Jake Tapper of ABC News is reporting that a Secret Service detachment has been sent to Joey Biden’s house in Delaware and that the Biden clan is congregating there. I have to admit that there are a lot of signs pointing in the direction of Joe Biden. But, perhaps for that reason, I’m still skeptical. Maybe a little detective work solved the case here, but I think it’s very possible that it is all by design. After all, where is the surprise when that text message comes if everyone already has it figured out?
One thing is definitely true, though. If it is not Joe Biden he has certainly allowed himself to be used in this subterfuge. Perhaps Biden has already been offered the State Department? I don’t know, but I’m guessing Biden has something in his hip pocket.
I mentioned this earlier in the week, but if Biden moves out of the senate to either State or the Naval Observatory, he will make room for Chris Dodd to take over the Foreign Relations committee. And that, in turn, could lead to Jack Reed taking over the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Simply pulling Biden out of the senate will allow Obama to set himself up nicely to get key allies in place.
Anyway, for progressives concerned about Biden, this would be a nice consolation prize.
Update [2008-8-23 0:59:17 by BooMan]: (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama has selected Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate on the Democratic ticket for the White House, two Democratic sources told CNN.
Yeah – I’m seeing the same story on CNN. And Biden is the biggest remaining name out there. And he does need an older white male with foreign policy experience. So we’ll see.
And I love what you note – that DOES set up some strong allies, or so we hope.
I think the Obama campaign saw how McCain’s pro-war stance over Georgia/S. Ossetia/Russia boosted McCain’s poll numbers and decided to bring on a militarist with a big mouth, Biden, to turn the polls back to Obama’s favor.
In any case, it’s sad to see that militarism wins. This is one sad, pathetic, and bratty nation. Either that, or the polls are completely artificial constructions, like our presidential election vote results.
Another sad day in the USA.
Take a look before you write off Biden. He’s not my first choice but I agree with BooMan, Biden is a good consolation prize; like winning a silver or bronze medal in the Olympics.
His foreign policy views are well balanced. On Georgia/S.Ossetia, don’t blame Biden..what is little known is that Congress, without debate, passed the NATO Freedom Consolidation Act making Georgia our NATO ally!?!
That’s what sad. Laws of untold consequences get passed by attachment to Bills without debate!
Biden’s working class background is a plus. His foreign policy views are less military force reliant – more cooperative …and the McCain-Rove-Schmidt shits can’t touch him on the money thing.
Biden will not allow the ticket to be swift boated in this cycle. GOP won’t be allowed to use national security as a weapon. Biden’s son has just deployed to Iraq. He’ll want to bring him home. Pronto.
Isis, people should measure Biden as the actual power structure of Washington. The Military, or the Military-Industrial Complex, runs the show. The easiest way to run the show is to control the Presidency. Obama may be untrustworthy to the MIC, and they may like McCain better, but they may not be able to steal this election so Biden at least provides some insurance.
He’s dead right on Af/Pakistan.
And go to bed, BooMan! Word now is they won’t announce until morning. CNN was thinking 7am eastern. I know Obama won’t blow off the critical West like that. I suspect he’ll announce just before noon (eastern) to get maximum audience share for his announcement
Well, so much for what I know. 😉 He blew off everybody, announcing when most were in bed…
On 20-20 hindsight (projection?) it painfully obvious why Biden is the VP choice — it’s what he brings to the campaign table.
To quote a friend, Barak Obama is painfully thoughtful — Joe Biden is blunt and direct. Where Obama contemplates and analyzes, Biden cuts to the quick.
Joe Biden has the right stuff to lay the Noun/Verb/POW smackdown on Cindy McCain’s hubby — where Obama waxes eloquent, Biden swings the big wood.
The rest of the Biden baggage, Obama can live with . . .
i have to agree with much of this. biden is witty too and a very smart man who goes more from the hip; obama is much more cerebral. he certianly made some of the more memorable quips and insightful comments during the campaign. I thought though that since the northeast was pretty well sewn up it didn’t make much geographical sense to choose him.
personally though i must say that i’m disappointed that there isn’t a woman on the ticket.
From the Nation magazine:
Plus I can already see the new slogan: “Change We Can Believe In. Experience You Can Count On.”
Game on.
jon alter at newsweek thinks the same thing:
I’m giddy to see Joe Biden in a debate with whoever McSame picks. Get your popcorn ready!!!
ooooh, i likes when you talks smart like this.
Where is my text?!?! I was actually thinking it would be pretty hilarious if he texted everyone at about 3AM…
He did, Eastern time. My phone was beeping so I finally got up to watch the coverage. But oh, I need to get back to sleep….
I just woke up! Have to turn on the television. Lisa this will be good for the Democrats. Obama’s first decision is a sound one.
Hey, anyone but Hillary suits me just fine. Now lets go rip McSameillionare.
.
Good choice .. well done!
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."And of course putting Biden in at State or some other appointed post would have the same effect in the Senate as making him veep. You say as much in the post of course. I think whatever tea leaves we see today, the head-fake is going to be in play all the way up to the end.
If it’s not Biden though, who else would create the kind of surprise and enthusiasm that would live up to all the suspense? Hillary would be almost shocking. Next to that, all I can think of is maybe Schweitzer, and I’m not really sure that he has the national name recognition to live up to the drama. It’d make me happy though.
‘Course, I can live with Biden plenty fine.
The other names that would generate a lot of “surprise and enthusiasm”? Let’s see… Al Gore?
and the other thing to note on Foreign Relations is that Hagel is retiring and Coleman could be in trouble. The seniority on the other side could be gutted. And Lugar will work with Obama anyway.
Also, Obama will be out–so who goes in? Warner? Shaheen? Franken? 🙂
That’s the one “worse than Hillary” choice out of all those that have been mentioned. This is another Lieberman, a choice that will lose votes.
Quite honestly, if it was McCain vs. Biden, I would vote for McCain, and I hate the thought of McCain in the whitehouse.
I can’t vote for McCain.
I can’t vote for Biden.
I live in Washington, which has a top two ballot, so I can’t even vote for a third party.
I guess I’m not voting for president this year.
and state/local contests. I believe the third parties will still be on the ballot for federal (i.e. Presidential) offices, although I could be mistaken.
So you will have the opportunity to do what you feel you have to do.
David,
Don’t make Phil Graham right.
If you don’t vote for Obama you’re helping to bring on Armageddon.
Is anyone else curious how they found out? I mean they ruined the whole text message thing. It’s like the TradMed was pissed that they were going to get scooped. Did someone from the Secret Service tell them? If so, that’s not good.
I am certain that someone just got very very rich. CNN paid big bucks.A lower level campaign staffer that knew they had nothing to lose. Dumb shit.
Could be, could not be. I have no idea.
As far as I could tell there were two big “tells” last night:
At any rate it looks like it could easily have been a case of good, old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting. You know, like the kind the media usually avoids. Would that they had been this diligent in the runup to Iraq.
but I would bet on my life that it wasn’t a “real” journalist that dug it up. I don’t think we have but one or two of those left.
Thank god! Now we can stop all the useless and boring speculation and get to something worth talking about, perhaps.
And by the way, Biden doesn’t help Obama at all with anyone who understands that it is not the right of ignorant United States politicians or anyone else to decide to divide Iraq into three geo-ethno-sectarian pieces that have never existed before at any time in history. If this is the best the Democrats have to offer as a foreign policy expert, heaven help the world.
As far as I am concerned, the only thing Obama has going for him is the fact that McCain is scarier even than Bush.
I am curious as to what your solution is to the sectarian animosities of Iraq. Seems to me that the Shia – Sunni difficulties have been of rather long duration. And how does one factor the Kurds in with their deep desire for a nation state?
Yeah, I was taught about these conflicts when I was in high school 12 yrs ago….
Then you were taught nonsense when you were in high school 12 years ago.
I was taught about the HISTORICAL conflicts between Sunni & Shia Muslims, and the marginalization of the Kurds:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni-Shia_relations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Kurdistan
Please, give your fellow tribbers the benefit of the doubt – or be kind if we’re wrong. Your kneejerk condescension does little for your causes.
For centuries Sunnis and Shi`as have lived together comfortably, cooperating, doing business together, and intermarrying (the intermarriage rate in Iraq is estimated at 30%). Iraq has no history of serious, widespread, or protracted sectarian conflict prior to 2003.
I have written about this here numerous times and at length. Some time ago I posted a diary here that in part addressed this subject. You can read it here if you are interested.
3) First, do not overestimate the Kurds’ “deep desire” for a nation state. It is far more nuanced and complicated than you think, and it is far from universal. Many Kurds are proud of being Iraqi and want to remain so, despite heavy pressure from the two mafiosi war lords who are their “leaders”. We saw evidence of this after Iraq’s Asia Cup victory when a number of Kurds were arrested for displaying the Iraqi flag, which is outlawed by the war lords and their gangs of thugs.
Second, under no circumstances is this the right or the province of the United States to determine and put into place. It is something for Iraqis – Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and “others” – to work out among themselves without interference from ignorant Americans acting in what they believe is their own interest.
And I would remind you also of, for example, the Basque’s “deep desire” for a nation state that Spain has well satisfied for the great majority by making a compromise arrangement. By this method Spain satisfied all but the most extremist elements among the Basques and reduced the violence to the point that they considerable tolerable. There is no reason to believe that Iraqis could not accomplish the same thing if the will and the means were there.
And finally, on the subject of the Kurds supposed “deep desire” for a nation state, in that light, do you also suggest that the United States has the right to determine that Turkey should be divided into two parts, Turkish and Kurdish? You do know, don’t you, that Turkish Kurds are the most oppressed and abused of all the Kurdish populations, and that Iraqi Kurds have practically had a picnic by comparison? I recommend the documentary film “Good Kurds, Bad Kurds”. You can buy it online (google it), and I believe NetFlix has it. You will learn some things from it, I promise.
And finally, since you appear sympathetic with those wo have a “deep desire” for a nation state, I hope you support the right of the Palestinians to their nation state in the 22% of their birthright where they have been living under a criminally brutal and cruel occupation and land-grab by Israel.
PS Iraqis NEVER used to ask each other if they were Sunni or Shi`a or whatever because they just didn’t care. What Iraqis cared about was whether the person was a good, interesting, reliable human being.
It’s Biden. Check the Obama website or the pictures Kos has put up, it’s official.
Look, Biden is the least worst option of the surviving choices. If he wasn’t going to pick Gore or Clark (and can’t pick Edwards) then I suppose Biden would be good on some issues.
“Biden is the least worst option of the surviving choices.“
Wow! What an endorsement!
Me? I am leaning toward Cynthia McKinney. With a hip hopper as her VP, at least there is some entertainment value, and I have come over the years to appreciate hip hop as an art form.
If Obama had picked Bayh Cynthia would have been my choice.
I’m unhappy with Biden but not enough to vote Green.
Wow I’m happy about this, its a solid ticket. Now all thats left is to see what druid or luddite McCain chooses. Can you say “seeing stones.”
Ha Ha! It did not sink in until now. Obama with a sense of humor to reassure the sitcom voting block!
I think it’s a good choice. I never got me text message, though…Damn you, Verizon!!!!!! LOL
That Barack, telling me he would always listen to me, always fight for me, and then what?
No text message either…sigh.
I got mine at 3:32 AM and have been awake ever since. Grrr….
I guess he likes you better…
It’s Biden for VP and I can hear the Leftiness Shmoo Chorus warming up in the background already.
Yup.
You know Biden’s only real fault as a politician?
He sometimes speaks the truth when he shouldn’t.
He was a stutterer in his youth. His nickname was “Dash” because he’d give up and not finish sentences. Stuttering is indicative of inner conflict. He beat it, and as a result sometimes his inner censor doesn’t kick in when it should.
More power to him.
Truthette’s Syndrome.
I hope he goes out and kicks some deserving asses.
Obama is an outside shooter and passer. He needed a rebounder, a defensive guy with a good inside game.
I think he won the election today. Had he picked a colorless middle-of-the-roader like Bayh he would have lost. Now we have some fire on the ticket. Some contrast. Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside. Hot and cool. Obama can play the “I’m being presidential” game while Biden can kick some ass.
What’s that?
Obama and Biden have their faults?
Yup.
So do you and I.
Let us pray.
ANYTHING would be better than a continuation of the last 8 years.
Anything.
I played at one of the first Butch inauguration parties in 2001. It was a MOST depressing gig. The celebrants were mean-spirited Young Republican types. No real joy, just acquisitiveness, fear and greed leaching out from underneath their masks. I hope to play at Obama’s celebration. Musicians get to see the crowd at a party in a special way. How they dance, how they act when they’re a little inebriated and the truth shows through. When they drop their masks.
Betcha the gig will be a ball.
Betcha.
Later…
AG
I’m with you, Arthur. I think they’ll complement each other nicely.
I hope you play at their party in January!
AG,I agree we need to kick some asses. Biden brings fire power.
He’s a good pick. I’m encouraged with Biden’s foreign policy outlook, specifically on Pakistan – the most dangerous place in the world. While we’re distracted with our eyes wide shut, Pakistan is about to blow up alongside Afghanistan.
Lastly, he will tell the GOP they do not own patriotism or national security.
Mr. Objectivity Ron Fournier tries to set the narrative early – Obama lacks confidence.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080823/ap_on_el_pr/veepstakes_analysis
First, he’s arrogant and presumptive and NOW he lacks confidence?
Well, I know Cindy’s money will make sure Ron’s checks won’t bounce.
The rest of the village is cool with it, and thinks it’s a good selection. Damn, I could see it on their faces. Well, gotta play the game.
I also forgot that Biden’s from Scranton, PA, unions love him and his wife teaches. And both Obama and Biden are relative paupers in the Millionaire’s Club known as the Senate. Biden takes Amtrak home on the weekends.
This is gonna be OK. Those still fellating McSame will continue to do so.