Biden On Governing, Gaffes, And His Boss

Lesley Stahl Interviews The Vice President, His Wife, And President Barack Obama

(CBS)  The Bidens have been married for 31 years. In addition to the two sons, they have a daughter, Ashley. They've lived a modest life in Delaware; Mrs. Biden, a professor of English, still teaches at a community college.

Jill Biden still comes home and grades papers. "I'm no different than most American women who are raising children and working," she told Stahl.

They both seem to be getting a kick out of living in a big mansion now.

"Joe Biden was always one of the poorest senators. Every time the tax returns came out: "Joe Biden, one of the poorest…," Stahl pointed out.

"That hasn't changed," Biden acknowledged.

"Now he's the poorest vice president," Biden's wife Jill joked, laughing.

The vice president likes to talk about his working class roots as he goes around the country telling average Americans how all the stimulus money is going to help them.

But while talking about stimulus spending, Stahl pointed out the deficit.

"We inherited a yearly debt of $1.2 trillion. We’re going to cut that debt we inherited in half within the first four years," Biden argued.

"Oh come on, Stahl said."

"No, we are," Biden said.

"With all the spending?" Stahl asked.

"With all the spending," Biden replied.

"And no taxes on any part of the middle class," Stahl remarked.

"No additional taxes. The tax cuts are for the middle class," he said.

When Stahl said he was "rosy," Biden replied, "I think I’m realistic."

So is the vice president really unleashed? There is a sense he's trying to find a balance between watching his tongue - he hasn’t made a gaffe since early February - and just being "Joe."

[Jim_Bronke]

Lesley Stahl and CBS cannot be expected to do anything but a feel good kind of article on Biden. After all he is our vice President and who doesn?t want to feel good about our country and its? choice for that person. But, there is a problem. It?s his complicity in the Iraq war. Most people seem to think of the Iraq War as being a Republican led action because of our administration at the time. Yet it took many ignorant Democrats (like Biden) to get behind it and lead the way.
In August of 2002 Biden was head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was head because he was the senior member of the Democratic Party in the committee and the Democrats had the majority in the Senate. That meant that when the issue of Iraq came up that he had the sole responsibility to direct the course of action of the investigation. That means that he could invite who he wanted to his meeting and ignore those he didn?t. So, if he wanted to make a case for the war then the course of action is simple- only invite hawks. Those who spoke out against the idea that Iraq was a threat, like Scott Ritter, could be ignored. Instead he could invite ?Saddam?s Bombmaker? who?s evidence of WMD was only the text of one of Saddams? speeches where Hussein had used the word ?mujahedeen? to refer to his men. This meant that those men were his ?WMD warriors?. Nowhere in the entire 300 page plus document of the minutes of these meetings were there any reference to any legitimate evidence of WMD in Iraq. Yet, Biden left the meeting and went to Congress saying ?follow the bouncing ball? Saddam is a threat. It was Biden?s senior leadership that was used as a weapon of influence with fellow senators of less experience. Biden later made a statement with Chuck Hagel that he was in the possession of an incriminating letter that was reputed to have that evidence. Yea, right. It is all clear now that there was no WMD and that it was all hysteria, promulgated by both Republicans and Democrats who for their own political purposes supported the war. It was an exercise in complete irresponsibility by our government and our news media who threw out our Constitution in the final lead up to the war. Biden was personally responsible for taking us to war and it should not be forgotten. Biden cannot be trusted with the lives of our soldiers nor the future of our country and he cannot and will not support our Constitution.
The War on Iraq turned America in to a rogue nation as our rule of law did not prevail. It became clear that our news media works around the clock to make sure that Americans never learn the truth about what is going on. The use of depleted uranium weapons, for example.
We are fortunate that President Obama doesn?t have an agenda for war although there is an element that wants it against Iran. Biden and other war idiot hawks like Clinton have to take their marching orders from him. The current state of affairs we are in is due to the many that supported the war. Why do I care? I am an American who worked on weapon systems for our country and this is not what I expected from our leaders. We all need to seek the truth and never forget what our leaders have done.

[weazl1]

Ms. Stahl (and 60 minutes) failed the American public and objective journalism when the recent broadcast about VP Biden's many gaffes failed to mention Biden's repeatedly (over 36 years) blaming the deaths of his first wife and child on a drunk driving truck driver. The facts are well documented by the press and police reports. The driver was not only not drunk, he attempted to help Mrs. Biden and the child after Mrs. Biden failed to stop at an intersection and was struck and killed. The driver was emotionally shattered by the incident and undeserved blame, perpetuated by Biben. Biden has made statements and speeches to anti DWI groups about the trajedy, none of which provided the truth.
It was only after the driver's family (he has since died) hired a lawyer to contact Biden that Biden finaliy apologized to the family for his misrepresentation of the incident..
Politics aside, this sad story says a lot about Biden. Anyone (Democrat or Republican) who had experienced such a trajedy would certailnly know the circumstances of the death of a wife and child.
Biden had to know. 60 Minutes had to know.
Why wasn't the story told?

[fiberglass3]

This was a really good interview with the VP. I really like Joe Biden. There is honesty in his approach and answers. I can see why he was chosen to be Vice President.

[actornaught]

...The polite thing to say is, 'thank you for the Bible lesson.' ...
Posted by itsjustathought at 1:28 PM : Apr 27, 2009

If you had read the full exchange, you'd know that i was asking for such information. But after being hammered, i asked again, and the hypocrite gave said Bible lesson, layered heavily between insults and creepiness, like a typical phony christian.

[actornaught]

yea.....FDR should be condemmed for sending many to their death in WW II
Posted by ReallyMeanIt at 2:14 PM : Apr 27, 2009

I didn't bring up w in regards to this article, a Biden-hater did, but that would mean you'd have to address context. And also in this context, i wasn't "condemning" w, exactly, i was referring to difference in scale between Joe's gaffes, and w's horrendous decisions. (And i don't give a ratsbut about dems voting for anything. If they need impeached, gofer it.)

I normally keep my posts very short, because the neo-conned work hard to shift focus from the point by making out of context attacks on extraneous points. Or they just make up their own extraneous points. But WWRD!

[manchesterunitedfan]

I would like to nominate Lesley for a PUFFlitzer Prize. I thought maybe I was watching an infomercial for Obama/Biden 2012. I like how she mentions the war hero son but does not mention the coke-snorting daughter. Or how she refers to "gaffes" without mentioning his penchant for blatant plagiarism.

[alexaii]

His son went off to fight in a war that should never have happened and that HE VOTED FOR. Doesn't look like he feels too guilty about his son fighting in that war. Nice Daddy.

[ReallyMeanIt]

being an act of sending hundreds of thousands of innocents to their deaths in a war of choice
Posted by actornaught at 12:57 PM : Apr 27, 2009
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yea.....FDR should be condemmed for sending many to their death in WW II

[ReallyMeanIt]

THAT is funny! Not only will Biden calling w dumb NOT get us into any kind of "incident", it just makes Joe & the USA more popular!
Posted by actornaught
-----------------------------------------------------
That's the problem with the libs is they think being popular means they're right.
You libs can have all the popularity you want with hamas, hezbolah, the castros, mahmood, etc.

[weedapeapl]

being an act of sending hundreds of thousands of innocents to their deaths in a war of choice
Posted by actornaught at 12:57 PM : Apr 27, 2009

After I've already shot you down in flames over your stupid Bible comment, you're pretty jerky to bring this up again after I already shot you down on this, too.

You're right, Clinton deserves to be put in prison for starting the WMD lie that killed thousands.