My friend Ken in California is complaining that my posts as of late are disturbingly negative against the GOP ticket and that I should say some nice things in defense of the Democratic ticket.
Ken is an ex-Republican who finally saw the light after voting for Bush in 2000 (I know that you did Ken...just admit it). He wants to be convinced to vote Obama-Biden in November. Apparently, four more years of the previous eight isn't enough to send him screaming towards that voting booth.
That said, Ken is right....I should offer at least one post to promote the positive in this campaign....specifically, why I believe Joe Biden was the best choice for the 2nd slot on the Democratic ticket and why it affirms my trust that Obama is ready for the Presidency.
Here's a list of reasons why Biden is an excellent 2nd in command for Obama:
- 35 years continuous service in the U.S. Senate - arguably, the candidate on either ticket with the most experience in public service on the federal level since Bob Dole in 1996
- Has chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee
- Was elected to the Senate in 1972 at the age of 30 due to an odd election in Delaware....the popular GOP incumbent was considering retirement but was convinced by Richard Nixon to run to avoid a messy primary fight. The incumbent did win the primary but was upset by the young Biden.
- Almost single-handedly kept Robert Bork off the Supreme Court. And very nearly did the same with Clarence Thomas. He did bring in Anita Hill and other victims of now-Justice Thomas to testify to the vile and crude advances this predator subjected them to.
- Authored many landmark pieces of legislation, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (1994), Violence Against Women Act (1994), Kids 2000 (provides computer resources and technical training to low-income and at-risk youths),
- Has made diplomatic trips around the globe. In his service on the Foreign Relations Committee in the 90's, brought the world's attention to the genocide in the Balkans. In fact, during one meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, Biden called him a war criminal to his face
- Voted for the AUMF that gave President Bush the authority to invade Iraq only after tirelessly working with Senator Lugar on a resolution that authorized military action only after the exhaustion of diplomatic efforts. The Biden-Lugar resolution was torpedoed by the Bush administration in concert with Congressional Republicans. Biden subsequently expressed regret over his AUMF vote and has been one of the Bush Administration's strongest critic in their prosecution of the war. Unlike a certain junior Senator from New York who never thought it important to issue a mea culpa for her AUMF vote.
- When the craven asshole Bush got up in front of the Israeli Knesset and compared contemporary Democrats who opposed his Iraq policy to appeasers of Adolf Hitler prior to World War II, Biden replied "This is bullshit"
- Is one of the least-wealthy Senators in office - his current net worth is between $60,000 and $360,000
- Humble roots - Biden was born into a working poor family in Scranton PA and and earned his way to the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law.
- He is a politician that is unafraid to speak his mind (sometimes to his detriment - see below) and, most importantly, he is not shy about disagreeing with Obama. I thought they both defused the potential tension of former competitors, now running mates pretty well when they introduced themselves in Springfield a few weeks ago
- He will reach out to the working-class white voters that Obama has not yet gotten traction with
- He was going to dominate the VP debate in any case....against Sarah Palin, it will be a mismatch of historic proportions
- If needed, he is more than capable to step into the top slot
There are a couple more aspects to the Joe Biden story that lead me not just to admire him, but respect him:
- Biden married his first wife, Neilia, in law school in 1966. Six years later, he was elected as the fifth-youngest Senator in U.S. history. Six weeks after the election, Neilia and their infant daughter were killed in a car crash; his two young sons were badly injured. Biden took the Senate oath of office by their bedside.
- In the aftermath of the accident, Biden took his seat in the Senate, but never moved to D.C. He made the long commute from D.C. to his home in Delaware to be with his boys every night. He continued this commute even after he remarried and had more children. Now that his children are grown (with his eldest son, Beau, due to be deployed to Iraq in a few months), he still rides the Amtrak to be home with his aged mother.
- Biden was out of the Senate for seven months in the late 1980's after suffering two brain aneurysms. The only lasting affect on Biden has been a noticeable loss of hair, thus resulting in his unique coiff.
- Biden is well familiar with the rigors of the campaign trail, having mounted Presidential bids in 1988 and 2008.
Now, I'm not all flowery and gushy about Biden....I worry about his penchant to issue bold statements that sometimes come off as awkward and offensive. I am slightly worried that the plagarism issue that sunk his '88 campaign will be revived. I'm not enamored of his fealty to the credit card industry and his vote for the bankruptcy bill in 2005 that led progressives to dub him "Senator MBNA".
That said, I'm very happy with the choice, as it was the best option Obama had. I would have preferred Wesley Clark, but I understand why Clark wasn't in the final pool. I'm relived that Obama did not give into pressure to put Hillary Clinton on the ticket, which would have been a disaster. Biden brings to the ticket experience, passion and a record of public service that is unmatched. Obama-Biden is a formidable ticket and I cannot wait for the debates.
