Biden asks Rudy-tootie where he has been the last 4 years

[Jillian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbUhopXfYD0

Biden gives Rudy a piece of his mind


edit to add highlights for those of you that don't want to watch
This week, the American intelligence community issued a devastating indictment of the policies of the President of the United States, the Vice President, as well as the Republican candidates' positions as they're running for president. It said, quote, "The terrorism threat to the United States: Al Qaeda is better positioned to strike the West. Al Qaeda has re-generated itself in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

And what is the response of Republicans like Rudy Giuliani who touts he's going to make us safer and Democrats can't? He says, quote, "Depending on which side of the debate you're on, you could find something in this to justify it. The people who are against the President say Al Qaeda has gotten worse." Rudy, Al Qaeda has gotten worse. Our intelligence community said it's gotten worse. They are not against the President. They are for the country.

And the idea that you and your colleagues are just figuring out we should focus more on Pakistan, that Al Qaeda is a looming threat...where have you been the last four years? It's the policies of this Administration supported by the candidates running for the Republican nomination for president that have put us in this spot. We should have stayed in Afghanistan and finished the job. We should not be increasing troops in Iraq. We should be dealing with Afghanistan. Al Qaeda and bin Laden are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And we've done virtually nothing, nothing, to deal with it.

In addition to that by the way, what about the 9/11 Commission report, suggesting we had to spend $42 billion to make the country safer? Why hasn't one Republican insisted that it be funded now? And what happened to all the police that Rudy Giuliani talks about making New York City safer? What did he have to say - or any of the other candidates in the Republican Party have to say - when they cut the Biden COPS bill, which put 100,000 cops on the street?

[saltpoint]

1. Good for Joe Biden. Rudy's no match for Biden, that's for sure.

Rudy's got a quick temper and a thin skin and not much of a grasp of anything.

Biden's a hard-bitten realist from a long time ago and would wipe Rudy's floor for him.

[applegrove]

2. Well said.

[Nite Owl]

3. Good job Joe

He's on tv alot I hope he gets to repeat this over and over.

[acmavm]

4. WOW! I had a 2:21 minutes worth of respect for Mr. Biden.

It's gone.

[Jillian]

5. You don't like candidates that speak truth to power - or -

I know- he has hairplugs!

[acmavm]

6. No, I don't like Biden because he's one of the worst corporate whores in

the Senate. He's not known as Senator Citibank for nothing. ALSO I'm old enough to have seen the Anita Hill hearings but young enough to remember them. And his performance was DISGRACEFUL. He did everything he could to put Clarence Thomas on the SCOTUS.

Good enough?

[Jillian]

7. You have that wrong. It's Hillary that is owned by Citibank

edit to add:
Hillary Clinton likes to sound like a grassroots union or civil rights organizer when talking to labor, minority and community activist audiences about how “everything has been skewed to help the privileged and powerful at the expense of everybody else.” But her progressive claims are badly compromised by the fact that she is heavily reliant on large-scale corporate contributions and has surrounded herself with advisers “who represent some of the weightiest interests in corporate America. Her chief strategist, Mark Penn, not only polls for the America’s biggest companies but runs one of the world’s premier PR agencies.” As Ari Berman has noted in a Nation article bearing the title “Hillary Inc.”:
--------------------------------------
and on Obama:
The junior Senator from Illinois denounces the corrosive influence of private political cash on U.S. democracy while cozying up to Chicago’s notoriously corrupt Big Money Mayor Richard M. Daley (with whom he shares the same high-priced campaign consultant ) and raking in campaign largesse from wealthy interests, including Goldman Sachs, Exelon (leading Midwestern utility and the world’s leading nuclear plant operator), Soros Fund Management, J.P Morgan Chase & Co., leading corporate law and lobbying firms (Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden, Arps, Sidley Austin LLP), top Chicago investment interests (including Henry Crown & Co and Aerial Capital Management) and the like (Center for Responsive Politics 2007a).
-------------------------------------------
I really have to question people that still call Biden a 'corporate whore',
just look at where he stands in fundraising. He has the least amount of corporate $$.
As a supporter, I'm hoping that he starts kissing corporate butt, unfortunately, so he can continue to compete in this money-driven
craziness that we are calling the Presidential Primaries.


on edit,edit... I forgot to credit my source (a Biden supporter should know better)
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=21&ItemID=13177

[acmavm]

31. You don't know your boy Joe very well...

http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2007/07/campaign_contributions_credit_card_companies.html

Campaign Contributions from Credit Card Companies? Priceless
Washington Dispatch: The presidential contenders have largely remained mum on the mounting consumer debt crisis. Are they afraid to cross their largest campaign donors?

By James Ridgeway

July 11, 2007

When it comes to domestic issues that pit the interests of large corporations against those of ordinary Americans, few equal the exploding crisis in consumer debt. Yet with the exception of John Edwards, none of the leading presidential contenders in either party has made this a serious campaign issue. Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, since the same financial institutions that engage in predatory lending practices constitute their largest contributors, as well as what is perhaps the most powerful lobby in all of Washington.

As it stands, approximately 40 percent of American households spend more than they make each year, and the average household debt to credit cards is about $10,000. According to the Federal Reserve, consumer credit card debt in the United States totals $880 billion; this figure, adjusted to current dollars, has increased a hundred-fold in the last 40 years. These numbers, huge by any standard, represent a growing factor in the nation's questionable economic future.

<snip>

To make the situation worse, the new bankruptcy law that went into effect in 2005 makes it much harder to declare bankruptcy, and requires filers, including those with very modest incomes, to pay off much of their credit card debt regardless. Initiated in 2001, the law was vigorously opposed by consumer groups and unions, but championed by the president, whose largest campaign contributor had been the credit card giant MBNA (which subsequently merged with Bank of America). On an initial vote in 2001, it also won the support of 36 Senate Democrats, including current presidential candidates Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards, while only Chris Dodd voted against it (as did Dennis Kucinich in the House).

"I've never seen a bill that was so one-sided," said Consumer Federation of America chair (and former Ohio senator) Howard Metzenbaum, at the time. "The cries, claims and concerns of vulnerable Americans who have suffered a financial emergency have been drowned out by the political might of the credit card industry." When it came up for a second vote in 2005, Barack Obama, Kucinich, and Dodd voted against it; Biden (who represents credit card central, the state of Delaware) voted for it. Hillary Clinton was the only member of the Senate who didn't vote on the measure.
-MORE-

The Bankruptcy Bill, Examined
by Hunter
Sun Mar 06, 2005 at 03:31:44 AM PDT


The details of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 reveal it to be a bill crafted as a Republican paean to MBNA, the largest single contributor to the Republican party. Far from being either an effort to stem "Bankruptcy Abuse" or an effort at "Consumer Protection", the bill is in fact an attempt to rewrite bankruptcy laws to reduce the ability of those laws to protect consumers from predatory lending practices on the part of MBNA members, and to stiffen the capabilities of those corporations to collect from consumers already suffering from extreme financial hardships.

On the Democratic-sponsored amendments discussed below (you can learn a lot from the Role Call Vote Summary, which lists each Amendment to S.256), the voting was consistent. Not even one Republican voted against party lines. Three Democrats consistently voted with the Republicans:

Sen. Nelson (D - Nebraska)
Sen. Johnson (D - South Dakota)
Sen. Carper (D - Delaware)

Also frequently voting with the Republicans:

Sen. Biden (D - Delaware)

-MORE-

Published on Friday, March 4, 2005 by the Los Angeles Times
When Democrats Join the Dark Side
Their Kowtowing to Home-State Industries Props up the Republicans

by Jonathan Chait

<snip>

Not long ago, I was listening to Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) being interviewed, and I was struck at how intelligent and morally serious he was. Biden is justly viewed as a smart foreign policy hawk, but he also expressed his opposition to Social Security privatization in a particularly lucid way.

All in all, he came across as just the sort of person you'd like to have as president.

There's just one issue that's the exception. And that's what's wrong with most of the Democrats: There's always one issue that's the exception. But before we get into that, let me explain Biden's particular problem.

Biden supports a bill in Congress that would make it harder for people to declare bankruptcy. This is one of those abysmal pieces of legislation that exists only because businesses with a vested interest in it have lobbied hard for its passage and that would have no chance of success if more than a tiny fraction of the public were aware of its existence.

<snip>

The more likely explanation is that the rise in health insurance costs has driven more people into bankruptcy. A recent Harvard study found that half of Americans who declared bankruptcy did so because of illness or medical bills. Regardless of why you go bankrupt, though, the new bill would make it easier for creditors to seize your assets. Nice, huh?

-MORE

http://www.nndb.com/people/023/000027939/
Joseph Biden

Biden is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and sharply criticized other Democrats who were less supportive or opposed. More recently he has called for "decentralizing" Iraq, a plan that he says would give of its major ethnic groups semi-autonomy, and called for more of a US military presence there.

<snip>

Over his long career in politics, Biden's biggest financial supporter has been the giant credit card company MBNA, which was also one of George W. Bush's biggest donors in 2000 and 2004. His son, Hunter Biden, was hired as a management trainee at MBNA straight out of law school, and was quickly promoted to executive vice president. The younger Biden has since left MBNA to establish his own lawyer-and-lobbying firm, but still receives a $100,000 per year consulting fee from the bank, which has since been swallowed by Bank of America. In 2006, Hunter Biden was appointed by President Bush to a five-year term on the Amtrak Reform Board.

-MORE-

This one is just for laughs...

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/06/19/414/44343

Joe Biden also brought us the Rave Act and has been a supporter of increased rights for law enforcement and wiretapping. He won't get our support. Here's his voting record on issues of import:

Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 36% by NARAL, indicating a mixed voting record on abortion. (Dec 2003)
Biden also brought us this bill:

Biden's new bill would make it a federal felony to try and trick certain types of devices into playing your music or running your computer program. Breaking this law--even if it's to share music by your own garage band--could land you in prison for up to five years.

-MORE-

When Will Joe Biden Become Fair Game?

By Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com. Posted September 7, 2006.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/41407/
Senator Joe Biden is the ultimate creep Democrat -- happy to attack Rumsfeld when Iraq is polling badly, and arch defender of the credit industries that have put thousands of US troops abroad in bankruptcy.

Or maybe it's just that Biden, more than almost anyone in American public life, will do or say anything that he thinks will secure him even the most temporary electoral advantage. Two years ago, back when the Iraq war was still a winner politically, Biden spent a lot of his time slamming other Democrats for not being On Board enough with the war effort, and he even went out of his way to bitch out Democrats for criticizing Ronald Reagan.

<snip>

In the election cycle immediately preceding the historic Bankruptcy Bill, Joe Biden collected some $62,125 from the credit industry, putting him in 12th place among all American politicians. To date, for his career, he's taken over a quarter of a million dollars from credit card companies, many of which are headquartered in Delaware. So it was no surprise that Biden was one of the chief pimps for this notorious law.

But what was most disgusting was the blatant hypocrisy of the bill's shepherds. One of the features of the Durbin amendment was that it would have allowed servicemen to apply for bankruptcy in any state where he or she had been stationed -- allowing him or her to choose among the states with the most advantageous bankruptcy laws. This amendment, again, was rejected by Biden and Co. But when Sen. John Cornyn of Texas decided to offer an amendment banning a similar "judge-shopping" loophole in bankruptcy law that had traditionally been used by corporations like Enron (which filed for bankruptcy in New York, where it had 57 employees, rather than Houston, where it had 7,500, because the New York laws were more permissive), Cornyn was blocked? Why? A Cornyn spokesman told David Broder at the time that the Delaware Senators threatened to withdraw their support for the bill if his amendment was in it.

<snip>

Moreover, when an amendment was offered to close "asset protection trusts" -- a kind of trust that shields millionaires' assets from recovery in bankruptcy proceedings -- that amendment, too, was rejected. Delaware is one of five states that offer such trusts. The only people who got screwed in the bill were people with real excuses for debt problems: the military, people with serious medical issues, people who had been the victim of identity theft, all of whom had amendments to protect them shot down by the likes of Biden.

So I have to laugh when I hear Biden talking about how Donald Rumsfeld is an "impediment to this effort." What effort? Screwing the military? Biden is a typical Democrat; he'll sell himself as pro-war and antiwar, depending on the circumstances, but in reality he's neither. He's just another whore crouched over the front seat of Capitol Hill. When will we stop taking clowns like this seriously? What will it take?

-MORE-
A Bipartisan Senatorial sham
http://www.politicalgateway.com/main/columns/read.html?col=288

<snip>

The Kennedy Amendment No. 28.; To exempt debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems from means testing was voted down as was his Amendment No. 29; To provide protection for medical debt homeowners.

Both amendments were sponsored by Senator Kennedy and had, as their goal, that of providing consumer protection for individuals whose medical debts are the reason filing for bankruptcy.

All Republican Senators voted against these amendments. Democrats voting against Amendment 28 were Biden, Carper, Johnson and Nelson. Democrats voting against Amendment 29 were Bingaman, Carper, Johnson and Nelson. Republican Senator Rick Santorum was absent from both of the votes, but there is little doubt where his sympathies lie. Check out how much money he gets from banking and credit card interests.

<snip>

Each and every Republican Senator, along with Jeffords, a Republican turned Independent, and Democrats Biden, Carper and Nelson, voted to reject a provision that would ensure that the elderly who found themselves in enough financial trouble to seek bankruptcy protection would lose their homes. When you consider Bush's attack on Social Security, do you see where this is leading?

-MORE-

Debt Slavery: What The Bankruptcy Bill Could Do To You
by David Swanson

The U.S. Senate has passed a dream bill for credit card and financial service companies that, if passed by the House, will land millions of American families in debt slavery. Rather than being able to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and make a difficult new start, families and individuals will be placed on long-term payment plans to credit card companies, companies that will take their houses, their cars, their child-support payments, and their paychecks.

<snip>

About 50 percent of all families who are forced to file for bankruptcy do so as the result of medical expenses. And three quarters of those have health insurance. Another 40 percent have suffered a death in the family, lost their job, or gotten divorced, or suffered some combination of these factors and medical costs. Almost everyone who files for bankruptcy does so as a last resort. Sixty-one percent of those who do so have gone without medical care that they needed but could not afford. Fifty percent have failed to get prescriptions filled. A third have had their utilities shut off. Twenty-one percent have gone without food. Seven percent have moved their elderly parents to cheaper care facilities.

<snip>
The Democrats

The greatest hypocrisy on this bill may come from the Democrats, who often speak as if they are the party of working people. Some Democratic senators spoke against the bill and then voted for it. One of them, Senator Joe Lieberman, spoke for it and against it, voted for cloture (cutting off debate and moving the bill toward passage) and then voted against the bill. Another, Senator Hillary Clinton, did not vote for or against the bill. Nineteen Democratic Senators voted for the bill, while 24 voted against it. These are the 19 who chose to side with the credit card companies:

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Delaware)

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska)

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota)

-MORE-

US Senate clears last obstacle for bill to punish bankrupt debtors

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/bank-m10.shtml

<snip>

The real bipartisan support for the legislation, however, was reflected in another vote, by 69-31, to limit debate to a total of 30 hours. Fourteen Democrats joined all 55 Republicans to bar a filibuster that would have killed the bill, including such leading figures as Joseph Biden of Delaware, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, and Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, a state with one of the highest unemployment rates, also voted to close debate.

-More-

[Inuca]

34. He IS from Delaware

Credit card capital of the world. Levine and Stabenow voted against CAFTA recently if I am not mistaken (I may be, that's what I remember but I did not double-check, apologies if the info is incorrect). I do not like the way Biden voted that way but I do not understand it. You cannot be successful for so long in politics without making some compromises, and this is a fact, whether it is palatable or not. Some compromise much more than others and cross "my line", i.e., what I consider acceptable. Others, the very exceptional ones, compromise very little (but still they do). Those who cannot accept this fact are looking for revolutionaries, not politicians. Going back to Biden, as far as I know he is definitely in the acceptable category in terms of compromises, at least as far as I am concerned.

[acmavm]

36. Good for you. Glad you like him. He only sold out those hit by health

disasters, the elderly, and the military. You find that acceptable. I don't.

[Like It Is]

8. Biden is from Delaware.

Who is he supposed to represent, Wallmart? No,that's Hillary's client.

[acmavm]

33. Who's he supposed to support? His constituents. You know, the ones

without the mega bucks to donate to his campaigns.

[Inuca]

35. In an ideal world? Yes, I agree

But we do not live an an ideal world. And in my personal experience + my reading and understanding of history, those who look for perfection in the social realm end up doing more harm than good. Unfortunately.

[acmavm]

37. And those who make their way on the backs of other people's

misfortunes are parasites.

[Inuca]

39. Don;t misunderstand me, I do agree with you

In principle. In a world where a significant majority of people are mostly selfless and willing to sacrifice (or at least not yearn for more and more material goods).... one can dream... maybe someday, who knows. But most people are not like that now, and that does not necessarily make them "bad" people, just simply people. You have to take them as they are. Again, yearning for perfection in the real social world and assuming that people are (or should be) better than they actually are is risky business. Think communism. A great idea in my book (most of it at least). The implementation of the beautiful theory... not so good. Apologies for digressing and rambling :-).

[acmavm]

42. No, thank you for clarifying what you mean.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[demommom]

46. Senator Biden's constituents.......

have continued to elect him over and over again. I guess that's because
we think he doesn't represent us very well? :think:

[Like It Is]

60. Thanks!

Good comeback!

[saltpoint]

72. Two things, demommom. 1, good point. 2, welcome to DU.

[Like It Is]

58. Let me try this again.

What mega bucks? Biden trails in Contributions. Hillary and Obama have them all. The Corporations like them.

[rosesaylavee]

11. Right there with you...

Biden still needs to explain that to me too. It was obvious that Thomas was lying - not only about Anita Hill but that he had never, in his entire career from college to that moment, EVER discussed Brown v Board of Education.

Given what they did last month, guess the powers that be that wanted that scumbag in the Supreme Court got paid back for their efforts in '91.

Biden. Meh.

[Jillian]

12. Fine, but will you give him credit for stopping Bork? And for

leading the fights against Roberts and Alito?

[rosesaylavee]

18. Yes. He has learned perhaps from that earlier mistake.

But when he had the power to stop Thomas, he chose not to. And there was plenty of evidence to stop him too. He chose not to and to the best of my knowledge, he hasn't ever addressed that.

[Jillian]

20. He has addressed it -

but not very well.

I spent a couple hours researching it a few months ago.
What I found was it became one of those "he said, she said" discussions.
Biden defended what he did, and others accused him for not doing enough.

His autobiography comes out later this month, I will be interested to
read what he writes about this.
:shrug:

But, on a lighter note...you can say that he learns from his mistakes.

[dugggy]

62. So, in your world, all nominees with opposite political views must be

rejected? So, if repubs are in majority, not a single progressive
judge gets approved, and when dems are in majority, not a single
conservative judge gets approved? I think our framers will be
rolling over in their grave if that happens. Fortunately, our
elected representatives have more sense and our courts have judges
from all spectrum, as it should be. I am hoping we are one country
with multitude of political views.

[rosesaylavee]

64. As I was Republican at that time,

that wasn't my concern. In fact, this was the point at which I realized how polarized and crazy the Republican mindset was. I voted Democratic after that. I had thought that the Republicans were the straight shooters. This caused me to take a real hard look at those I had voted into office and the reasons for those decisions. This event changed my political pov and yes, I still hold Biden accountable.

My concern then was that Clarence Thomas, who was so very obviously lying, was given a free pass to the highest court in the land. And Biden, who chaired that committee, allowed that to happen. I felt very strongly then as I do now that only those who deserve to sit on the Supreme Court bench should be there.

There were and are very honorable conservative members of the judical branch who deserve to be sitting there rather than Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito.

Welcome to my world.

[dugggy]

68. Did Clarence Thomas have any thing in his background to disqualify

him from SCOTUS? Was he ever reprimanded for judicial
malfeasance? Was he ever convicted of a crime?

As much as I oppose almost every one of his decisions,
I fail to see where consitution was violated in approving
Thomas by Sen Biden and others.

As for the Anita Hill situation, I followed those hearings
intently, and to me it came across as he said she said. Why
I give Thomas the benefit of doubt is because Anita Hill
kept following Clarence Thomas for several years after the
alleged incidents took place. Why did she kept working for
him if he had been so nasty to her?

[Like It Is]

69. Biden voted NO on Thomas!

[beaconess]

86. He voted no, but he was Chair of the Judiciary Committee and screwed up the hearings

so badly that, even though the Dems were in the majority, he let Thomas out of Committee with no recommendation, which was a surefire path to confirmation on the floor.

How did he screw up? Among other things, he completely ignored the numerous reports from several quarters about Thomas' harrassment of Anita Hill when it could have made a real difference. His refusal to give the time of day to the people who contacted the Committee about this until the issue had blown up in the public arena AFTER Thomas' initial hearings, meant that the issue was given the bizarro world treatment it ended up getting. Instead of this matter being addressed in Thomas' original confirmation hearing, where it would likely have resulted in his withdrawal or a strong negative vote against him, it was instead dealt with in the "I'm the victim of a high tech lynching" second hearing that enabled Thomas to play martyr. He allowed Republicans, including Arlen Specter and Alan Simpson, to treat Anita Hill like crap, showing no spine or any ability to protect the witness from this outrageousness.

Biden has many good qualities and is no doubt a decent man and dedicated public servant. But his pathetic performance as chair of the Judiciary Committee is, in large part, the reason that Clarence Thomas is on the Supreme Court. That I cannot forget.

[rosesaylavee]

74. I think the character of a judge has a lot to do with

which bench he/she sits. He was lying about his dealings with Anita Hill. He was lying about never once discussing with anyone his opinion regarding Brown v Board of Education. IMO, he is not an honorable man and he doesn't deserve the seat he fills on the Supreme Court. He is not the only dishonorable man to sit there either. But Biden had an opportunity to spotlight his lies or allow them to slide under the rug on his way to confirmation.

Anita Hill had a position at the EEOC that was a career position. If she chose to continue working for an insufferable *sshole to stay in a career advancing position, she sure wouldn't be the first person to do so.

Do you have a career job and do you work for the perfect boss? Have you always worked for perfect bosses? Are you female? Have you ever experienced sexual harrassment? I think if you answered yes to any of the above, you wouldn't have asked that.

And, how is this less important than judges who employed illegal aliens and are then dismissed as potential SCOTUS material.

[Like It Is]

66. Look at what George Bush 43 has nominated.

Roberts and Alito are as conservative, actually right wing radical as he could find. Hope to God that he doesn't get another appointment.

[dugggy]

67. And when HRC becomes president we will have more Ginsburg types

getting on the court, and that is exactly what I want.
The constitution gives the president the power to nominate
whoever he/she chooses and barring any criminal background,
or judicial malfeasance the senate has the obligation to
approve them. I don't want a court of only one political
idealogy. I want a mixed court. And that is exactly what
we are getting, thank goodness. We are ONE country with
a broad spectrum of political views.

Like the Russian comedian says after every joke,
what a country!

[Like It Is]

87. If this is your idea of a good SCOTUS!

I would sure as hell hate to see a bad one.

[Like It Is]

26. Biden voted No!

He voted against Thomas' confirmation. He couldn't perform a miracle. You win some and you lose some.

[acmavm]

29. He savaged that woman. He talked to her like she was the lowest

piece of human filth on this earth. His voice dripped nastiness and sarcasm. He was a disgrace.

[Like It Is]

38. I didn't hear that.

I thought Anita Hill's worst inquisitor was Arlen Specter, Republican Senator from Pennsylvania.

[acmavm]

40. Orrin Hatch, Arlen Specter, and Joe Biden were all equally as vicious

and sexist. The started that investigation from the viewpoint that she was a liar and worse, and that is exactly how they treated her.

I watched every single minute of that hearing because at the time I was having my own little harrassment problem with a boss I had and I was intrigued by how men act when confronted with another's disgusting behavior. I watched in fascination as those bastards tore her character and reputation into shreads.

Biden is a real shit.

[Like It Is]

44. You are a poor judge!

I believe you were a bit opinionated at the time. I myself felt that her testimony was a bit weird. Even though I hated Clarence Thomas. The pubic hair on the coke can was a bit strange at best.

[acmavm]

47. I'm a poor judge? And you're a good one? Says who? You?

My problems with my boss at the time didn't influence the way I thought about what I saw and heard. They just made sure that I watched all three days of the hearings.

In my opinion you're wrong. And you always will be.

[Like It Is]

52. You're blaming one man for the actions of many.

Biden voted NO on confirming Clarence Thomas. How about blaming Bush 41 for nominating the piece of crap.

[acmavm]

53. That's not the only reason. His bad mouthing of dems who were against

the war, the bankruptcy bill fiasco, his arrogant and demeaning behavior at the Thomas confirmation hearings. You don't think the snotty, mysoginistic behavior of his didn't taint those hearings?

Regardless.

Luckily he's got no chance of ever living in the White House. Thank goodness.

[Like It Is]

61. Don't count your chickens!

Before they hatch!

[rosesaylavee]

50. Yeah. The coke can was a bit strange...

but that's why it was so believable. I too have had more than my share of that behavior and it was fascinating to watch as this behavior didn't have a name before that hearing. It didn't have a name and as such was never considered serious enough to be something to be bothered about. But now countless women have Anita Hill to thank for having recourse against creeps in the workplace now.

And as I said upthread, there was plenty in the Thomas' testimony that indicated that he was lying about many things before Anita Hill valiantly stepped forward.

There was a senator from Illinois on that committee who lost his next election to Durbin because of his ridiculous behavior at that hearing.

[acmavm]

32. Hey, he was for the war before he was against it. He badmouthed other

dems for being vocal in their dissent. He changed his tune (like Hils) when things started going seriously bad.

[Like It Is]

41. The Bush administration lied to everyone!

It was easy to believe Colin Powell at the time.

[acmavm]

43. Really? Did you? I didn't.

[Like It Is]

63. After 9/11

Washington tried to unite behind the president, unfortunately.

[Jillian]

49. Actually, because he was the top Dem in the Foreign Relations Committee

He was lied to his face by the liar in chief himself.

Biden said to him - paraphrasing - I will only vote for this if you promise me that you
will first let the inspectors do their job, and go to the UN.

My sig line says the rest.

[acmavm]

51. Whatever, you like the guy. So what. I think he's bought and paid for.

And the funny thing, now that he's done all that the credit card companies needed, they've moved on the greener pastures.

Oh well.

[Like It Is]

56. That's my line!

Hillary and Obama are bought and paid for.

[acmavm]

57. Yeah, I agree. I don't like either one of 'em. But I still can't stand Biden.

[Like It Is]

59. Just who the hell do you like!

Gravel? You sound like him. Or some Repug. I'd like to unload on your guy.

[Like It Is]

54. You're just a Biden hater.

Why do you hate him?

[acmavm]

55. Hells bells, aren't you paying attention? I'm not explaining it again.

[sellitman]

28. Every once in a while Biden makes me cheer.

Like you said though.... it's over real fast!

[lyonn]

9. Biden does have a way with words and ideas

He is high on my list of potential presidential candidates. At the top actually. I will keep listening...

[jillan]

10. That's good to hear.

I've been a fan of his since 2004 when I caught him on C-Span campaigning for Kerry.
He was yelling at the reporters about the Swiftboat liars. I sat on my couch, laughing and cheering.

I really hope he starts moving up in the polls.
With his experience, and his no-nonsense attitude, he will make a great POTUS.

[lyonn]

14. It seems that I end up liking the "under-dog"

Past candidates that impressed me were H. Dean and Wes Clark. I'm a sucker for those that don't appear to stick strickly to a script. It's primary time and that is when we can feel free to keep an open mind. After we get a nominee then I start looking for any and all goodies about them, if they are Dems, ha

[Jillian]

16. Kerry was my pick last time. Before he was actually nominated

he was not at all scripted.

I hope that when Biden gets the nomination (yes I am the optimist) that he
doesn't change. Something tells me he wouldn't.

[lyonn]

17. Kerry had a problem hitting back when the repubs and press

hammered him with lies and distortions. Figure it is a personality issue. He is not a street fighter, but would have made a very good president.

[Jillian]

21. I can't help but wonder if he was given bad advice my his campaign.

Then again, he is such a gentleman.

Then again, I blame the DNC (it was run by mcAulife at that time) and the DLC, DCCC.

Bsh never had to go after his attackers. His people did it for him.
Kerry was left out on his own. A candidate shouldn't have to do that, they are suppose to be
giving a positive message. And you have to give Kerry credit, he has stood by everyone that has
been attacked since 2004 - from Murtha to Hillary last week. I wish these people would have done
more for him back then.

[Inuca]

24. Absolutely

I wish I had seen Biden attacking the attackers back then (mentioned upthred). Biden just went up a few notches, for what it's worth... Way too few in the democratic establishemtn acted the same way in 04. Depressing on so many levels. Just to think for a moment the way things may have been with Kerry in the WH now... SHIT!

[Like It Is]

30. He should have been his own man!

If anybody, he listened to Bob Schrum. A loser if there ever was one.

[napi21]

23. Kerry said that, as recent as this past week!

I watched in being interviewed by CNN (I think) and they were talking about Hillary's conflict with the DOD. He said he knew he failed to put enough $$ into a quick response, but Hillary is much smarter than that!

[Inuca]

25. Much smarter also in not defending

Kerry in 04 nor since.

[Like It Is]

27. With Biden, what you see is what you get.

You can take that to the bank!

[saltpoint]

71. Agree. That is a central point to Biden's profile -- he can stand on his

own two feet and talk and listen to people. Bush is all posture. Bush is a 6-year old in a 10-gallon cowboy hat.

Biden's done the homework and people are beginning to take notice. I see the C-Span coverage of our candidates and while at the moment I favor Mr. Edwards, I've long held Mr. Biden in high regard.

And would vote for him at the drop of a hat were he to win our nomination.

[Like It Is]

85. I'm for Biden all the way.

If he doesn't win, I can vote for Dodd or Edwards. With the rest of them I would have to hold my nose and vote.

[Mike Nelson]

13. Rudy has been on his latest honeymoon...

... or, having a lot of sex!

[Jillian]

15. yuck! Why did you have to put that image in my mind?

ewwww .... if he was the last man on earth, I still would say yuck.

[Inuca]

19. The quote in your sig is great

I like Biden. Not perfect, nobody is. I hope he moves ahead. If he manages to get more air time, debates should be his friend, he is quick and has a great way with words (sometimes too great a way, but that's a different story). As far as I know he has done well in the debates so far, not that it made much of a noticeable difference, unfortunately.

[Jillian]

22. It is a great quote. Biden doesn't mince words...

even when you wish he would.

[xchrom]

65. i love the sound of republick party people getting spanked.

and that it's rudy getting the school boy treatment -- makes all that much sweeter.

[saltpoint]

70. I think sometimes you don't have to go all the way down to the river

to see the fireworks.

Sometimes it's good to sit back on the porch and watch 'em from there.

I think Biden's candidacy remains very potent and viable, and that his poll numbers will begin to climb. They already have, actually, but I mean moreso as August becomes September and September becomes October and the Iowa caucuses are then a third of the year away, and Mr. Bush's war has not magically turned around in favor of the Coalition of the Willing.

The voice of a seasoned foreign policy master will speak loudly and clearly at that point in the intenational debate, and that voice would be Biden's.

I think he's damned effective on the stump, too.

[Like It Is]

73. Biden/Hagel

Biden made a great choice when he was asked whom he would choose for vice president from the Republican ranks, Chuck Hagel. What a ticket those two would make. They would certainly get my vote.

[saltpoint]

75. Hi, Like It Is. I'd vote for it with Biden at the helm and would try to

honor his choice.

Truth be told, though, I would mount an aggressive letter-writing effort to persuade him to choose another Democrat.

I think your sentiment would be a popular one, however. A lot of people would be on board with that ticket out there in places Democrats might not ordinarily campaign in.

[Like It Is]

77. Now you got it !

With Hagel as V.P. you win some Western States! Not just the Pacific Coast.

[saltpoint]

78. Well, I know Governor Dean is eyeing several of the more purple

western states.

I wonder how it would be with Hagel on a Democratic ticket. It seems as if Nebraska is a pretty red state. so's Indiana. If the Democratic nominee chose Evan Bayh as veep nom, I'm sure the Indiana race would be closer than it usually goes, but I'm not sure Bayh would be enough to carry the state for the Democrats. Maybe.

With Nebraska, would Hagel bring his own state's electoral college votes with him? He might be very effective in carrying Colorado, for example.

I'm just speculating outloud.

[Like It Is]

80. Rupert Murdoch Shenanigans!

On Direct TV, owned by Murdoch, they failed to list the Debates on CNN's menu!

[democrat2thecore]

76. As usual, Biden was great. Video is right on target. -nt

[Like It Is]

79. It's Biden on the Issues. From CNN.

2. Who seemed to know most about the issues?
Biden: When he talked about military matters and foreign affairs, you could hear his deep knowledge and experience Biden: Seemed like the straighter talker, especially on the situation in Iraq and what it means to leave in an effective manner Biden: Strong on urging all candidates to tell the truth Joe Biden
Joe Biden (40%)
Detailed results
Question 2:
Who seemed to know most about the issues?


1. Joe Biden 40% 1310 votes
2. Hillary Clinton 22% 727 votes
3. Barack Obama 17% 572 votes
4. John Edwards 7% 242 votes
5. Dennis Kucinich 4% 134 votes
6. Mike Gravel 3% 110 votes
7. Bill Richardson 3% 109 votes
8. Chris Dodd 2% 66 votes

Total: 3270 votes

[AtomicKitten]

81. Rudy has some 'splaining to do.

[Like It Is]

82. Gore won't run. Go with Biden!

Gore has too many other commitments.

[AtomicKitten]

83. I'll take that under advisement.

:)

[Like It Is]

84. Good move!

Biden can use your vote.