Senator Biden is the Right Man at the Right Time
Senator Joe Biden's foreign policy experience and wisdom are unmatched in American politics. There is no one in Congress who has been around as long, who understands the international realities better, or whose judgment has proven sounder than Joe Biden's.
Having worked with him for five years and remained in close touch ever since, I am convinced he is the kind of leader America needs right now. A quick look at his record proves the point.
In the early part of his career, he was a Senate leader in the fight for nuclear arms control with the Soviet Union. What could be more relevant -- and prescient -- than that in an era where the threat of nuclear terrorism has grown and meanwhile Russia has become more dangerous under Vladimir Putin?
After the fall of communism, Senator Biden focused on two crucial issues. First, he led Senate efforts to provide assistance to the new democracies of the former Soviet Union. Second, he was the leading Democrat calling for confronting Slobodan Milosevic. During the crises in Bosnia in 1992 and Kosovo six years later, he was an early advocate of using military force to stop the mass murder of Muslims. Indeed, on a trip to Belgrade as his staff adviser, I saw him confront Slobodan Milosevic with a combination of ferocity and tact. His leadership during that period made it possible for President Clinton to act despite nearly overwhelming opposition from Senate Republicans.
More recently, in 2002 Senator Biden understood the dangers and the folly of using military force against Iraq without the support of the world. It was his resolution, co-authored by Senator Richard Lugar, that the Bush administration knew could affect their rush to war. That Biden-Lugar resolution wisely linked the confrontation of Saddam Hussein to a careful diplomatic plan. Iraq and the United States would have been much better off had President Bush followed Senator Biden's advice.
Knowing that the Senate had little leverage, he at least consistently pushed the administration to adopt the kind of Iraq strategy that was sadly missing for five years. He was an early advocate of more troops -- what later became known as the surge -- and a focus on a political solution among the competing ethnic groups in Iraq.
Most important of all, though, Senator Biden was aware of the threat from terrorism before 9/11 and urged the administration to focus less on extremely unlikely attacks from ballistic missiles (the missile defense program) and far more on terrorists attacking our country through ships or planes.
Since 9/11, Senator Biden has also sought to focus American national security policy on the real threats from al-Qaeda. He never accepted the Bush administration's false claims of a link between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Ladin. Instead, he advocated the kind of counterterrorism plan that the experts know would have worked much better. That is, winning the war of ideas in the Muslim world, using military and law enforcement against the al-Qaeda group, and maintaining international solidarity. Unfortunately, again, the Bush administration didn't listen to him.
All in all, Senator Biden has his priorities in the right place. He knows there is a time for diplomacy and there is a time for the use of military force. He knows that our military power should only be used as a last resort. He knows that America will be stronger when we have the support and respect of our friends and allies around the world. He knows that America is not just a military power but also a peacemaker. And he knows that American ideals must be tempered by a hard-headed realism about the way the world really works.
That is why I believe Senator Biden will make a great Vice President. He is the right man at the right time to help a future President Obama restore American prestige. Whatever happens in the election, I know he will be fighting to protect America's interests for years to come.
James P. Rubin served as Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) from 1989-1993 and Assistant Secretary of State under President Clinton.
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"I'm Joe Biden, Mr. Rubin's boss, and I approve this post."
Sheesh ...
glad to see Obama continues his msg of change with the Biden pick..Let'
Saw on CNN where Biden got 9500 votes in the primaries.
Well if they're sane not the line that would involve killing more young people in needless wars, continuing to bend over and allow the oil companies to take over our nation and economy (can you say oil oligarchy anybody), standing by and watching while an entire city (New Orelans) drowns, and literally engulfing the entire planet in eventual flames while you choke it off with CO2.
But if that's the side they want to lean on, all to appease their own selfish egos and hurt sense of pride, then go for it, vote for John McCain.
But more people will die. Needlessly.
If they still feel PUMA is more important than that then, by all means, vote accordingly.
What he really needs to do is offer the position of Secretary of the Treasury to Ron Paul. Real Conservatives would leave McCain and Wall Street CEOs would be jumping out of windows.
Ahh, Ron Paul wants to reduce government spend, Obama wants to increase it . . . . not a match there.
"He was an early advocate of more troops -- what later became known as the surge . . . . . . . . "
Not only that, he voted FOR the resolution to go to war!
Now, Biden's my type of guy . . . . he gets my vote!!!!
Senator Biden is what Barack urgently needed:
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Absolutely agree!
Dems must enjoy putting the better man in the secondary role. Other examples: Clinton/Gore; Kerry/Edwards; JFK/LBJ.
Just like the Republicans: Eisenhower/Nixon, Reagan/Bush, Bush/Quayle.
It does make you wonder about Obama. Didn't Biden try to get the democratic nominiation this year and dropped out 01/03/2008 with exactly zero delegates. Yes, the voters were really thrilled about Biden. And what about Biden's 35 years in Washington DC, he is part of the change Barack is talking about. Hillary has over 1800 delegates and Barack chose LOSER Biden. Oh well, maybe next election.
Absent a massive stock market crash, McCain is going to win this in a landslide.
Yeah, as McCain said the other day, "The fundamentals of the American economy are strong." Who cares about the 8.8 million people unemployed, the record deficit, the $650 Billion spent so far on the Iraq war, the fact that the Bush/McCain economy went from record surplus in 2000 to record deficits in 2008, the 4100 dead Americans in Iraq (who cares if the WMD story was just a marketing ploy), the war on science, the fact that the war has been fought "off budget", tax cuts for the richest 1% of the population, letting Halliburton and Exxon write the energy policy behind closed doors, outing an active CIA agent to get back at Joe Wilson ad infinitum? As John McCain's top economic mentor, Phil Gramm said a few weeks back, "We're a nation of whiners." Buck up, people and stop whining.
McCain: Bush's Third Term
1. It quickly became evident during the primary debates that this election was between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama; Biden dropped out when he realized this.
2. Although Biden has spent thirty-five years in Washington, it is widely acknowledged, among both Democrats and Republicans, that he is not a "Washington insider" in the sense that most of his colleagues are. He goes to work each day in the senate, and takes a train each night back to his family. He has not been tainted by Washington politics as some others, many who have served even fewer years than Biden, have been.
3. I am only a few years younger than Biden, and yet I know that I too am part of the change Obama is talking about. Biden shares Obama's vision and with his experience based on his tenure in the senate, he will help to make that vision a reality. He is not entrenched in the "old politics" as John McCain is and has in fact fought against it during his years as a Senator.
4. Hillary's delegates will have a voice in the roll call, and Senator Obama and Joe Biden will win the presidential and vice presidential nominations and will, in all likelihood, win the election as well.
Answer: The Obama/Biden ticket is a great blend. Obama brings the vision, leadership and charisma and Biden brings insider knowledge, skills and years of solid relationships, international and national, to make the perfect blend. Biden alone could not pull off the top spot on the ticket because the ability to inspire, motivate and lead is not something that can be gained through experience--it's an inate gift that one either has or does not have. Think JFK or Ronald Reagan. This perfect blend is the right answer for America at this time in history. Obama/Biden '08 Yes WE Can!!!
biden actually won most of the debates but he didn't have the backing of the media that was fascinated with the popular hillary and obama. it would have been hard for any white-haired white guy to compete with the novelty of clinton and obama. plus biden didn't have the backing of special interests and other money to promote his campaign more.
and remember, although i think biden will help obama a lot, VP is a relatively powerless position and obama may have a cabinet spot waiting for clinton and she's better off staying in the senate where she yields more power than she would as VP.
1800 Delegates still FEWER THAN OBAMA why a candidate wants to lose another round so publicly is well beyond me! Talk about living a fantasy what ever happened to the graceful exit? Billerry has become a true living joke and I was an early Clinton supporter -NEVER AGAIN will I support a DINO like her!
If the Clintons are such a joke why do they make Obama so nervous? Only one of the hundreds of questions that will go unanswered. As will questions like if Joe Biden is such a great choice why is he so unpopular with voters. And if the big difference between Obama and Hillary during the primary was that she supported the war and he didn't, why choose a running mate who also supported the war? Then there's my favorite question if Obama's justification is that Biden (like a scolded schoolboy) admits he was wrong on the war vote, what else will Biden change his mind about in order to please his master?
Doesn't matter who is VP for Obama...he and the DNC have shown disrespect for Hillary Clinton, and disrespect for 8 million voters....
Sadly, Hillary Clinton made it impossible for Obama to select her as the VP. There was no way to overcome the things she said and the poison she set loose during the primaries. She carried on her primary battle so long that she singlehandedly managed to erode the unity of the Democratic Party. Hillary has no one but Hillary to blame for the fact that she was passed over for VP. As much as HRC's supporters want to hang this result on Obama, there is just no evidence that anything that Obama personally said or did during the primary unfairly hurt her chance to win the primary race. Obama fought well, strategized well and is at core a great, charismatic leader; therefore, he won. I think the MSM is more at fault for stirring up this pot long beyond the point where HRC herself would have ever carried it. HRC needs to make the facts of her loss known to her most diehard supporters and allow the Party ticket to prevail in November. Obama/Biden '08
Maryanne! Well put! I agree 100%. My family and I have been discussing this for awhile and have come to the same conclusion. If Hillary had bowed out gracefully in March, when it was known that she could not win enough pledged delegates, and thrown her support behind Obama, then I think that Obama would be much more ahead in the polls now. There would be less rancor within the party, and who knows, she might possibly have been selected for VP.
Sadly, I think she is guided by her Ego, which does not want to let go of this without a struggle, at the risk of dividing her party and losing the election. If she truly cared about the issues, as she says she does, she would not have behaved as she did. It's only about her.
A counselor told me a long time ago, "Controlling people will not give up their control. To them, it's worth everything
"a vote vs. Obama will let the elitist snobs of the Dem party know they cannot strong arm the party with their money"
Oh yeh, it'll do that all right! Not that they're the ones who'll suffer under another 4 years of Bush -- YOU will! But hey, you will have proved your point, so that should be enough comfort for you when you can no longer afford to pay for food, gas etc... and when you lost your x number of homes.
obama couldn;t pick hillary because to many people she's the epitome of everything that wrong with washingtons - scandals, corruption, lying, cronyism, etc. i think more people view her as part fo the establishment than biden.
i also think that obama may have a more important role for hillary in his cabinet other than vp. the problem is a lot of people, esp. repubs, have such disdain for clinton that obama had to distance himself from her. plus, i think that biden brings more to the ticket than clinton - experience, extensive foreign policy knowledge, and HONESTY. i also don't think that clinton would want to play second fiddle to obama and have him get credit for her ideas. i think she's rather stay in the senate where she has more power and could take over pelosi's job.
We have two future leaders who are not sold out to the speciall interets therefore can attempt to effect change. Biden consolidates the ticket as he knows the inner workings of our political process, consider Obama's line so revealing once again -- "that rare mix - for decades he has brought change to Washington, but Washington hasn't changed him." Look at the 99th rank in terms of the wealth of senators, it is Joe Biden, then compare Biden to McCain, looking at the evolution of their wealth. Kind of difficult to equate lobbyist to "birds of prey" to quote McCain this time... in an effort to distance himself while they gravitate so closely around him..., there have been numerous reports for those interested that demonstrate just how close McCain is to this corporation.
Not sold out to special interests? Biden is in the pocket of the credit card industry. And Obama isn't clean on this issue either. Plus Democrats should tread lightly on the wealth thing. During next week's convention there will be a big tribute to Ted Kennedy and no doubt the Kennedy legacy will be evoked. I guess they won't be focusing on how patriarch Joe Kennedy made his fortune and mob connections to buy his son the 1960 presidential election. Kennedy's sullied history makes John McCain and any Republican you'd like to demonize look like a bunch of boy scouts.
The only choice better than Joe Biden would have been Hillary Clinton, much as I dislike her. I'm thrilled Biden is on the ticket, couldn't be happier. He's blunt when we need blunt. No more letting McCain define the Democratic nominee and not a minute too soon!
i dont agree.he voted for the authorization of the iraq war,he dissed obama during the primarys.h
On the flip side, Wes Clark was one of the most ardent supporters of the war with the Serbs and the toppling of Milosovic. How someone could have supported the removal of Milosovic and invasion of the former-Yugoslavia but not Sadam Hussein and Iraq is beyond me. How were the Serbs and Milosovic a threat to the US again? anyone? anyone?
How many troops did we lose in the area formerly known as Yugoslavia, how much money did we spend, and how many civilians did we kill. None of those figures come close to the Iraq war numbers. You're better off comparing Yugoslavia to Iraq 1 than Iraq 2.
I just don't believe anyone is really excited about Obama/Biden except those who would have voted for Biden and that is about 2% of the democrat electorate. This is not an exciting ticket, it is more of the same losing ticket that democrats are so good at putting together. I would not mind if they win, but I do not think they will.
i agree.this pick seriously undermines our movement of change.bid
I'll put money on it they won't, not with Biden, and I will vote this ticket if I have to (maybe)the best pick at the best time for who? for those who worked with him. Not for a lot of the American people I come in contact with daily, they are not excited about this ticket at all. It shows O' as I see now people are starting to call him, (Why? They spell out Biden but not Obama? lol.) these people are not only interested in foreign matters like ending this war or how about an end to war all together. Something Biden could probably help Obama with, but they're also interested in equality, health care, education, jobs for every American! Which I'm noticing Obama is talking less about he's moving towards the center (all about war and security)and with this pick it proves it. He had the only opportunity to do it different, to blow this out and now he's gambling for what? it isn't like McCain is so far behind Obama in this race where Obama could've picked who he wanted he should of humbled himself and picked what he needed to win. It's about winning right?
Oh, I think you aren't seeing the big picture. Until a few days ago, I would have picked Bayh over Biden. But now that I have seen them together I am convinced that they will be a great team. Obama brings in the charisma and energy that Biden lacks, while Biden shores up Obama's weaknesses in experience. They really compliment each other quite well, unlike Gore/Liebermann (ugh. I voted for Nader that year) or even Kerry/Edwards (not a bad ticket, but it seemed more politically calculated than astute and complimentary). I have some concern over how they are going to spin the change mantra, but many successful tickets have an 'outsider' paired with an 'insider'. Carter/Mondale, Reagan/Bush. Clinton/Gore and Bush/Cheney all found relative success with the formula. And besides, if Obama is really serious about fixing up Washington, then the Biden choice is good, though anti-intuitive. It's sort of like the idea that the best crime fighters are themselves criminals.
Who were you suggesting before the pick was made?
Biden is great. Obama still not so.
Obama will change out country and even the world with Biden's help and counsel. Don't sell Obama short.
obama is great.bide
So, what was his vote allowing the president to use force in Iraq?
he voted for it.should have never been picked for that reason ,alone.
So? Who knew that the Shrub would take advantage of the votes. This authorization was given before everyone knew what a power-monger Bush is. Sorry, but I can't fault a guy (or woman) for trusting the President to do the right thing. It's Bush who is totally to blame for taking advantage of the American public.
In the historical context, most Dems voted for the authorization because to do otherwise would have been construed as being "soft" on national security. A risk no one in office then could have taken if they wanted to be re-elected. There was a huge show of "unity" in the Senate and House post-9/11 that was more about being on the right side of the national security issue than about personal convictions or party platform. It was a no-win situation for those in office and most opted for the "safe" vote. Now they have to either rue the day (vote) or embrace it according to their personal agendas. No matter where the candidate under discussion today came down on the authorization vote, the important issue is where they are today and where they want to go in the future. I think most Americans are savvy enough to appreciate the nuance and give their elected leaders a pass in order to move forward toward solving the Nation's current problems. Obama/Biden '08
A great team, no question. Americans across the country applaud Obama's good jugment in selecting such an intelligent, competent and honest running mate.
i have to question his judgement on this one.biden will be a drain on our politics of change when he takes our campaign negative.t
Yeah, we tried that and we've been out of office more than in office as Dems. If we want to win, then we have to play the game. I say, let the games begin and may the best team win--Obama/Biden '08!!!!
I will. It's too imoportant to keep John W. McCain from his third term in office.
Question his judgment for sitting in that church for 20 years listening to hate filled, anti American rhetoric.
Question his judgment for his other friends: Ayers, Rezko, Nation of Islam...
I cannot understand the constant harping on this issue. Most church members, especially high profile ones, are not often in attendance at any service due to other commitments. Most people also do not remember what their pastor spoke on last week, let alone over the course of 20 years of hit and miss attendance. Also, I think it is fair to say the Rev. Wright was significantly impacted by 9/11 and interpreted it and reacted to it in a way that had some basis in a severe psychological reaction. The sermons at issue occurred post-9/11 and were mocked in soundbytes that left the legitimate context and larger message behind. People have put too much stock in this area, and have imbued Obama with more power to influence and censor his pastor than anyone reasonably enjoys. I think this whole broohaha is entirely overblown and is likely just cover for not voting for a Black middle-aged politician. I would respect more an honest statement from the haters who go on about Rev. Wright that they are not voting for Obama because he is: Black, or pro-choice, or pro-civil unions--name any legitimate reason. Obama/Biden '08
The sharpest praise I can give Joe Biden is this: Were the Obama/Biden ticket reversed, I'd be equally certain of voting Democrat.
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