Joe Biden: Super Servant of the Super Rich? Or the Working Man?

It wasn't all that long ago that I was gushing like a school girl at a Justin Bieber concert over Joe Biden, as if he were somehow above the political fray, when, in fact, he could be the poster boy for the ongoing tug-of-war inside the Beltway.  I truly believed he was a true friend of the working man,  making excuses for his despicable support of the bankruptcy bill, and waxing on about his integrity.

Well, those days are over. I  finally opened my eyes when I put the lovable gaffe-prone persona aside and looked at the most corporate friendly state in the U.S.: Joe Biden's state: Delaware. Not to mention his position in the Continuity of Government (COG) (set up after WWII to ensure continuity of government in case of a nuclear attack. Over the years, each presidential administration has expanded the powers of the Continuity of Government, whose members are permanent and not elected. On 9/11, the COG was officially initiated. Members include Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Porter Goss, Joe Biden. The COG is classified Top Secret and neither the public nor Congress is allowed to review it. It is, in effect, a completely secret government that operates at the highest levels of national security, intelligence, military, and industry, with full authority to do whatever it wants without accountability) and last but certainly not least, learning that he drafted the core provisions of the Patriot Act in 1995.

CNET reported:

It previewed the 2001 Patriot Act by allowing secret evidence to be used in prosecutions, expanding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and wiretap laws, creating a new federal crime of “terrorism” that could be invoked based on political beliefs, permitting the U.S. military to be used in civilian law enforcement, and allowing permanent detention of non-U.S. citizens without judicial review.* The Center for National Security Studiessaid the bill would erode “constitutional and statutory due process protections” and would “authorize the Justice Department to pick and choose crimes to investigate and prosecute based on political beliefs and assocblank Joe Biden Drafted the Core of the Patriot Act in 1995 ... Before the Oklahoma City Bombingiations.”

Russ Baker believes his gaffes are secretly brilliant. I'm inclined to agree.

All this makes me wonder if something else is not going on. It makes me wonder if these remarks were intended to have the exact effect they did.

Let me explain.

There is no question that Joseph Biden has a long history of putting his foot in his mouth. But the mere expectation that everything he says is accidental or ill-conceived also puts him in a good position to put out material that actually helps Obama. And it is not as if Biden is completely incapable of memorizing his lines—or at least reading them off a teleprompter.

Maybe these most recent remarks were mistakes. But mistakes tend to come in debates, in response to questions, not in prepared speeches. And these seem to have been prepared remarks, a carefully calculated effort, as with all good speeches, to create some theatre—and to include at least one “hot” phrase that will get picked up by the electronic media. There is simply no point to having Biden speak to a live audience without considering how to multiply the ultimate audience by a factor of thousands. And no point to having him speak at all unless he has some zinger that will appeal to news producers and headline writers.

So, is Joe Biden merely an "average Joe", a champion of the common man?  Or, an executor of plutocrat policy, who although his allegiance to capitalist imperialism, and neo-liberalism? Who can carry out his mission without provoking the wrath of the progressives, the liberals?

If nothing else, gotta wonder how he's lasted so long inside the beltway.

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Wanted: Tree-Shaking Leaders With Balanced Strength.

As our nation faces unprecedented change, and we try to navigate through uncharted waters, it's imperative that our leaders understand the need for balance. They must be able to blend the strength of their convictions and character, with enough humility, to prevent the arrogance that so often accompanies powerful positions.

Regardless what you may think of his views, Pope John Paul II, exemplified the type of balanced strength and leadership we need now. Eight months after he was elected Pope, armed only with his charismatic presence and the courage of his convictions, he took the calculated risk of visiting his homeland, Poland, in an effort to normalize church-state relations with its antagonistic communist government. One year later, in 1979, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko said he was interested in establishing diplomatic relations. Ten years later, the Berlin Wall fell.

In a nutshell, the leadership of Pope John Paul II, an amalgamation of great strength, intelligence, charisma, and paradoxically, a willingness to subjugate his ego for the good of all, succeeded in establishing a meaningful geopolitical presence for the Catholic Church, in an effort to advance social justice and human rights all over the world.

“I didn’t cause this to happen. The tree was rotten. I just gave it a good shake.” -- Pope John Paul II, in response to his role in helping to dismantle the "evil" empire

Well, starting with our own economy, rotten trees abound, and we need a "tree-shaker" leadership.

Vice-President Joe Biden has been around long enough - taking his fair share of lumps - to make most of us feel comfortable that he is - no matter what his position or status in life - who he is. He doesn't "mask" his truth or put on heirs; he's comfortable in his own skin and even more important, he is "comfortable", making mistakes. So, it's fairly safe to say that Biden is a man of balanced strength, not to mention, he also has a history of shaking, at the very least, a few branches.

President Obama, although, not quite as "seasoned" as Joe Biden - as we have already seen - does not fear failure, nor does he let it stand in his way. There is no question that President Obama possess a balanced strength, and it appears he's willing to shake a few branches.

In conclusion, both President Obama and Vice President Biden are courageous men. They can admit error with the same confidence they celebrate success because they both understand failure brings them one step closer to accomplishing the intended purpose, as it provides a learning opportunity. However, the question still remains as to whether they will not only shake a few trees, but shake them hard enough

"There’s never been an elected official I’ve worked with — a president or in my iteration as a senator for 36 years — who is as incisive and disciplined about what he focuses on. He’s clear, he’s disciplined, there’s a precision in his thinking that has surprised everyone. And it goes along with a genuine informality,” he continued. “That informality breeds you being prepared to say, ‘Well, Mr. President, I don’t think that works ... . As opposed to walking in and saying, ‘Sir ... .’ - Vice President Joe Biden on President Barack Obama

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Marking an Historical Transition to a Politics of Inclusion

From the Denver Post:

(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(Photo by Jim Bourg-Pool/Getty Images)

(Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

"Vertie Hodge, 74, weeps during an Inauguration Day party near Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Houst"

(ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

(Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times)

(PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

(Andrew Councill/The New York Times)

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

(Eric Draper/The White House)

In addition, you can zoom in and out of David Bergman's amazing Gigapan made from the north press platform during President Obama's inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009. The panorama is made up of 220 images and the final image size is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels.

Catch another interesting perspective of this event at CNN's The Moment.

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Joe Biden on Lies About Obama

Joe Biden addresses the lies being told about Obama. He specifically reacts to the interview (2nd video) where WFTV Channel 9's Barbara West asks Joe Biden if Obama is a "Marxist".

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George W. Bush Again?

President Hockey Mom, her first dude and his buddy, Joe Six-Pack.



Funny, folksy, gregarious and winsome? What more can you ask for? Well?

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What do Joe Biden and Eliot Spitzer Have in Common?

As I have said before, Joe Biden's experience is a positive addition to Obama's candidacy, however, his long history becomes antiquated and is a detriment in the area of technology. Either that, or he's trying to make up for infringing on the copyright of others.

Biden's pro RIAA tech voting record, his effort to expand copyright law, his somewhat hypocritical effort to remedy the situation, and finally, his lack of perspective in this area could be compared to Spitzer's paradoxical behavior in another realm, although not as quite as drama filled and salacious as that of Mr. Spitzer.

Hopefully Obama will convince his running mate to support the principle of network neutrality and to quit backing the RIAA and the MPA as they are more than capable of taking care of business on their own.

Even after this "devastating" news, I'd still back Joe Biden's candidacy 100% if he were running for President. Why? Because, as I've also mentioned numerous times before, Joe Biden has demonstrated above all else, that he is willing to learn from his mistakes and that he's flexible enough to incorporate new information and experience in order to keep up with the rapidly changing complex global environment that is our future.

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What Does McCain Truly Believe?

Experience and new information evolve our system of beliefs and values...it's called maturity. However, it's normally a gradual process. For example, when Joe Biden was asked "Do you believe gay marriage is inevitable?" in November of 2003 and then again on Meet the Press in 2007, he changed his stance from opposition in 1995 to accepting the inevitability of gay marriage in the near future and the realization that his former belief was discriminatory.

"I don't think the government can dictate the definition of marriage to religious institutions. But government does have an obligation to guarantee that every individual is free of discrimination. And there's a distinction. I think government should not be able to dictate to religions the definition of marriage, but on a civil side, government has the obligation to strip away every vestige of discrimination as to what individuals are able to do in terms of their personal conduct.

Joe Biden understands that a system of beliefs emerges gradually and that America's maturation process must go through growth pains before it arrive as also stated back in November of 2003...

"...getting there will be an incredibly difficult thing for America to grapple with. It's going to be something we have to go through as part of the maturation process of the nation."

John McCain, on the other hand, has flip-flopped his belief system from a moderate, almost "liberal" Republican to a neo-conservative in a very short period of time. What's the explanation?

For instance, in October of 2000, Democratic President Bill Clinton vetoed a $400 billion tax cut as too deep and irresponsible saying it would jeopardize our surplus. Less than one year later, prior to 9/11, in the spring of 2001, John McCain and Lincoln Chafee were the only two Republican Senators to vote against a $1.6 trillion, 10-year tax cut, requested by the Bush Administration. Now, John McCain says he supports it. Why? Back in 2004 Joshua Green wrote the following:

In fact, the best Democrat may be someone who's no Democrat at all: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). As a war hero who's hawkish on foreign policy, he more than matches Bush on the military front. As a reform-minded foe of corporate welfare, Big Tobacco, and the Republican right, he is peerless. McCain is Bush's most vociferous critic, voted against the president's tax cut, forced his hand on campaign finance reform, and federalized airport security in the face of White House opposition. He has co-sponsored numerous bills with Democrats--many of them in the presidential-aspirant class--requiring backgraound checks at gun shows (Lieberman), a patients' bill of rights (Edwards), better fuel-efficiency standards in cars and SUVs (Kerry), and expanded national service programs (Bayh). He is even drafting a bill with Lieberman to reduce greenhouse gasses and mitigate global warming. As Ronald Brownstein remarked recently in the Los Angeles Times, "[McCain] has become the most hyphenated name in Washington." -- Joshua Green

What about his rock solid stance on torture? As this Time article reports, McCain did not flip flop as much as he backed off in order to avoid more confrontation with the White House. Is that what he is doing? Is he toning down his maverick image to win the White House? Or has he sold out? Or did he have suffer some sort of mini stroke?

John McCain may very well be taking a page from the "Compassionate Conservative" manual on how to get elected. Tell the neocons what they want to hear and then, once in office, do exactly the opposite. Whatever the case, we can't afford to wait and take a chance. We need to know exactly where John McCain stands before we cast our vote.

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Biden and Obama, Charisma, Inc.

Finally, a clear picture emerges. No bias here...OK, maybe, just a little, considering Joe Biden, was my first choice for President.

Barack Obama's choice of running mate reveals something very important about his character, that he is not afraid of being challenged. In his owns words, "I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a yes person when it comes to policy- making." Undoubtedly, Joe Biden will voice his opinion loud and clear.

Charisma -- je ne sais quoi - "I know that I do not know" -- although hard to define, is the ability to convey two opposite qualities or contradictory impulses -- strength and vulnerability, grandeur and humility etc. -- at the same time according to Joseph Roach, author of the book, It and Professor of Theater and English at Yale University.

From the few times that I've been in the presence of Joe Biden, he comes across larger than life. He relates easily to people, with tremendous charisma and a commanding presence. However, as most of us know, he doesn't mince words when he is fired up about something. He has this uncanny ability to be brutally honest and direct, but at the same time seems to intuitively sense the needs of others, conveying a sincere interest in their welfare.

Charisma, in and of itself is neither good nor bad. In fact, encountering charisma should trigger our suspicions as it can often camouflage sociopathic tendencies... think Ted Bundy. Thankfully, Ted Bundy is a freak of nature, but that doesn't mean we should not be very careful, especially when we do not know much about the person's history. This is the reason, Obama raises red flags in some people's minds, including my own. What do we know about him? Not much.

On the other hand, Joe Biden has been around "forever".
We know he's not perfect...far from it. Between his admitted plagiarism back in 1987, and his "support" of the bankruptcy bill, I posted about previously,

...Joe Biden resides in one of the only states ... every single credit card issuer incorporates in the state of Delaware, making it almost impossible to totally ignore their greedy demands...
As we all know, decisions are not always as clear cut as they appear. One must give priority to certain factors over others, weighing the pros and cons of each one and then incorporate what they've discovered to make a final decision that will hopefully support their overall agenda or goal...
He knew voting against the bill would make no difference to the outcome; he was pretty sure he would enter the 2008 Presidential race; he knew that foreign affairs is a critical issue to our future; and he knew his expertise in this area is far superior to all of the other candidates. Voting against the bill may have accomplished nothing more than to kill his political career at a time when his knowledge and leadership is invaluable to America.

we know the guy has flaws.

Nevertheless, Joe Biden's path has not been an easy one. At the age of 29-years old, in 1972, one month after winning his first Senate election -- the youngest man ever elected to the Senate -- his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two young sons hospitalized. Biden never abandoned his responsibility to his country nor his family. He made the decision to commute by train from Wilmington DE to Washington DC and has continued to do so for the last 35-years. He drives an economical car (I saw it) and just a few years ago, he was listed at the bottom of a list ranking personal wealth amongst current senators. The Republicans will have a hard time pinning an elitist label on Biden.

There is no doubt that Joe Biden truly complements Barack Obama in more ways than one. He has the credentials in foreign affairs and national security that Obama lacks as he has served three times as the head of the Senate's Foreign Relations committee. He In addition, his son Beau Biden will start an army tour of duty in Iraq, October 3.

Most importantly, we know Joe Biden tries to learn from his mistakes, is open minded enough to incorporate new knowledge and information, and tries very hard to make decisions, right or wrong, based on solid principles and a love for his country rather than a love of wealth, power, status etc. As far as politicians go, Joe Biden tops the list regarding integrity.

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Biden says we Must "Reengage America in the World."

In November, 2007 U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee and among the most experienced foreign policy experts in Washington, gave a speech before the Center for U.S. Global Engagement, called for "A New Approach to Pakistan." Biden is the only Presidential candidate who understands the ever-increasing complexity of global challenges and threats that America faces now and in the future.

We can't afford to elect another President who does not comprehend the ripple effect the smallest of his decisions can make, and because our world is shrinking, that those ripples can come back to us in the form of all consuming tidal waves the likes of which we've never seen.

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Bush is Going is Going to Veto Pay Raise for Troops

What's it going to take for people to wake up and realize "President" Bush has absolutely no interest in preserving what this country was founded on?

First he vetoes health insurance for poor kids, not once, but twice and now he wants to veto legislation, the Defense Authorization bill, that's already passed Congress. The extremely small pay raise, 0.5% out of the 3.5% the troops had expected, will be completely removed if Bush follows through and vetoes this bill. This "raise" doesn't even begin to compensate the troops for the hell they are trudging through over in Iraq, many of whom, if lucky enough to make it out alive, will come home either physically or mentally injured, sometimes to the point of no return.

Bush's objection centers on his fear of "massive liability in lawsuits concerning the misdeeds of the Saddam Hussein regime," from his father's war. It's strange that this is the first we're hearing of his concerns regarding this bill when clearly this legislation has been around long enough for President Bush to protest anything he found questionable long before this.

"The administration should have raised its objections earlier, when this issue could have been addressed without a veto. The American people will have every right to be disappointed if the president vetoes this legislation, needlessly delaying implementation of the troops' pay raise, the Wounded Warriors Act and other critical measures." -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a joint statement.

Senator Biden, the only Presidential contender with a specific exit strategy, criticized President Bush yesterday for his veto of the Defense Authorization Conference Report and called on him to immediately begin implementing the Biden-Brownback Resolution, the main provisions of the amendment urging the U.S. government to assist Iraq in devolving power from the central government.
“Yesterday’s tragic events in Pakistan underscore the sobering effects of our failed policy in Iraq. As I’ve said, when President Bush abandoned Afghanistan to go to war in Iraq, it sent a message to Musharraf that the U.S. might not be there to protect him.

Ending the war in Iraq would allow us to go after al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and assist the Pakistani moderates in taking control of their country. And it would allow us to get our sons and daughters out of the middle of Iraq’s civil war.

Just moving to enact the Biden-Brownback resolution would bring the international community into the cause of long-term peace in the region. And we would further stabilize the region by committing to the bill’s provision that the U.S. foreswear any long-term military bases in Iraq.

This war must end and the Biden-Brownback resolution is the key to that endgame. It is essential that the President sign this provision as soon as possible and help the Iraqis implement the federal system called for in their Constitution." -- Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Chairman of the senate foreign relations committee

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Age Does Matter

As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Any man who wants to be president is either an egomaniac or crazy"

Aging takes its toll on the ego and as a person's matures, his motivation becomes less egocentric. Life experience teaches us to feel our own needs less intensely, therefore making it possible to seek out solutions based on what is best for the whole as opposed to what is best for me.

I agree with John Edwards on most issues and I believe he would make a great president someday. However, Joe Biden would make a better president right now because he has the wisdom required to lead a country as powerful as our country is; the wisdom gained from the accumulation of knowledge resulting from direct participation in political events, from what he has observed, encountered, and undergone over almost four decades of service to this country.

I may not agree with Biden on every issue but I trust that his decisions will be based on his insight and ability to discern or judge what is best for America in the long run. He has witnessed and been a part of the democratic process for much longer than any of the other candidates and has shown he has what it takes to take on the most challenging of situations.

Of course, the aging process alone is not sufficient to determine whether one is qualified to be President of the United States...far from it. Nevertheless, when almost all other factors are equal, we should consider age only as far as how much experience a person has and how he has responded to what life has dished out.

Is he willing to admit when he is wrong? Does he have the strength and integrity to cling to what he truly believes is right despite social or political pressure, yet possesses the ability to put his ego in perspective and the flexibility to alter his opinion when presented with new knowledge and/or particular instances of personally encountering or undergoing something?

We do not know how most of the candidates will respond when the proverbial shit hits the fan but we do know how Joe Biden has responded to the most difficult circumstances and we've seen him mature gracefully willing to learn from his mistakes and grow from the trials and tribulations life has dished out.

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Connecting the Dots is Crucial to Our Survival

Joe Biden, presidential candidate and current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a recent interview with Salon, spelled out why he calls himself the "odd man out"...because as he says he has the ability to "connect the dots".

He's right. More than ever we need a President who is an expert in foreign policy who has the ability to assemble the pieces, synthesize the information, and integrate the facts into a conceptual understanding...in other words, see the big picture. We're living in an age of specialization, which can be tremendously useful, and a great advantage as long as we continue to make the connections between the vastly different distinctions, all the while keeping things in proper perspective.

“Reason is understanding the connection between the general and the particular” -- Immanuel Kant

Ironically, Joe Biden's vote for the bankruptcy bill -- the bill I absolutely despise -- clarified my decision as to who I believe should replace Bush.

Unfortunately, Joe Biden resides in one of the only states in the country where there is no cap on interest rates credit card companies can offer, hence the reason every single credit card issuer incorporates in the state of Delaware, making it almost impossible to totally ignore their greedy demands. This puts Mr. Biden at a clear disadvantage if he decides to take on that industry.

As we all know, decisions are not always as clear cut as they appear. One must give priority to certain factors over others, weighing the pros and cons of each one and then incorporate what they've discovered to make a final decision that will hopefully support their overall agenda or goal.

Mindful of Mr. Biden's long history as a Senator including he was the youngest man elected to the Senate in history while at the same time having to overcome the tragedy of losing his wife and daughter in a car accident while raising two young sons, that he was listed as the "poorest" Senator in the Senate, that he drives an economical car, he commutes to Washington DC by train every day and overall has proven himself to be a man of integrity I came to the conclusion his decision may have been made taking the following into consideration.

He knew voting against the bill would make no difference to the outcome; he was pretty sure he would enter the 2008 Presidential race; he knew that foreign affairs is a critical issue to our future; and he knew his expertise in this area is far superior to all of the other candidates. Voting against the bill may have accomplished nothing more than to kill his political career at a time when his knowledge and leadership is invaluable to America.

Joe Biden's response voting for the bankruptcy bill:

"At the outset, I refused to support bankruptcy reform until fundamental changes were made. I fought to establish a "safe harbor" for those below their state's median income. I also insisted on a provision requiring lenders to post a clear warning about the dangers of making minimum monthly payments, one of the worst debt traps for consumers.

This bill establishes unprecedented protections for child support and alimony, making bankruptcy part of the enforcement system for women and children, who now will be at the head of the line, in front of every other creditor. Is this bill perfect? No. But over several congresses it has earned the kind of bipartisan consensus only balanced legislation can achieve."

We can no longer depend on our advantageous geographical location to protect us. As our world shrinks more and more each day, it is crucial to the survival of our country, perhaps the world, that our next President has the ability to as Joe Biden says, "connect the dots".

No candidate is perfect but there is no question Joe Biden has the integrity, strength, wisdom, experience and resolve needed to put this country back together.

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Joe Biden on Rudy Giuliani

Senator Joe Biden on Rudy Giuliani:

"And the irony is, Rudy Giuliani, probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency, is here talking about any of the people here. Rudy Giuliani... I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There's nothing else! There's nothing else! And I mean this sincerely. He's genuinely not qualified to be president."

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