Tag Archive for 'Joe Biden'
VPOTUS and the Middle Class Task force will head to St. Cloud Minnesota Thursday for a town hall meeting to discuss the stimulus.
The meeting will be held at the offices of a bus company that specializes in low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles. Expect to hear how the $787 billion will create jobs, expand public transportation, and lower emission rates. Questions will be taken from the audience and from the task force web site.
We’ll pass along the details as we get them.
I’ve decided to call him “Good Joe Biden”. He may not be polished but he’s passionate, he’s wicked smart and he and his giant Irish family are coming to kick your ass.
A little more seriously — Biden missed out on having months of integration (or heck, even a full week of integration) and it showed in his speech. You could tell even from his video that it wasn’t crafted with the same care that all of the others were. But I think what was born out in his speech is that what you can expect out of Joe Biden is a scrappy attack dog who will spend the next two months making clear distinctions between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Moving on to some other convention commentary, I thought that it couldn’t get any worse than CNN — I spent part of the first night watching CNN and listening to Jim Carville whine and moan about how there was no content — all the while showing just the prime time speeches and the rest of the time the panelists just yammered on. I thought it couldn’t get any worse than that, then I watched MSNBC and I’ve decided that it’s blood sport — just complete and utter combative crap. Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews (an insufferable blowhard if there ever was one), Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan (anti-Semetic, racist blowhard if there ever was one) all sit there half bickering with one another while slavering for the Democratic speakers to attack McCain harder. So I’ve come up with a resolution, we’re gonna put all of ‘em (Joe Scarborough too) on an Island, set them against one another while men of privlidge hunt them for sport.
“I am very pleasantly surprised,” said David Durenberger, the former Republican U.S. Senator from Minnesota. Durenberger, who served in the Senate with both Biden and John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, said that he admired both colleagues but added that “I think Joe’s got an edge on John” on judgment issues.
Durenberger said Biden would be a formidable match for Pawlenty should McCain make the Minnesota governor his running mate. “I admire Tim Pawlenty, but he’s not Joe Biden,” Durenberger said. [Strib]
The article also noted the universal praise of the choice among Minnesota’s elected DFLers:
Minnesota Democrats ranging from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to Christine Almeida, an Obama delegate from Minneapolis, were effusive in praising Biden’s selection. Klobuchar said Minnesotans “are going to love him”, and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum said she was so excited by rumors late Friday that Biden was the choice that she got up in the middle of the night to follow news reports. Biden “has a sense of the common man,” said Almeida.
Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, a former Clinton supporter, said Biden would help rally Clinton backers. Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken, campaigning at the Minnesota State Fair, said he was “thrilled”, and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz said he was impressed with Biden’s work on behalf of the middle-class.
“Obama is a dynamic figure, and Biden is ‘steady as she goes,’ ” said U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison. “It makes a great team. McCain can’t shake his finger at Biden and say, ‘Young man, you just don’t get it.’ ”
This collection of quotes from some of the major political pundits just arrived in my email inbox, I think it’s worth sharing (especially the Chuck Todd quote, he’s a favorite around here):
TIME (Joe Klein): “Biden has the stature and knowledge — and the blue-collar, no bull pugnacity — to call McCain on his imprudent militarism.
The Hill (Bob Franken): “In all seriousness, Biden is a formidable choice. Not only does he have a depth of knowledge about the law, social issues and international relations — after decades of Senate leadership in all those areas, he is a truly nice guy, with a real, common touch.
MSNBC (Joe Scarborough): “Joe Biden, again, the consensus seems to be this morning, Joe Biden, a great pick for Barack Obama.”
NBC (Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro): “The candidate many Republicans least wanted to see Obama pick was Biden”
The Hill (Brent Budowski): “In his first truly presidential decision, Barack Obama acted like a president and chose a presidential-caliber candidate for vice president. I recently wrote that this choice would speak volumes about the kind of president he would be, that if he choose one of the heavyweight contenders, such as Sam Nunn or Joe Biden, over the less-qualified candidates it would be an enormously positive sign. Obama came through, big time.”
CBS (Vaughn Ververs): “The senator brings some real strengths to this ticket. He’s one of the most respected foreign policy minds in the Senate, something that was reaffirmed by his quick trip to the nation of Georgia during the recent crisis there.”
The Atlantic (Marc Ambinder): “I gather that what impressed Obama about Biden is that Biden gets things done. He’s a man of action.”
TPM (Greg Sargent): “Biden, ultimately, shares and embodies one of the core convictions driving Obama’s campaign: That Democrats can win an argument about national security with Republicans, and shouldn’t run from a fight on the topic or concede any sort of presumed GOP superiority on it.”
I’d say that’s a pretty good start!
Cheers! CNN/YouTube : This was way less crazy thany I thought it was going to be!
Cheers! John Edwards : The Hair Video! It was awesome! Of all the candidates you made a video that was funny, topical, and poignant. And you laughed at yourself! Good job JRE.
Jeers 
John Edwards : That question about how you’re wife thought you’d be better for womens rights than HRC? Smile that bajillion-watt million dollar smile and say that you’re wife is biased. Your answer seemed to be grasping a little hard at straws that could have just bent for you with charm.
Cheers! Bill Richardson : You seemed way less grandstanding and creepy than you had previously! Keep it up buddy.
Cheers! Hillary Clinton : You are still the front-runner, for good reason.
Jeers Mike Gravel : I’d like to have Thanksgiving dinner with you. I can imagine it now. You’d be a little tippled by the time the Football started, you’d tell great stories about Korea/Nam/the skeezy years in Asbury Park, over dinner. But dude — there is no place for two crazy uncles in the run for the White House. And Ron Paul is way more interesting than you are.
Cheers! Joe Biden : You haven’t been the best Biden you could be, but you’ve been a refreshing breath of sensibility and experience in the last two debates in matters of foreign policy. Specifically the passion you’ve shown over Darfur is amazing.
Comments: Todays debate, more so than any of the ones that have come before it showed Barack Obama for the candidate that he really is. So far he has served as a blank slate. On him many people project their hopes and their guilt, he is the panacea to any lingering racial doubts and his positive message is positive enough to make you warm and fuzzy inside, but nebulous enough that you aren’t quite sure he’s so excited about.
Todays debate served as evidence to the fact that Barack Obama isn’t as liberal as some Democrats would like him to be, and as many Republicans portray him. His economic policy is fairest and most sensible of any candidate in the race (Republican, or Democrat). He showed in discussing his health care policy that he operates in a sensible pro-market arena without being some HMO loving Republican. His answers on Iraq acknowledged the reality of the situation on the ground and the reality of America’s interest.
Barack Obama’s endorsement from Ted Sorensen is fitting — a compelling argument can be made that JFK was the most moderate Democrat to occupy the White House — at least since Truman, but possibly ever; and Barack Obama is much closer to JFK in the political spectrum than he is to Jimmy Carter or Lyndon Johnson. I’m still a John Edwards supporter, but Obama’s policies are sensible and his potential is enticing to people throughout America, not just in the liberal elite — so I’m keeping my options open.
Wonkette - Joe Biden Discovers Clean, Articulate Black Man:
Dismissing Obama’s brief and empty career as a national politician, Biden gave the famous madrassa student a backhanded
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