Biden: Palin Policies Would Be "Backward Step For Women"

The Hill:

Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) says that if Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) becomes the first female vice president it will be a "backward step for women."

Asked by a local television reporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin if electing Palin would be a step forward for women, Biden said, "well look, I think the issue is what does Sarah Palin think? What does she believe?"

"I assume she thinks and agrees with the same policies that George Bush and John McCain think," Biden added. "And that's obviously a backward step for women."

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[jansky]

09:40 AM on 09/12/2008

Love your work Joe - you're a stateman and a gentleman - keep on shining

Obama-Biden 08

[ajax2]

02:38 PM on 09/10/2008

Nobody expected Palin and the Inquisition.

[DBMAC]

10:52 AM on 09/10/2008

I totally agree with OETKB's comment below. Also, I thought I heard somewhere that Palin's husband was not just an oil field worker but the owner of an oil company in Alaska. Does anybody know whether that is the case or not?

[DutchSockPuppet]

10:32 AM on 09/10/2008

Mac says he can't wait to hit that red button,,,,,,,,he wants to go out in style.

[INDmind]

08:38 AM on 09/10/2008

'nother drink Joe? After all, he also would be one step from the presidency.

[patianneb]

08:35 AM on 09/10/2008

This is NOT about Palin.... This is about WOMEN.
True, Palin is one. The operative word is "one". One of millions. No more, no less.
If we allow the people crafting the Bush Sidekick Campaign to seduce us into forgetting this simple fact, we diminish all women, implying they are somehow less relevant than she.

Clever? Yes.
Dishonorable? Absolutely.

[StickAredhotpokerupurAzz]

07:55 AM on 09/10/2008

All 22 countries in a BBC World Service poll would prefer Democratic nominee Barack Obama to be US president, ahead of his Republican rival John McCain.

Mr Obama was favoured by a four-to-one margin across the 22,500 people polled.

[quadman]

02:33 PM on 09/10/2008

In a related story, Saudis can now vote in Holland. Details tonight at 11.

[Phil123]

05:12 AM on 09/10/2008

So, a woman who:

Was captain of her High School Basketball team,
Was runner-up Miss Alaska,
Was Chairman of her own company,
Took on 2 corrupt political machines and beat them,
Became Governor of her state,
Is a mother of 5,
Is married to a handsome, faithful, "real-man" who:
- Works the oil rigs,
- Is a world champion snow-machine racer,
- Takes on enough of the parenting responsibilities so as to support her career,
And is a woman who is not afraid to be feminine....

is not a role model? Women should not aspire to be like this? If we had a daughter who turned out like this, we would be ashamed?

What the hell is Biden talking about? Would voting for him be a step forward for women?

[dadw5boys]

05:20 AM on 09/10/2008

We have a $ 511,000,000,000.00 BILLION DOLLAR interest payment due OCTOBER 1ST on the NATIONAL DEBT !!!!!

What experience from being a Captian of the basketball team and Govenor of a state with a small population will help her figure out how to make that interest payment ?????

[Phil123]

05:45 AM on 09/10/2008

What does your idiotic comment have to do with Biden's idiotic comment?

[dadw5boys]

05:21 AM on 09/10/2008

Chairman of her own company ??

They own one car wash with 3 stalls !!!!!!!

[OETKB]

04:53 AM on 09/10/2008

The last time I looked women were part of the human race and Sen Biden's comments should include us all. Sarah Palin would be a disaster for us all. To have a religious zealot who believes in end times and creationism as a science, denies the value of preserving of ecological balance or heeding its warnings when species disappear, presided over a state with a high unemployment rate, balanced its budget on the largess of the rest of us, left her initial executive job with a town saddled with a 20 million dollar debt with little to show for it, and who believes foreign policy comes from an inspiration from the almighty rather than the reasoning power and experience of human beings.

This Republican ticket takes the cake for the anti-intellectual prize, counter to our greatest asset as human beings. Sen McCain was a poor student and a poor aviator because he couldn't be bothered with critical facts. He also has a legendary bad temper. Sen Palin is an undereducated person and has had a very narrow life experience. She also has no qualms about lying or embellishing her record. This duo, if elected, would surely make us the laughing stock of the world. Our economy, our chance for peace, and our well being would depend on the roll of a dice instead of thoughtful programs and diplomacy to solve our problems. This is not a chance the American people should not take. Wasn't 8 years of this enough?

[donaldw6]

03:29 AM on 09/10/2008

Nice approach by Biden. We still don't know enough about Palin, by a long shot, but we know that the Bush and McBush policies are anything but forward-looking where women are concerned, so without jumping to any conclusions about Ms. Palin herself, Joe just referred to the platform she's supporting, and its regressive policies.

There are so many comments here (that I haven't read), so I assume this remark has been spun six ways from Tuesday, but it's just that simple. All we know about her is who she supports, and they ain't no feminists.

[GrainOSand]

03:10 AM on 09/10/2008

To all you fence sitters, now you have your legitimate reason (not) so feel free to blow. If you did not want to vote for the man, you do not need to make up an issue beyond whatever your real reason is. Joe Biden is not sexist. Some of the comments here reflect the exact reason Mrs. Palin was put into the race to blunt any criticism of the ticket -- any that came would be deemed sexist, they have not gotten to reverse racism yet but they will get there I am sure. If you do not understand that then that is too bad, do what you have to do, because it is always what it is and it is always going to be what it will be. It makes no sense anyone crying over that. This is not about the candidates anyway, we are waiting for the results of an entire nation stepping on the scales of integrity, value, and worth, or to connect itself with the stupidO’meter and take a reading.

See Ya!

[GrainOSand]

02:30 AM on 09/10/2008

If I go down, I want to go down attacking vital and thus legitimate areas of major concern. To do otherwise is to adhere to the rules of a game not worth playing. My two men in Washington took the gloves off today and said enough. I am proud to be an American today. I am proud of my countrymen who proclaimed loudly, not this time; not this time with your Willie Horton, trying to paint a picture of how you see reality through a dirty glass of sick and twisted political ambition, not this time SUCKAS, or excuse me, you naughty people, nah, I like SUCKAS better. How’s that wide stance working for you?

Today was a good day...the day Obama and Biden returned to the days of Burger King when the saying was -- Have it your way. Except their not going to hold the punches or the pickles, the lefts and rights or the lettuce, for the GOP needs to taste the sourness of the bitter cynicism that is their Party, they need to feel the density of their dishonest approach to governance. It seems it is time for a regular gluteus whooping, Chicago and Delaware style by way of Scranton; American style, because -- Yes We Can proceed with supplanting fear.

Change, American Style -- is drawing near!

Who is that down on the floor’, looks like McCain/Palin thought Obama was going to ignore. Bet they will not do that no more (or again).

[UplandBob]

01:21 AM on 09/10/2008

Joe Biden is becoming more irrelevant everyday. He is a sexist and should not have been the choice for Obama. First of all, Hillary should have been the Democrat nominee, not Obama and his thin resume.

[StillIRise]

01:38 AM on 09/10/2008

Plainly put:
Joe Biden is more relevant that you want to believe, and you will have a chance to see just how relevant he is when he becomes the next VP.

Neither he nor his comments are sexist. To the contrary, Senator Biden was speaking of behalf of many women who share his concerns, myself included.

Senator Biden is the ideal running mate for Senator Obama. They are both brilliant competent men of integrity who share the values and vision that will serve to reclaim our democracy. They also know, like and trust each other, which are critical considerations one should give in making such an important selection.

[UplandBob]

01:43 AM on 09/10/2008

Give me a rise... Biden is a sexist! He is condescending towards strong females and feels Obama is not yet qualified to be President! He said so himself just a few weeks ago.

Conservative strong opinionated women respect Palin. The old "man/country" hating feminism is dead. New young feminists believe that Hillary, not Obama should have been the Democratic choice.

[pupbayer]

02:00 AM on 09/10/2008

Just because some women, including you, agree with his sentiments don't mean they're not sexist.

[donaldw6]

03:32 AM on 09/10/2008

Well, is there anyone else you'd care to trash bitterly, since you're here?

[Think82]

01:01 AM on 09/10/2008

Joe Biden is NOT a sexist. He is the author of the Violence Against Women Act. To say that Biden is sexist is beyond laughable if you know the facts.

[UplandBob]

01:29 AM on 09/10/2008

I agree noThink82, Joe Biden is a sexist! Hillary 2012!

[pupbayer]

01:29 AM on 09/10/2008

What he said is sexist. I was surprised he said it. Does one statement make him a sexist? Maybe not. It does make it insensitive and perhaps out of touch.

Remember, he also was behind the bankruptcy bill. That didn't help women or families.

[StillIRise]

01:45 AM on 09/10/2008

What exactly was SEXIST in Senator Biden's statement, and before you respond, please find a dictionary and look the word up!

Not only was Senator Biden sensitive to the important issues of women, particularly Democratic women who are concerned about Roe v. Wade, but his statement also demonstrates that he is very much in touch with the concerns that women have in regard to Sarah Palin.

[LITU]

09:19 AM on 09/10/2008

Sexist? How so? Get an edumacation kid.

[Mellenbal]

12:27 AM on 09/10/2008

Joe, I've loved you since 1988. Kick a$$, senator!