Joe Biden: Dem Rivals "Not Making Sense" On Bhutto Murder

Council Bluffs, Iowa - Presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden took the occasion of the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to chide his Democratic rivals as too inexperienced to be president and to tout his own foreign policy credentials.

"Observe what's been going on in Pakistan and you'll see not many candidates have spoken out," Biden said. "And those few who have spoken don't make a lot of sense."

Biden made his remarks Thursday night to an audience of about 150 supporters gathered at the Elks Lodge in this small city abutting Nebraska.

Biden didn't single out any of his rivals by name in deriding their statements on Pakistan. But calling "nuclear-riddled" Pakistan an "emerging, urgent crisis," the veteran Delaware senator suggested that among the Democratic contenders he alone was best suited to deal with dangerous global affairs.

In a post-event interview with The Huffington Post, Biden at first refused to specify which candidate he was referring to when he said they weren't making sense on Pakistan. He noted that front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, both of whom issued brief statements earlier in the day lamenting Bhutto's murder, were "both good people" but didn't have his breadth of foreign policy experience.

When further pressed on the issue, Biden singled out second-tier candidate Bill Richardson as an example of a candidate putting forth simplistic responses to the Pakistani crisis. "Richardson said that [Pakistani President] Musharraf should step down and make way for a coalition government," Biden said. "But what coalition? There isn't any. What's he talking about?"

The assassination of Bhutto, Biden told HuffPost, was one more symptom of what he called a "dyslexic" U.S. foreign policy. "We've got things backwards," he said. "Our policy in Afghanistan where we haven't devoted enough resources to fight Al Qaeda has only encouraged the same extremists in Pakistan."

Biden devoted most of his two-hour appearance to lengthy presentations of various "Biden plans" to solve thorny international issues.

"You know a lot of people make jokes about me running really running for Secretary of State," he told the crowd who peppered him with questions on foreign policy issues ranging from Russia to the Middle East to Afghanistan. "I'm not. I'm running for President. But I would ask you: 'How many of you are willing to vote for a candidate not able to be Secretary of State?'"

"I know many of the world leaders for the last 30 years. Not because I'm and important guy. But because I came up with them," he said referring to his long-time leadership position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "It's not hyperbole to suggest the rest of the world is waiting for an American president to be elected who can connect the dots. And I can."

Check out the rest of HuffPost's Iowa coverage.

Comments

[auramac]

Regarding substance over style, Biden has always impressed me, and no one I know has agreed with me. But I'm sticking to it... other than that, I will vote for any democrat over any republican, no contest there.

[leftLibertarian]

Memo TO USA. Mind your own business for a change.

[Tellmethetruth]

For those who want a refresher on the other articles Biden wrote on Huffington Post related to Iran, Impeachment of Bush, Calling for a Independent Counsel on the Missing CIA Tapes (leads to Impeachment), and torture.

Joe Biden on CIA tapes

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-biden/special-counsel-needed-to_b_77692.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/10/biden-calls-for-special-c_n_76044.html

Joe Biden on Iran and Impeachment of Bush

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-biden/meeting-the-iranian-chall_b_75628.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/30/biden-to-bush-bomb-iran-_n_74778.html

[vippy]

The people of Pakistan want Musharraf gone.
How more plain can this be?

[SpindrainDotCom]

Joe's a good guy... and as one poster stated, all the other Dems regularly point to him with the "Joe's right" comment.... so why aren't more Dem voters behind him? They probably should be.

The posters who criticize him saying he voted for war in Iraq - He approved Gonzo in the beginning - or whatever - are hopefully as critical with their candidate.
None of them are perfect.... not even Obama.

Why is it that Dems who bash their candidates are so ready to forget that BushCo lied and lied again to ALL our Senators. It's not really fair to harshly fault someone who voted for Iraq. They had been lied to when asked to make a decision. MOST of America was behind Bush back then.

Experience does matter in this election - as does basic smarts, common sense, and integrity. Some candidates have one or two qualities.... few have all.

[gartie]

Wasnt Joe Biden the one who said to Alberto Gonzolez that he was the real deal? Boy, maybe i should vote for him since he was one of the ones who voted to confirm Mr. Bush's little AL

[rishy]

I assume most democrats are thrilled about a possible woman or black person ascending to POTUS. So am I. I would like to see Obama win, because I think he is smart, and has a vision I want to see come true. But, many other people don't know they won't vote for Obama. They think they will. I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it. So, we need to nominate a winner. That person is Biden. He could win. Hillary and Obama simply won't beat McCain (who will get the nod). Biden can beat all of the repubs, easily, with style, smarm, and intelligence.

Biden/Obama 08!!!!!!!!!

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Hate to say it, but what happened to Kerry and Gephardt will also happen to Biden. Both men were done dirty by thier own party. The same will happen to Biden. They know he is the best man for the job, but Hillary is going to use every dirty trick she can to screw him. The sad part is, he won't enjoy it. Sorry, had to say it. Edwards will also be burried by the clintons. Ditto for Obamma. They will swift vote them out. Insider info? Ha woudn't you like to know?

[Maddlizz]

Biden is heads and shoulders above Obama when it comes to knowledge and experience. It is pathetic that Obama's only claim to foreign policy experience is the fact that he was not in the Senate when the Authorization to use Force in Iraq vote was taken. Obama was not there and given his past history of voting in the State Legislature it is highly likely that he would have voted yes or present on the resolution had he been in the Senate at the time the vote was taken. Opposing the war verbally when you are running for a senate seat does not carry the same weight as actually being put to the test by having to cast a vote as a United States Senator. For Obama to continue to claim that the fact that he opposed the war from the beginning makes him smarter on foreign policy is ludicrous. He was never required to vote on the matter. While obama talks the talk, if his past history shows anything it shows that he would have voted with the majority.

[nick1936]

Biden's the one go get them Joe

[hope4theflowers]

MAYBE the only thing to do is get the hell out of the middle east to end the madness.Maybe all the terrorism is because we are there trying to directly or indirectly take over their sovereign nations.
Sigh

since that will never happen..you can forget about seeing an end to the turmoil.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

The public has to ignore the noise and look at track records. I like Obamma, think he is a great guy, articulate, but he does not have the years of expirience Biden has. Hillary is riding on Bills' coat tails, not what I call exirience.The rest? Its not rocket science here, its not about religious beliefs, what goat you worship or screw, its about who has the titanium balls to lead us forward, with brains, grace, dignity, a cool head, desire for facts over knee jerk reactions. Biden stood on more panels that outted crimminals in the white house, questioned acts that didn't fit scenarios we were getting force fed by the media. He can think on his feet and speak on his feet without cue cards.Expirience is more than special intrests wants and desires. That is puppetry, not someone willing to be neutral, do what is best for all people. Biden, like him or not, agree with him or not, has the track record. Period. The others don't.

[KewlHand]

I will certainly vote for Joe Biden if he is the Dem. candidate. He seems to lack the star power to win however. This is America and we do look for stars.

[caywen]

You know, Joe speaks his mind, and sometimes should bit his tongue a bit. But I prefer that to the baldfaced phoniness, underhanded tactics, and political chicanery of the other candidates. You know where Biden stands, and he doesn't run from those issues.

And he's right. Caucus for him.

[Tellmethetruth]

Thanks for the article and being honest enough to give credit where credit is due - to Joe Biden for being the most knowledgeable about the Middle East, most especially Pakistan, for being engaged on a regular basis with the President of Pakistan. Joe Biden has mentioned through out his campaign that world leaders talk to him because they have stopped calling Bush/Cheney as they cannot talk to them and diplomacy with either of them has not worked.

For bloggers who want to refresh their memories of what Joe Biden wrote on two occassions on Pakistan on Huffington Post on November 6th and November 8th - two months ago, here are the links.

It is worth reviewing to see how prophetic Biden was and right on the money considering how today's tragedy has worked out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-biden/a-new-approach-to-pakista_b_71733.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-biden/we-need-a-pakistan-policy_b_71399.html