The worst part of the whole story is that Biden wouldn't even DISCUSS endorsing the Democrat
Last edited Fri Jan 25, 2019, 12:00 AM - Edit history (4)
who was opposing Upton, the Republican he had praised in the speech a GOP-org had paid him $200K to give. (This was a Republican who had voted for a cancer research bill that Biden supported -- but who led an effort to repeal the ACA.)
The Republican was able to make advertisements out of Biden's praise, while the Democrat couldn't even get Biden to talk to him.
What I see here is the same "fatal flaw" that caused him to fail Anita Hill: it is very important to him that he be seen as a guy who can get along with the Republicans. Because he had made a promise to the Republicans on the committee to end the hearing on a certain date, he refused to call 3 key witnesses who would have corroborated Hill's testimony about Clarence Thomas.
He still values reaching across the aisle as much and possibly even more than he values standing up for Democrats and their principles.
https://www.mediaite.com/politics/joe-biden-defends-himself-for-praising-republican-bless-me-father-for-i-have-sinned/
“Look, I get in trouble, I read in the New York Times today that I, one of my problems is, if I were to run for president, I like Republicans,” Biden said, then crossed himself while joking “Okay, well, bless me Father, for I have sinned.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/us/politics/biden-speech-fred-upton.html
But Mr. Biden was not there to denounce Mr. Upton. Instead, he was collecting $200,000 from the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan to address a Republican-leaning audience, according to a speaking contract obtained by The New York Times and interviews with organizers. The group, a business-minded civic organization, is supported in part by an Upton family foundation.
SNIP
The greatest impact of Mr. Biden’s speech, however, was outside the lecture hall. His remarks about Mr. Upton ricocheted through Michigan’s Sixth Congressional District. Mr. Upton alluded to Mr. Biden’s praise in a debate with Mr. Longjohn the next day, and his campaign sent out a mailer stressing Mr. Upton’s bipartisan streak, including Mr. Biden’s description of him as “the reason we’re going to beat cancer.”
A business-backed Republican group, Defending Main Street, ran digital ads on Facebook showing a grinning Mr. Biden and the crucial quote — “Fred Upton is one of the finest guys I’ve ever worked with” — above a mock version of the former vice president’s signature.
Mr. Lester, the local Democratic chairman, said he strove to contain the damage. In an email to Mr. Biden’s staff, Mr. Lester implored the former vice president to back Mr. Longjohn: “Surely VP Biden did not intend to endorse Mr. Upton and slight the local Democratic candidate here,” he wrote.
SNIP
“There was nothing but silence,” Mr. Longjohn said. “We had just requested a phone call and there was no response.”
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