Biden Takes on Giuliani — Again
Susan Davis reports on the presidential race.
After former New York mayor and unsuccessful presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani re-emerged as a surrogate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain on national security issues, Sen. Joe Biden, another unsuccessful presidential candidate, volleyed back today on behalf of Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
The Delaware Democrat seems to enjoy verbal combat with Giuliani. Biden’s perhaps most memorable moment in the presidential race was when he dismissed Giuliani during a Democratic debate in Philadelphia last October. “Rudy Giuliani — there’s only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11. I mean, there’s nothing else,” Biden said.
Flashforward eight months to today when Giuliani questioned Obama’s credentials to combat terrorists. “The reality is that there seems to be more concern about the rights of terrorists or alleged terrorists than the rights that the American people have to safety and security,” he told reporters.
Biden released a statement shortly thereafter, accusing the former mayor of having “zero national security and foreign policy experience.”
“The facts are that the policies President Bush has pursued and Senator McCain would continue, have not made us safer,” he continued.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden has a notable perch as an Obama surrogate on national security and foreign policy issues. The Delaware senator did not refer to Obama in his statement today, and he declined to endorse either Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton in the long-running primary fight. Regardless, Biden is one of many Democrats seen as a prospective running mate for Obama, in part because he lends credibility on issues where Obama has less experience.
You need not choose between 2 undesirable candidates: John McCain and Barack Obama. No one is forcing you to vote for one or the other.
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Exercise your right to express your political views to Washington. Write “Hillary Clinton” on the voting ballot in November.
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Even if she does not run as an independent candidate, you should still write her name on the voting ballot. By law, the state goverment must report the percentage (of votes) given to each person — including an unofficial write-in candidate. The aim is for Fox News and CNN to report the following percentages of the popular vote.
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1. 50% Hillary Clinton
2. 30% John McCain
3. 20% Barack Obama
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Such strong support will essentially make Clinton the de-facto president of the United States. Before President John McCain initiates any policy, he will unofficially seek the approval of Senator Clinton.
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Read “Hillary Clinton as an Independent Candidate“.
Say what you want about Rudy, but he was there on 9/11 and took control. History documents that. And that is the experience nobody else has and that really makes the Democrats seethe with envy. Notice that Biden says, “The facts are that the policies President Bush has pursued and Senator McCain would continue, have not made us safer.” What facts? If Biden had facts he would have stated them. He’s just mad that Rudy has personal leadership experience from 9/11 he can use and Biden and Barack Hussein Obama cannot.
If Biden manages to lead recovery efforts from a terror attack on Dover, then he can critique Guliani’s national security credentials. Until then, he should focus on the policy details rather than tearing down the man himself. The King of Plagerism is no match for “America’s Mayor.”
Exactly!!!
How disappointing. Joe Biden used to be someone with integrity and a voice of reason. Now he’s just another Kool-Aid drunken party tool.
Giuliani was an effective municipal functionary after the World Trade Center attacks, but he is nothing but a speechmaking blowhard when it comes to serious national security issues.
Ok Axelrod, better Biden than Kerry. Much better.
Why don’t you lead with the NEW Biden quote instead of the old one? Do you feel the need to brace your readers for the harsh words by reminding them that he’s used them before? Just get to what he said.
Rudy deserves some flack for such a blustery statement.
Giuliani is right. Since Vietnam, the Democrats haven’t seen a war they didn’t want to lose.
Also, lets also recall that Rudy was the ‘Republican’ 70% of New York ‘Democrats’ voted for - TWICE - when they had given up hope for their liberal nest New York City and were s**tting in their pants due to the crime that their very own pandering, welfare doling, politically correct culture had fostered.
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And lets see, Joe Biden’s accomplishment is ————
Rudy took control on 9/11? The only reason he was on the street looking tough was because he had put his command center in a terror target and it got blown up. Cops and firefighters and other rescue workers couldn’t communicate because Giuliani never got around to getting radios that worked together, and his disaster plan confused command structures.
Because of his incredibly bad planning residents, workers, cops and firefighters died on 9/11.
Sure, he took “control” by looking tough and talking tough, but what the Mayor of New York should have been doing is directing the response from a command center where he could get the information he needed to do so.
But he couldn’t. ‘Cause he didn’t listen to the experts, instead trusting his “gut”.
Cindy McCain’s drug addicted past story is coming out soon.
““The facts are that the policies President Bush has pursued and Senator McCain would continue, have not made us safer,” he continued.”
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Clinton, after the first WTC bombing, treated the act as a Legal one, and we were attacked again and again. (Kobar Towers, USS Cole, 9/11.)
YESTERDAY, Obama praised Clintons’ methods.
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Bush treated the second WTC bombing (9/11), as an act of war, and we have been relatively safe since:
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Mr. Biden, which mindset has produced better results ???
(Some of Biden’s legislative accomplishments)
A bill to authorize appropriations for Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, to enhance measures to combat trafficking in persons, and for other purposes. A bill to authorize appropriations to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. A bill to establish an awards mechanism to honor exceptional acts of bravery in the line of duty by Federal law enforcement officers. A bill to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to establish a permanent background check system. A bill to provide nationwide subpoena authority for actions brought under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. A bill to combat international violence against women and girls. … that’s only from Oct. 2007 to the present, and that’s doesn’t even scratch the surface.
In other words, Biden has done nothing to combat terrorism and protect America. I thought so.
Are we talking of sitting in the Senate (aptly named after the Roman useless council), holding meaningless ‘hearings’ where you get to get all blustered and harass someone and passing bills written by interns and lawyers?
Basically all processes where no thought is required! And if it is, be politically expedient. Eg Biden voted FOR the Iraq War while on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee - hence I guess by the liberal standards he is a fool!
We are talking of accomplishments in RUNNING absolutely anything where some executive decision is required. If what you listed above are to be rated as accomplishments, then I guess Ted Stevens is the most accomplished person in this country!
After 9/11, Bush and fellow geniuses attacked weaponless and poured America’s wealth into the Iraq war, while the perpetrator of 9/11, Osama bin Laden, was left alone in the mountains of Pakistan to strenghen his terrorist network and plan future attacks. Exactly what is it that Bush did right? He has squandered our wealth in Iraq for seven years when we should have been fighting the war against Osama bin Laden and the Taliban in the Pakistan mountains. Giuliani is an ignorant blowhard.
Please explain how this “America’s Mayor” with such Foreign policy experience, which I would posit is the #1 concern in America, did not win a single Primary!! If you’re making the argument that his FP credentials comes from his actions after that terrible day (9/11), then I would say Hilary has Presidential experience for being in the WH for 8yrs.
Biden would make a great VP and I hope that Obama strongly considers him.
Joe Biden is a courageous man with the experience and respect needed to help this country. While he is a long time Washington “insider”, his message completely parallels that of Obama.
Matt (not 4:37!!): Your missing a critical point. That “Republican’ 70% of New York ‘Democrats’ voted for - TWICE” was not the same war-mongering simpleton he is today. Then he did great for the state and most NYers were thrilled, but in an attempt to appease his right-wing base, Rudy Giuliani has dumbed down his rhetoric and would have been much like a Bush 3rd term had a won.
Giuliani is a cynical, money-hungry man.
…. at whose feet the liberals fell when they could no longer govern or even walk around without being scared in their own liberal paradise.
Biden a man who should not procreate for the good of the gene pool.
I don’t think any american from Mc Cain to Obama, Giuliani to Biden is interested in NOT PROTECTING america. All of them think that they can do a better job than the other. This is not a bad thing but people make it bad when they start to lie and purposely distort both facts and opinions of others in an attempt to bring us closer to them. It needs to stop! This behavior is not exclusive to ONE PARTY. IT NEEDS TO STOP!
Common Sense, do you also not think that Neville Chamberlain was just as interested in protecting his country and preventing genocide as Winston Churchill was? But lets hypothetically assume that you were to chose between the two for the same purpose - who would you chose?
“NOT PROTECTING america.. . . .ONE PARTY. IT NEEDS TO STOP!
Comment by Common Sense - June 19, 2008 at 6:28 am ”
>>>>>>>>I politely disagree, one party thinks current terrorist events should be handled as legalities, one party sees them as acts of war, that is a BIG difference, in how the country gets protected, the American public needs to decide which philosphy is correct.

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