Biden Defends Obama On Committee Attack

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint sent Obama a letter asking why, as chairman of a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee, the candidate hasn't held any hearings on Afghanistan. It was an attack used by Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.

However, there's an easy response: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joe Biden has said he wants all hearings on Afghanistan to be held at the full committee level. In case he's forgotten that, Biden reminds DeMint in a letter of his own:

As you are aware, under my chairmanship the Foreign Relations Committee has addressed most Afghanistan issues at the full committee level. I believe that this is the best way of ensuring the most comprehensive examination of the complex issues involved, and of ensuring the highest-level Administration participation. ...

Sen. Obama has displayed great leadership on this issue: he called nearly a year ago for the deployment of at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan -- it has since become the accepted position of a wide range of U.S. military officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I look forward to working closely with him, and with you, on any future Afghanistan hearings that might be held in our committee."

In a speech Wednesday, Biden praised Obama's spine and criticized McCain's knowledge of history.

Comments

[nuglet304]

i wish it wasn't too late to get biden at the top of this ticket, but i'd sure settle for the vp spot. he could verbally manhandle mcc and anybody else they wanna throw at him, over and over again.

[maxwellinformed]

I Agree 100% with most of the Obama/Biden posters. Can you imagine Mitt and Biden in a debate?

[zendem1]

HuffPost's Pick

Rapid response. Good on ya, Joe. The Obama camp needs to use Joe in the role of attack dog on a daily basis. The media loves him, and he loves a camera. I hope he doesn't have a "Possible VP Choice" muzzle on, because the party and the campaign desperately need somebody who can shoot from the hip. Let Biden be Biden.

[kissmygrits]

Biden's never had any kind of muzzle on, so no worries. He will not be shushed!

[wbramh]

Nothing short of a tank is necessary to run over these single-celled pieces of flotsam.
A Biden, A Webb - anybody smart - but preferably mean, too. The Bush McCain forces need to be hit with both fists, every hour - and crushed in November.

[YankeeCanuck]

Yes, somebody who fights fair, but fights hard and if he's hit always, always gets back up.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Ka-SMACK!

[Garvagh]

Bravo, Joe Biden, for calling welcome attention to John McCain's obvious lack of understanding of history and his inability to chart the best course to follow in the Middle East because he cannot distinguish friends from enemies, or enemies from potential friends, etc. McCain is a captive stooge of the neocons, is the painful truth of the matter.

[4President]

Sure Mr. Biden.

Tell me this!

Why hasn't Barack Obama, chairman of the Foreign Relations sub-Committee, held even one single hearing on Afghanistan?

[ObserverinVancouver]

A little trouble with reading comprehension, eh?

[maxwellinformed]

It's about what you would expect from a McCain supporter. Ignoring the facts seems to be their MO.

[nomobull]

never mind just shaking head

[adept2u]

Low information or something? Read above article you are commenting on.

[wm1066]

Did you even read, or comprehend the article? sheeessh!

[UncommonSenz]

Seriously "4President"... did you not even bother to read the tiny article above?

The meetings have been held in full committee (which Biden heads) rather than subcomittee (which Obama heads).

I know you have your preprogrammed talking points to stick to, but try to lift your head up long enough to actually see what you are responding to once in a while... Sheesshh

[Azmom]

Obama/Biden 08

Bi-den will be the attack dog that Ob-ama needs, badly. You go, Joe!

[4real]

They would compliment each other very nicely.

[beaupritchard]

Biden would be a great Secretary of State ... Caroline Kennedy for VP.

[ohiodem250]

The other day when Biden gave that speech I said in a comment on the article that if he wasn't so gaffe prone I'd fully advocate Biden as VP. A great fellow HuffPoster corrected me on this and told me not to buy the spin. I worked for Edwards and would love to see him on the ticket but in the past few days and weeks I have been convinced:

Obama/Biden '08!

[AnotherToerag]

Agreed 100% - This week alone, Biden has been nothing short of awesome!

[LizM]

Glad to have you aboard! I can't tell you how happy I am when people begin to see what Senator Biden is all about and has been all about, despite the lack of coverage he gets from the media. Well, I guess I should say that if Joe Biden didn't get bad press, he wouldn't get any press at all.

I have been trying to figure out why it is that Biden is treated this way. There are numerous reasons, but many of them have to do, I think, with the fact that he doesn't have a phony, cynical , or hypocritical bone in his body and the media have never quite known how to deal with that. But, I am still trying to understand why the media (and blogosphere) refuse to take him seriously, despite the fact that when they need an expert opinion on any number of issues they go straight to him!? Maybe you could shed some light on this for me.

Thanks!

[ebanks84]

WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU MAM!

Anymore questions?

[sandtats]

Joe for VP!!! Sooo smart and he knows how to execute a smackdown better than anyone!

[rollingdivision]

He could have and should have held at least a few meetings. But like he has in so many instances he effectively voted, present. There is no reasonable excuse for not conducting at least some meetings or even to have gone to Afghanistan or to have personally met with the military commanders at their convenience. Guess this is the best after the fact excuse they can come up with.

[ATLiberal]

The subcomittee he chairs had not held a meeting for almost 2 yrs before he got there.

He has never voted present in the US Senate. That is not a recognized voting position.

Finally, as has been explained ad nauseum on numerous occasions, the present vote is frequently used in the IL legislature to provide cover to other lawmakers who may be in tough districts. It indicates the willingness to vote "yes" on a particular bill if some changes are made to it, while allowing the current incarnation of the bill to be voted down by the legislators who need the cover. And voila, they get to say they voted it down and got concessions to the bill before it got voted through. Do you need further explanation, or are you just here trolling??

[4President]

Way too much nuance for this discussion!

[rollingdivision]

Great set of excuses. A true leader would have forged ahead and done something positive. A few meetings of the committee would have only been a start. Problem is the lack of action is common occurrence with Obama.

[ebanks84]

Biden is handling it. What about that don't you understand? Whiner.

[HAYMONBRANDON]

YOU TEL'L EM

[ObserverinVancouver]

The US Senate has a lot of arcane procedures, customs, etc. I bet you that if the Chairman of a committee, someone has been in the Senate for decades, tells a first-term Senator who is Chairman of a sub-committee of that committee, to leave an issue to the full committee it would be a career limiting move to defy the Chairman. Also, Sen. Obama's sub-committee's deals with NATO-related issues and thus is only tangentially related to Afghanistan. A subject as serious as Afghanistan would hardly be left to be dealt with solely by a tenuously related sub-committee. I.e., Afghanistan is not being ignored because Sen. Obama's sub-committee hasn't dealt with it. Sometimes you have to ask if ayone in your country has any common sense and/or the ability to see through transparent political ploys. Sheesh.

[EgbertSouse]

What do you have to say to residing senators running for president who do not even bother to show up to vote?

[Raymondf]

There busy running for President.

[Jamchinadian]

You are confusing leadership with the trappings of leadership. The point is not to call meetings, the point is to lead - nearly a year ago he called for additional forces in Afghanistan; the generals are now following suit - calling for extra troops. Once again, he has displayed superior judgement - one of the hallmarks of leadership.

Please read the Post again.

[AmericaUSA08]

BAM !!!!!

[loax]

The Republican initials are SML - Spread More Lies. They are the ones with no backbone who have let their "leader" Bushie destroy this country, and will have lap boy McBush do the same as long as the rich stay rich, and the middle class and the poor get poorer. God these guys make me ill.

[jeffp26]

Obama biden 2008

[olderdem]

Go Joe Go.

[caywen]

This morning, Joe Biden had to go the hospital to get treatment for the major abrasions on the back of his hand for all the B-slapping he had to do recently.