a candidate as any.

[Erika]

17. Biden dumped Anita Hill

He needs to be dumped for all time.

[Vinca]

18. I can't forgive that bankruptcy bill vote.

It's not that I think people shouldn't pay their bills, it's that no exceptions were made for medical catastrophes and no limits were placed on the credit card industry which now, empowered, charges usurious rates and a fee for everything they can think of.

[Tesha]

19. Biden will *NEVER* get our support in the NH Primary.

There are a few candidates I might support.

There are some I'd be neutral about.

There are a few I'd *ACTIVELY WORK AGAINST*. Biden,
Clinton, and Vilsac are in this last category. These
folks have actively worked against my interests for
as long as I've been paying attention to them, and in
2008 in New Hampshire, I intend to return the favors.

Tesha

[Nedsdag]

20. Biden's running for family doctor

or maybe even television news anchorman because those are the two professions that actually look for experience.

[Neshanic]

21. Meanwhile on planet Bizzaro...Biden selects warm bowl of Oatmeal for VP.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

30. Neat.

I was struggling with a pithy, 'Joe Biden is a dellusional asshole' comment, but this will do nicely.

[CornField]

22. I don't have a horse in this race yet... but I don't count out Biden.

There are several things I like about him (and, obviously, some things I don't). Let's not forget that in 1972 when he could have gone home -- and probably should have gone home to care for his two sons after the death of their mom and baby sister -- he did what the leadership asked him to do and kept his Senate seat. Each day, however, he commuted by train from his home in Wilmington to D.C. -- he did so until '77 when he remarried.

I doubt there any Democratic candidate who can rival Biden's knowledge of civil rights, Constitutional law or foreign relations. It is because of his knowledge and expertise in these areas that he has garnered much support from both sides of the aisle.

While some cannot see past the bankruptcy bill, we should not forget that he was the author of the Violence against Women Act of 2000 (the first legislation to combat domestic violence -- he went so far as to protect women with that bill that parts of it have been since struck down as unconstitutional).

As for the whole plagiarism BS -- Biden gave a speech in Iowa during his 1988 run for President (a run that ended when he was hospitalized for two brain aneurysms) in which he adapted parts of a speech made by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. Biden had given this speech numerous times without an eyebrow raising because he had previously credited Kinnock. That day it Iowa, however, Biden neglected to publically credit Kinnock. Further it was a senior aide of Michael Dukakis who recorded and distributed the speech to the press -- essentially running the whole mess up the flag pole. (Anyone for eating their own?) Once it was learned that the aide had been waiting for Biden to neglect to credit so that he could accuse him of plagiarism, Dukakis found the incident so distasteful that he he fired him.

Supposedly 20 years earlier in a first-year legal-writing class Biden had also plagiarized. In actuality, Biden used a single footnote for all instances rather than multiple citations. Both Syracuse University Law School and the Delaware State Bar Association cleared Biden of plagiarism charges.

As I said, I don't have a horse in this race yet. Biden is, however, at the starting block -- and I'm pretty happy to see him there.

[Clark2008]

24. I can think of one who can rival Biden on foreign relations AND

be right about it, too.

[Dinger]

25. I'm Sick Of His Face Every Goddamned Sunday, As Other Dems

are forced to play bridesmaid.

[zulchzulu]

26. There's enough dirt in Delaware to bring him down to his knees in a day

Believe me...I know people in DE who have the shit on this guy. If you think his plagiarism scandal was something back in 1988, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Let's just say that Joe has gotten some nice gifts from the banking and insurance industries over the years. Plus, he's an arrogant asshole. More stories abound on that...

[leftofthedial]

27. he has lots of experience

taking money from predatory lenders to rig the law so that every American who doesn't own a bank is screwed.

[citizen snips]

28. he is currently polling at 4%

he has got a lot of work ahead of him

[Crunchy Frog]

31. All his experience still didn't enable him to see

that all of Bush's arguments for invading Iraq were bullshit. That he may have figured it out now, nearly four years later, does not speak well for him. I will vote third party if he gets the nomination.

[depakid]

32. He has tons of experience spewing drivel on the Sunday shows

all of which militates against his gaining a place of the ticket.

[AtomicKitten]

34. ain't that the truth?

[Doctor_J]

33. If he gets nominated, how many times per day will hate radio repeat "plagarist"

during the GE campaign? 500? 1000?

[SaveElmer]

35. Shaping up to be a very strong Democratic field next year...

With announced or potential candidates including...

Obama, Clinton, Edwards, Clark, Dodd, Biden, Richardson, Kerry...

I am really looking forward to the primary campaign...

[jillan]

36. Agreed!

I lean towards Kerry but I could support several of the above, including Biden.

One thing Biden has going for him is he will be able to shut up his opponents. He is a good talker. And another plus, he does have alot of knowledge about foreign relations.

It's going to be a very interesting primary season, and I am looking forward to hearing the above mentioned fight it out.

[paulk]

42. what! a positive post!

what's wrong with you? don't you know you're supposed to trash Biden?

c'mon ... this is dump on democrats underground ... get with the program!

[Nye Bevan]

37. Well, he *was* the first Kinnock to go to college

er, first *Biden* that is.

[beaconess]

39. Three Words: Justice . . . Clarence . . . Thomas

Biden is largely responsible for letting that man on the bench.

[fuzzyball]

40. I will support Biden for president..

His views on Iraq are the most sensible and realistic.
He certainly knows how government functions. And he is
a centrist, which is closer to my views.

[LWolf]

41. "I'm the only...."

Frankly, even if I hadn't already scratched him off my list, that phrase right there would have done it. IN MY OPINION, of course, claiming to be "the only" when campaigning is dishonest and dishonorable. I had enough of that in '04.