Many bloggers are upset with Biden for voting for the Iraq war back in 2002. I'm one of you-I opposed the war from the start, and backed Howard Dean beginning in the summer of 2002. Biden, however, has said he cast that vote because he believed Bush would allow the weapons inspectors to finish their job, moving forward only if WMDs were found. He also believed a full coalition would be involved, as was the case during Desert Storm. Earlier this year, Biden became the first politician to call for a repeal of the war authorization.

Despite his erroneous "aye" vote, I am very thankful Biden was in the Senate when the war drums started banging. The Authorization for the Use of Force Bush wanted would have allowed him to invade any country in the Middle East at any time under the war on terror banner. Biden, Hagel, and Lugar worked together to drastically pare down that language. As bad as things may be now, they'd be a lot worse if not for Chairman Biden.

More recently, of course, is the Iraq supplemental. Biden's reason for voting "aye", despite his opposition to Bush's continued presence in Iraq, was that a withdrawal cannot happen overnight-the logistics of removing 150,000 troops are just too complicated. It will take at least a year to remove all the troops. Given that we have no choice but to leave the soldiers in the line of fire even as we withdraw them, Biden feels we have a moral obligation to given them adequate armor, and the supplemental included funding for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles the Marines requested years ago. In other words, some of the supplemental amendments are necessary if the eventual withdrawal is to be a safe and orderly one. A Biden press release also helps explain his vote.

"The bill we are voting on denies the American people a plan for a responsible way out of Iraq. I also disagree with the approach in this bill - cutting off economic aid if benchmarks aren't met would be self-defeating. Much of our aid is being used to build local and provincial governments, consistent with the federalism-based political solution I advocate.

"But the practical reality is that, for now, those of us who want to change course in Iraq don't have the votes to override the President's veto. And I believe that as long as we have troops on the frontlines, we must give them the equipment and protection they need. So I will vote for the supplemental.

"But we also must - and we will - bring this war to a responsible end. Day after day, vote after vote, I will work to keep the pressure on Republicans to stop reflexively backing the President and start supporting a responsible path out of Iraq."

Like most of you, I disagree with Biden's vote on the bankruptcy bill, but do remember, a Senator's allegiance is as much to his home state as it to the country, and the atrocious bill was at least good for Delaware.  You can read Biden's floor statement on the law at his Senate website. The speech focuses on how the bill helps women and children by strengthening alimony collection, which is in line with the Senator's history as author of VAWA. It should also be noted that Biden was notone of the bill's twelve co-sponsors, and was only one of 18 Democrats, including Majority Leader Reid, to vote for the bill. (Clinton did not vote.) I do wish they had all voted nay on the bankruptcy bill, but given the mitigating circumstances of Biden's vote and the many other pressing issues we face, I find it foolish to base one's entire view of him on this one vote, as many in the blogosphere seem wont to do.

Too many excuses.  Sorry.

explain the Rave act to me and how it is anything less then Draconian Big Brother stuff in the name of fighting "the drug war".

moreover, explain to me why this law (that was Biden's baby), which can put somebody who puts a warehouse rock and roll show in prison is anything less then a blight on freedom.

thanks.

-C.

Nice post. I've always liked Biden. He's easily the funniest candidate (I should add that we're usually laughing with him). Your number 4 is, to me, his strongest quality. Although his mouth gets him in trouble at times, I prefer to hear too much rather than too little. I'm an Obama guy, but Biden is a real treasure in my book.

One, perhaps unlikely, reason that I dig Biden has to do with where I am from (and live), South Carolina. When I was an editor for the SC Law Review, Biden authored the introductory section of that year's volume, which was a tribute to Fritz Hollings, the long-time democratic senator from SC. Biden opened by saying "When I was elected to the Senate in 1972, I quickly pledged that Fritz Hollings would be my role model." If you know anything about Hollings, this makes a little sense. Hollings, despite some faults, was a no-bullshit kind of guy--and really funny. After reading that, I frequently see Biden channeling Fritz's straight-talk and humor. We need more of it.

I don't know whether he is presidential material, but I am not dismissing him. If Obama drops out of the race to do a reality show on VH1 or something, I'll give him a serious look. I do think he is the most interesting voice in the debates.

You should go into and back out of edit mode (I've read).

Aww...I think it's a good picture of you.

Sen. Biden is a solid Democratic candidate for the nomination, in my view. I hope he does well. I disagree with some of his votes, but hell, Clinton voted for the war too, folks. Are you going to not vote for her if she's the nominee, and give it to the GOP? I think this constant refrain about the Iraq War Vote is an issue whose time has come and gone. They were wrong to do it; there was no justifiable excuse. That includes Biden. But, it's done. They screwed the pooch, pardon the expression, and now, it's time to move on to the real issue: What is our exit strategy? What can we do to reduce our troop ops tempo, our costs, and our involvement? How can we safely bring troops home? The simple fact is we MUST figure out the answers to these issues, because at a cost of $10 Billion a month, we can't afford this. We have domestic issues being ignored every day that cannot be ignored much longer. We are going to be a third-world country if we don't start tending to our own national needs here at home, and I include health care, Medicare/Social Security, earnings disparities, fiscal insolvency, infrastructure and immigration among those. They're bankrupting our country in a huge redistribution of wealth from poor and middle class to the rich. I think Sen. Biden is an excellent candidate, and I just may vote for him. What's his health care plan like? I'm seriously interested. That may make the difference for me now. I want a national health care plan similar to Congressman Steve Kagen, who's been covering his plan in 4 parts at Talking Points Memo. I like what I've read:

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/tableforone/ 2007/aug/10/universal_access_to_affordab le_health_care_common_sense_deductibles_ and_a_renewed_commitment

So Joe voted Yes to start a war against the people of Iraq (despite the fact that he's one of the smarter "foreign policy" guys in the senate), and now he tells us that the Country of Iraq must be broken into three.

Can you really trust his judgment? and if you say yes, then where was his judgment when he voted Yes for war against the people of Iraq?

That's what I like best about Biden--he has been on board with this issue since the 1970s and supports the current Durbin bill on public financing.

A voluntary public financing system (like Maine and Arizona have for state legislative elections) would be court-proof and would give us a more level playing field.

Hey, more power to ya, Nathan, I admire anyone who gets that involved.  But your candidate is an arrogant gasbag.
As an Iowa youth, I worked for his '88 campaign and met him a couple of times.  He handled the plagiarism thing very poorly and by the time he dropped out of the race, most of his supporters were happy to move on.
Recently he's been insulting John Kerry and Al Gore for making religious voters feel unloved or something, and for being weak on foreign policy.
I thought that was Joe Lieberman and Harold Ford's job.
Biden is self-serving, holier-than-thou, grandiose and loves to hear himself talk.  He gives me a freakin headache.

Good Job, Nathan! While I do not support him as my first choice, he has many admirable qualities. He unfortunately gets the short end of the media stick with Clinton and Obama in the mix. I wish his candidacy well. Good luck up in New Hampshire! Go Big Green! Are you on sophomore summer?

I'm glad he's running. He's not my first choice, but he would be well suited for the job, and I'd feel safe with him in the Whitehouse.

I actually like Joe a lot. I think Taylor Marsh has said that he would make a great Secretary of State and I totally agree. The only thing that really bothers me about Joe, is that he talks to much. He never shuts up. He was on Ed Schultz show today, after a while I just tune him out. I do appreciate his stance on Darfur.

Biden has the smartest plan to get us out of Iraq. It is an intelligent plan and it will work. I think every other candidate should join Joe in supporting his plan. It is the only sensible and responsible plan that will allow us to leave Iraq a better place than the country we completely screwed up currently is.

Senators Biden and Kennedy introduced the bill, "Recognizing Addiction as a Disease Act of 2007" (S. 1011), http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/sho w/110_SN_1011.html.

The question is, will the bill authorize American universities to grow, research and test their own cannabis to treat a variety of illnesses, including addiction? Apparently it doesn't.

People become addicted to nicotine or other mind-altering substances (notably alcohol) because intensive, long-term use burns physical pathways into their brains...Earlier this year researchers announced that damage to the insula, a tiny interior portion of the brain, made heavy smokers suddenly forget they'd ever craved a cigarette, suggesting the possibility of surgery to cure otherwise intractable addictions."

"Build a Better Brain" By Charles Siebert (Reported in Men's Journal, June 2007, p. 74, unavailable on-line) - http://www.mensjournal.com/toc/index.htm l

The December 2004 issues of Scientific American reported that:

Research into natural chemicals that mimic marijuana's effects in the brain could help to explain--and suggest treatments for--pain, anxiety, eating disorders, phobias and other conditions.

http://www.cannabis.net/brain/marijuana. html

The cannabinoid THC may also be useful in treating addiction. In the past, "Cannabis was reported to be effective in treating tetanus, convulsive disorders, neuralgia, migraine, dysmenorrhea, post partum psychoses, senile insomnia, depression, and gonorrhea, as well as opium or chloral hydrate addiction." http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/PR_Holli ster_Health_Aspects_1986.html#Gettman_li nk_4

With the discovery of cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body, it would seem that American universities should be allowed to grow, research and test their own cannabis. Why? "Brain's Receptors Sensitive To Pot May 'open Door' In Treating Drug Dependence, Brain Disorders," http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles /44672.php

Too, research into addiction should include researching ibogaine as a treatment for addiction and other disorders.

Ibogaine, an indole alkaloid derived from an African plant source, is widely noted for its ability to interrupt chemical dependence. That is to say, ibogaine can be taken by an individual to help break his or her addiction to things like heroin, methadone, cocaine, crack cocaine or alcohol. The drug has also been noted to have psychotherapeutic potential, specifically relating to release from the effects of trauma and conditioning.

http://www.ibogaine.co.uk/home.htm

Is Sen. Biden willing to amend S. 1011 to allow American universities to grow, research and test their own cannabis for its anti-addictive potential in addition to its many other uses? And allow them to research ibogaine for its anti-addictive potential?

If not, then perhaps Sen. Biden should withdraw running for president of the United States. Why? Evidently he is not interested in American values of the care of human life and happiness. That's why government was instituted.

I apologize for implying you're a Paul troll. An issue troll, perhaps, but I personally have nothing against that, as I do the same thing at Democratic Underground with Katrina.

I've talked to Mike Gravel one on one, and frankly, I could care less what he thinks. And as for your point about Clinton, banning universities from tampering with an illegal substance has nothing to do with actually making that substance legal for medical purposes. I don't know where Biden stands on medical marijuana, but based on this particular bill alone, neither do you.

As for plagiarism, you clearly don't have the facts at your command. Biden always quoted Kinnock in his speeches. The one day he forgot to say "As Neil Kinnock said" or something to that effect, the Dukakis camp was filming, and misportrayed the speech - you'd drop three words every now and then too if you gave three speeches a day all across the country. Dukakis fired his campaign manager, John Sasso, for the smear tactics. And as for law school, he was cleared by the school ethics board. He wrote a paper relying on only one source. That's crappy writing, but as long as you always quote the source and don't claim it as your own, it's not plagiarism. You don't seem like the type to swallow everything the MSM feeds you, so I'm surprised you were so willing to believe the CW on Biden's '88 campaign.

When you get to be my age (Viet Nam era generation) all the political wrangling makes you a bit nauseated.  You have seen and heard it all many times before; and you know that these seasonal political contests are little more than beauty pageants absent the beauty.

In Washington, D.C. there stands a high and very long black wall bearing the inscriptions of 52,000 American lives lost.  Today, the total number of dead and wounded soldiers and marines in Iraq is right at 30,000, some 3,500 coming home in flag-draped coffins.

Believe me, younger folks, the News media you have today does not show you the sort of horrors we saw in the late 60's and early 70's; nor are you treated to the steady drone of President Johnson's exhortations disguised as leadership as he called for escallation and increased intensity of bombing in south-east Asia.  Nixon continued this as well.  In one single such campaign, Nixon ordered more tonnage of bombs dropped on North Viet Nam than had been dropped during all of World War II.

Our country was on the brink of civil war at home with radical student groups being clubbed and shot by police and national guard units.

THIS IS YOUR FUTURE . . . . AND HERE'S WHY:

If the Iraq war does not come to an end before the end of April of 2008, the Pentagon has said, this country will be forced to reinstitute the draft.  

So, it's time to get very serious, soberly contemplative and resolved, laying aside all differences and setting our jaws as we take to the streets to regain what has been stolen from us by the current administration: our national pride, our civil liberties, our individuality, and our common decency.

These are the stakes and they have never been higher than now.

Clinton and Obama might make good presidents.  However, laying aside the rhetoric, other than symbolic, what value do they bring to this election?  In order to cast a vote for either of them, a person would be forced to engage in the very kind of self-delusion that turns symbols into something more.  I'm all for electing our first woman president.  I'm all for electing our first black president. But I will not stand idly by while my countrymen delude themselves into thinking that either Clinton or Obama will be able to deliver the goods.  Their candidacies are symbolic---favorably so---but symbolic none the less.

Senator Clinton has the highest affirmative disapproval rating of any candidate running for either party.  She brags about being the most popular senator from New York in recent memory.  She also intentionally omits the fact that her popularity was not earned: she ran against a virtual unknown when former Mayor Giuliani was forced from the senate race by personal scandal--and this is the Republican front-runner (for the time being)!

Senator Obama seems like a decent and well-intended fellow but his inexperience is beginning to show through the wear spots in his polished veneer.  The man is simply unelectable--period.

For far too long now, the Democratic party has been losing elections it should have won for a very simply reason: too many special interests speaking too loud.  This domination of the Democratic agenda by people with very legitimate complaints does the party in general no good except in one sense: it is good to put principle ahead of practicality. That is to say, it is good for the soul . . . not for the outcome of a critical election.

It doesn't take much examination of the Democratic field to place the respective candidates in their proper categories.

Clinton is a liberal who now calls herself a progressive: she believes in collectivism in denegration and subordination of individual rights. Clinton's chief failing is the inability to be flexible enough to garner bi-partisan support for really tough issues.  Unless she has an overwhelming number of fellow Democrats in Congress, Hillary Clinton's progressive agenda will turn out to be a non-starter.

Obama is a liberal who calls himself a catalyst for change.  His message is, "elect me not because I am black but in spite of it.  Elect me not because what I lack in experience I make up for in intent, but in spite of it.  Computer programmers will recognize Obama's message as circular logic.

Edwards wants to be president because he sees "two Americas." This is a message of division, not unity, and its sole design and purpose is to win an election.  John Edwards may know about poverty but he has only a passing acquaintance with what it really means to struggle in America.  His chances are nil.  Voters will reject any candidate who "talks the talk, but does not walk the walk."  They will also remember that when his wife began making public statements that conflict with his own . . . whoosh . . . Mrs Edwards suddenly remembers she is half Italian and needs to show the children the land of their ancestors.

Senator Dodd is the consumate United States Senator: well-spoken, dignified, and too damn haughty to suit your average working person.

Governor Richardson, if you take him at his word, is much too valuable to New Mexicans to ever be allowed to desert them in that socialist utopia he created for them.

Dennis Kucinich is . . . well, the one thing you can say for Dennis is, Dennis is Dennis, lost in his make-believe world where all the terrorists wear angel's wings having been transformed by the magic word: peace.  You sort of get the feeling, listening to Dennis, that he practiced this rant at a frat party and it worked for him . . . once.

I am throwing my support behind Joe Biden and for one very important reason: he is electable.  Biden will appeal to Democrats, Independants, and even many Republicans for the simple reason that his message is mainstream, meat-and-potatoes, no-nonsense, balanced and well thought out.  When Biden speaks of solutions, his 34 years' experience undergirds his comments and he speaks in terms of what is politically achievable.  In other words, he tells the unvarnished truth . . . hard though it may be to hear at times.

The man is not given to saying whatever it takes to get elected because he knows that, in the Senate, if you don't deliver no one will listen to or trust you.

His book is well titled:  Promises to Keep.  Joe Biden has been keeping his promises for his entire life and as a public official he has never once gone back on his word.

America will vote for Joe Biden because, deep down, America trusts what he says to be true.

My preferences in a moment but I did want to post a few comments on the following post:

mydragonflies wrote:
The fact remains we we did invade Iraq.  Hindsight is 20/20.  Everyone is a backseat driver.  Of course, we would all have done it differently, yada yada yada.  Too bad we aren't running the country.  Anyway, we invaded.  Now there is sectarian violence.  Now there is a terrorist presence.  SO what do we do with the situation as it is today?

What's this "we" you keep speaking of? Millions of us knew that invading Iraq was a Bushco/Neo-con plot and "we" certainly didn't have Biden's resources. Whether you want to dismiss that as "hindsight" is up to you.  

I think the idea that we just pull our troops out and go home while making no effort to change the structure of the government there is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

As stupid as thousands more dead US troops? I'm not an immediate withdrawal kind of believer either but there must be a future(soon) timetable set.

Didn't 9/11 teach us anything?  We can no longer come and go as we please with NO regard for the conditions we leave behind.  We WILL be held accountable for the chaos we caused.

Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9-11. And you're still using that "we". Spell it right, it's d-u-b-y-a and n-e-o-c-o-n-s.

There are two wars to worry about now--ours and that of the Iraqi people.

Don't forget Afghanistan. Which dubya's losing to by the way.

Biden's plan does make sense.  Do I trust his judgment?  Yes.

I trust Biden more than a Republican, and more than a lot of other Democrats (cough..Lieberman..cough!) Does that count?

ANd I think THAT act alone gets overlooked or pushed aside by a lot of civilians.  MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE DYING.  THEY ARE COMING HOME IN BODY BAGS.  DO you REALLY GET THAT?  THey are coming home without LIMBS.  BLind.  Traumatic brain injuries.  They are coming home 21 years old and crippled.  OR 30 and crippled and their wives are wondering how they are going to support their husbands and three children by working FT at walmart.  For more than two years the Marines and the US Army have been asking for these mine resistant vehicles which would reduce the deaths and casualties by SEVENTY PERCENT.  SEVENTY PERCENT.  Biden cast a vote to produce and send that equipment to Iraq.

I'm all for the "mine resistant vehicles" while our troops are stuck in bloody dubya's quagmire. But better yet I'm for NO Iraq war. Set a timetable and GET OUT!

Personally I'm not a big Biden fan. The best thing I can say about him is he's a Democrat. But he's far to much of a "go along to get along" kind of Democrat(until he's campaigning).
You never know what may happen but right now Biden is far down my list with Edwards at the top(I know he voted "aye" on dubya's bloody war to but at least he profusly apologized) and Richardson, etc. Biden would be above Hillary on my list. My quick 2c.

Steve in California wrote:
Clinton is a liberal who now calls herself a progressive:

I don't agree with much of your take on the candidates but particularly this one. It's my lunch hour so I'll only take a moment. Hillary Clinton is not a Liberal, nor is she a progressive. And I'm sorry but neither is Bill Clinton no matter how much you wish it so.

In her kitchen, high up along the plate rack, my German aunt displayed a small placque that read, "Too Soon Oldt, Too Late Schmart."

When will our Democrat bretheren get it?  Does it make sense to drive away potential converts and party loyalists by placing controversial issues at the forefront of a presidential campaign?  It may feel good to see your favorite bit of progressive ideology flown like a banner of victory, but how does it feel when, banners flying, the Democratic party loses in states where the definition of the "American Way" does not include the progressive agenda?

Republicans are great at one thing:  liberal-baiting.  They know to many Americans the Constitution is an assault on the "Holy Bible" and the Bill of Rights something to be invoked only in support of "right-thinking Americans."

You all hear the argument; it goes like this:  "America is a Christian country: the founding fathers were all Christian, and it was their express intent that we live by Christian principles. Marriage is between a man and a woman.  Drug use is a sin.  Homosexuality is a sin.  And there is no room in this country for people who say otherwise.  America---love it or leave it"

Sound familiar?

The smartest politician in the country has got to be Brittany Spears.  Remember when that little piece of fluff was asked whether she supported the invasion of Iraq?  Her response was typical of the sort of people who have never learned to think for themselves (which is the majority of Americans): "I think we should support whatever the President thinks we should do.  That's why we elected him," was Brittany's response, or something very close to that.

This time, I urge all democrats to put a lid on the progessive agenda and focus their energies on retaking the White House.  There is more than one war being waged by the people of this country.  The war of ideology takes no prisoners.

It is time for Women, Blacks, Hispanics and Gays; people who want to see America begin to change into a country that does what is right without regard to religious doctrines; and people who can see prejudices only in the other side of the debate---it is time for all of us to put the good of the country as a whole ahead of our personal agenda and allow our nominees the latitude to kick the crap out of the Republican nominee by leaving him (or her) some defensible ground.  You do that by not demanding that a candidate box him- or herself in by laying out specifics on all the progressive issues.  To do otherwise is to play into the hands of the opposition.

I believe Joe Biden is playing it smart.  He is not alienating the "Bible Belt" nor is he saying things that makes liberals nervous.  Biden is a middle-of-the-road kind of candidate and he can be relied upon to do what he says.

Both Carter and Clinton were barely blips on the radar at this same point in those election cycles.  Biden is moving steadily up in the polls as his message reaches more people---people who are terrified of extremism and hungry for a candidate who will steer this country right down the middle with common sense and uncommon courage.

Throw your support behind Joe Biden and let's win this election with a mandate from the American people.

I watched how Bobby Kennedy conducted his campaign.  He took charge of the liberal wing of the Democratic party and his voice rung clear with a message or hope and equality for all Americans.  It was a campaign founded upon high moral principles and Bobby was winning . . . until a Israeli-born Palestinian stable boy, whose anger stemming from the loss of Jerusalem in the six-day war in 1967, and his own inability to improve his station in life, decided to become a stain on American history by killing our next President.

Now ask yourself this question:  In terms of social progress and international affairs, where would our country be today were we to have had two Presidents named Kennedy?

I contend: 1.  We would never have been attacked by terrorists.  2. Working people would be earning a decent wage and have the wherewithall to support a family on one salary.  3.  The American health care system would be the finest in the world.  4. Education would be our top priority.  5.  Bridges would not simply collapse in the middle of America due to negligence.  6.  China would not own us.  7.  Energy policy would remain in play even between presidential elections.  8. The United States would be leading the world as it pursued a policy of peace and equal rights using its moral leadership as opposed to its weaponry and blood. 9.  Their would exist in this country a climate of real equality for all of our people, regardless of race, creed, gender, age or sexual orienation.

Where is the Bobby Kennedy of today?  He was tough and compassionate where it counted.  Where is he?  Where have those values gone?  Where is that one voice who speaks to the hearts of all Americans?

I hear that voice again---certainly not a gentle voice as it used to be, for it has been steeled by too many hardships overcome and too many battles fought and won.  I hear that voice again, coming to me across the miles that divide this nation and calling out for one nation united in its determination to fulfill its prophesy and rise again from the ashes of discord and fear.  I hear that voice again--wise, confident and true--coming to us all from the only candidate with a real chance of turning this nation around and setting us on the right course once again.

That's why I am voting for Joseph R. Biden.

>>Doesn't Duck Questions

This is so important in a day and age of the Bush administration hiding behind mouthpieces and press secretaries.

I've been watching Biden here in Iowa and I really think he's appealing to voters for his mix of fearless "tell it like it is" speaking + genuine experience which gives him big time credibility with voters here. Iowans can spot a fake plastic smile and we can tell when someone is reading from mental cue cards about policy by the fact that they quickly duck and move onto the next question.

I think the Republicans are afraid of him, he would crush any of them in a debate, and I think Hillary nodding her head all the time in agreement with Joe during debates and Obama talking up the Biden/Gelb plan in Iraq are attempts to keep him from breaking out and threatening their positions as the "frontrunners".