EIGHT years of Bush telling the WORLD to kiss his FRAT BOY ASS, and CNN calls Biden "too frank"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

updated 11:10 a.m. EDT, Sat August 23, 2008

Biden is experienced and, sometimes, too frank

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/23/biden.profile/index.html



WILMINGTON, Delaware (CNN) -- Joe Biden doesn't mince words.

The Delaware senator, introduced Saturday as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's running mate, has a well-earned reputation for impetuous and brutally honest remarks.

In May, Biden responded to a comment made in Israel by President Bush that compared Obama's willingness to negotiate with Iran to European appeasement of Nazi Germany before World War II.

"This is bulls**t. This is malarkey," said Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement."

Biden stepped on his own campaign launch in January 2007 with a comment about Obama.

Biden was criticized for describing Obama to the New York Observer as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." Video Watch some of Biden's gaffes »

Biden later apologized in speeches and an appearance on "The Daily Show."
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"What I was attempting to be -- but not very artfully -- was complimentary," Biden told Jon Stewart. "This is an incredible guy, c'mon! He's a phenomenon."

Biden drew a big laugh during a Democratic debate in April 2007. NBC's Brian Williams mentioned Biden's free-speaking reputation and asked the candidate whether he would have the self-discipline as president to refrain from saying too much.

Biden's complete answer: "Yes."

Biden abandoned his White House run after a poor showing in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.

The longtime Democratic senator brings years of experience that could help counter GOP arguments that an Obama administration would be inexperienced on foreign policy.

The buzz surrounding him intensified this week after he returned from a two-day trip to the Republic of Georgia after Russian troops invaded.

He ran for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination but dropped out after charges of plagiarism in a stump speech. Rival Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis distributed a videotape that showed that Biden lifted parts of his speeches from remarks made by Neil Kinnock, then leader of Britain's Labor Party.

Biden, 65, was first elected to the Senate at age 29 in 1972. Shortly afterward, his first wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. He considered resigning but decided to continue with his political career.

He is serving his sixth term, making him Delaware's longest-serving senator. He commutes to Washington daily on Amtrak from his home near Wilmington, Delaware, according to the Almanac of American Politics.

He has a liberal to moderate voting record, the almanac indicates, and served as chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1995. The contentious Supreme Court nomination hearings of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas took place on Biden's watch.

Biden voted for the Iraq war resolution in October 2002 but quickly became a strident critic of the Bush administration's handling of the conflict. He strongly opposed the increased deployment of troops in 2007.

"We've tried the military surge option before, and it failed. If we try it again, it will fail again," he said in December 2006.
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A Roman Catholic, Biden is married and has three children and five grandchildren. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and got a law degree from Syracuse.

He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on November 20, 1942.

[EC]

1. Hey, CNN, that's what we like about him

if it's bullshit, he calls it out....

[jesus_of_suburbia]

11. That's what I was coming in here to say, but you already said it!

[NotThisTime]

17. A stinking Men to that one!! It's what we WANT...

[sandnsea]

2. Democratic "Lunch Bucket" Voters - Love That Shit

So let CNN keep telling them all about how imperfect Biden is, just like them.

[Virginia Dare]

18. As opposed to the republican puke bucket voters...n/t

[autorank]

3. CNN is a cynical, nihilist organization working against real progress

And we need progress from where we are.

They whored themselves for Newt Gingreich when their lousy chief went over after the Republican
take over in the 90's and said, "Oh, we like Republicans too" blablabla. Walter Isaacson, remember
the name when you see a book by him on John Adams (a totalitarian, btw) or another paragon of what
we're not supposed to be.

[melody]

5. BTW, John Adams was NOT a totalitarian -- far from one

I'm so tired of Adams getting put down by people who've never read his letters.

[autorank]

12. I'm game

Alien and Sedition Act:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts

There were actually four separate laws making up what is commonly referred to as the "Alien and Post Sedition Acts"

1. The Naturalization Act (officially An Act to Establish a Uniform Rule of Naturalization) extended the duration of residence required for aliens to become citizens to 14 years. Enacted June 18, 1798, with no expiration date, it was repealed in 1802.
2. The Alien Friends Act (officially An Act Concerning Aliens) authorized the president to deport any resident alien considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." These acts were created in fear of French sympathizers. At the time, war was considered likely between the U.S. and France. Enacted June 25, 1798, with a two year expiration date.
3. The Alien Enemies Act (officially An Act Respecting Alien Enemies) authorized the president to apprehend and deport resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States. Enacted July 6, 1798, with no expiration date, it remains in effect today as 50 U.S.C. § 21-24.
4. The Sedition Act (officially An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States) made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials. Enacted July 14, 1798, with an expiration date of March 3, 1801.

This was so horrible and against the vision of just about everyone else, it lead Jefferson to propose
a state's exemption bill from Kentucky. He did this in a stealth way so as not to cause any notion
that a founder was undermining the foundations of the new nation. However, these acts denied the
meaning of our nation at that time (I'm sure Bush would love these, or has them;).

The Kentucky resolutions:
http://www.princeton.edu/~tjpapers/kyres/kyfaircopy.html

"1. Resolved that the several states composing the US. of America are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government; but that by a compact under the style and title of a Constitution for the US. and of amendments thereto, they constituted a general government for special purposes, delegated to that government certain definite powers, reserving, each state to itself, the residuary mass of right to their own self-government; & that whensoever the General government assumes undelegated powers, it’s acts are unauthoritative, void, & of no<1> force: that to this compact each state acceded as a state, and is an integral party, it’s co-states forming, as to itself, the other party: that the government created by this compact was not made the exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself; since that would have made it’s discretion, & not the constitution, the measure of it’s powers; but that, as in all other cases of compact among powers having no common judge, each party has an equal right to judge for itself, as well of infractions, as of the mode & measure of redress."

This is what your John Adams produced. Mon Dieu!

[melody]

15. Game is on

To completely blame the ASA on John Adams is like crediting the entirety of anything to only one influence.
John VERY reluctantly signed onto the ASA. He was basically buffaloed into doing it (probably via people
working against him ... he was profoundly paranoid and as it turns out, not without cause). It was his
single biggest mistake, I'll grant you.

Jefferson owned slaves. He believed women intellectually inferior to men. Adams was an avowed and vocal abolitionist. He believed in the intellectual equality of women. Are we to then infer that Jefferson was a tyrant and Adams wasn't because of that?

These were very complex men and very human people. They deserve to be seen in context. Adams saw the Revolution
from the front lines -- Jefferson was well behind the enemy front.

[autorank]

22. melody!

;)

I didn't say Adams=bad - Jefferson=good. Although I'm quite critical of Adams on the Alien and Sedition Acts, he has every one of those admirable qualities that you mention. In fact, aside from these nation ruining acts, his only real flaw was not letting go more in Paris. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Although, I did enjoy greatly the hypothetical conversation (or maybe not) between Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin at Versailles (or wherever). The three smartest people in France, sitting as outsiders, not understood for their great intellects and wit: that was priceless.

But back to those acts, he implemented them, whether due to a personal flaw, the paranoia, or an underlying inclination. So he gets the nod of history. It's too bad he fouled up an otherwise fine public career. But who is perfect?

As for Jefferson, he was more complex than Adams, in the sense that his contradictoins were more glaring, e.g., the Sally Hemmings affair.

The great champion of freedom and autonomy for the individual was very troubled by slavery:

"“ith what execration should the statesman be loaded, who, permitting one half the citizens thus to trample on the rights of the other, transforms those into despots, and these into enemies, . . . can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a
conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever . . . The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest."

He was a true politician and full of schemes to steer things in the right direction. The history of Jefferson and slavery is discussed well here: http://www.temple.edu/lawschool/dpost/slavery.PDF

[melody]

25. You called Adams a totalitarian

He wrote again and again about the need to keep power from limiting the public's liberty. That was my disagreement.

I admire Jefferson a great deal but you're right in that he was the consummate politician and Adams was a very poor one (being
far too honest for the job).

If you mean the conversation from the recent film, all dialog is taken from letters. Very little was invented to
serve the story. McCullough was very firm with Ellis on that (something about which Kirk speaks at length.

Speaking of McCullough, as he once said, one comes away from a study of US history with a great deal of respect for
Jefferson, Franklin and Washington. One comes away from a study of US history with a great deal of love for John
Adams. That has been my experience but then he's family. lol

[autorank]

26. Great close;)

:hi:

[Virginia Dare]

19. They're HORRIBLE. I haven't turned them on in well over a year..

I turn on FAUX for giggles every so often, but CNN just makes me want to wretch.

[autorank]

24. Right, and their start with Daniel Schorr should have taught them quality journalism

Even though they failed to renew his contract, Turner kept him for 6-7 years and it set a standard for CNN, thus providing them with immediate credibility for looking beneath the surface. Now they're just a bunch of "readers" punctuated by hacks who tout the Bush line. One line from a few months ago: 'It's a shame people are ignoring Iraq. A lot of good things are happening here.' (approx.) Some young face said that - pure drivel, of course, but that's their job. Deliver the drivel ... and you're right, they're not even funny like Fox.

[ErinBerin84]

4. Shuster said that it was "weird" that Joe described his wife as drop dead georgeous

I suppose he should have offered her up as the next Ms Buffalo Chip :puke:

[autorank]

13. Schuster has gone over to the dark side.

He was a smartie once, but now he's just another talking head on the payroll of corporate media.

[Virginia Dare]

20. I guess he should have called her a trollop and a c*nt...

yeah, that's the ticket...:puke:

On edit, you know I was watching that, and it sounded to me like it just came out of his mouth in the excitement of the moment. I thought it was sweet. It also seemed like it was an inside joke with her.

[Arkana]

6. What the fuck is a "lunch bucket"?

Who the hell still brings lunch in a bucket?

Surely we've graduated to bags or something better.

[melody]

7. CNN didn't say that, merely one editorial entry did

And a snotty one at that.

[Cha]

8. cnn brought us 8 years of bu$h and the War On Iraq ..

and is mccain's base so the head cnn honcho is scrambling to get all their lackies in line(that means you, candy crowley) and come up with what they think are negative terms for Biden. They're going to be in shit, aren't they, when Obama/Biden win?

[stuntcat]

23. I think so too

I don't know why everyone trusts them for real news but they do. ..Well I also don't know why my country elected Bush twice but they did.

[blondeatlast]

9. The m$m is visibly paniced by the thought of Obama/Biden.. They got their asses handed to them

yesterday and they will grasp at the flimsiest straw to bring this ticket down.

It won't work, though--Biden's been playing the media for years and Obamais a damn good student!

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. "Too frank?" Well of course they think he is. They are in the business of

hiding the truth, not uncovering it. :eyes:

[ErinBerin84]

14. on another note

who's the McCain campaign person on MSNBC right now? How come all of the McCain campaign spokespeople look like something directly out of that movie American Psycho. Each looks like such preppy killers.

[Overseas]

16. "Too frank" because they fear he won't let them walk all over him in their support of JSM III.

Country Club Journalists fear they may have to work harder to fight the lippy Biden as they do their best to continue promoting their Country Club Conservative, John S. McZombie.

[Virginia Dare]

21. What is the difference between "too frank" and "straight talk"..

this is all bullshit symantics. It's good when its a repub it's bad when it's a Democrat.