Ladies and Gentleman, the next VP of the United States...

[RunInRed 16,991]

It's official, Joe Biden

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/23/bid...date/index.html

[Tigermike 3,425]

JOE BIDEN

On McCain:

Biden, on a post-debate appearance on MSNBC, October 30, 2007: “The only guy on the other side who’s qualified is John McCain.”

Biden appearing on The Daily Show, August 2, 2005: “John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off, be well off no matter who...”

On Meet the Press, November 27, 2005: “I’ve been calling for more troops for over two years, along with John McCain and others subsequent to my saying that.”

On Obama:

Reacting to an Obama speech on counterterrorism, August 1, 2007: “‘Look, the truth is the four major things he called for, well, hell that’s what I called for,’ Biden said today on MSNBC’s Hardball, echoing comments he made earlier in the day at an event promoting his book at the National Press Club. Biden added, ‘I’m glad he’s talking about these things.’”

Also that day, the Biden campaign issued a release that began, “The Biden for President Campaign today congratulated Sen. Barack Obama for arriving at a number of Sen. Biden’s long-held views on combating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” That release mocked Obama for asking about the “stunning level of mercury in fish” and asked about a proposal for the U.S. adopt a ban on mercury sales abroad at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Assessing Obama’s Iraq plan on September 13, 2007: “My impression is [Obama] thinks that if we leave, somehow the Iraqis are going to have an epiphany” of peaceful coexistence among warring sects. “I’ve seen zero evidence of that.”

Speaking to the New York Observer: Biden was equally skeptical — albeit in a slightly more backhanded way — about Mr. Obama. “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Also from that Observer interview: “But — and the ‘but’ was clearly inevitable — he doubts whether American voters are going to elect ‘a one-term, a guy who has served for four years in the Senate,’ and added: ‘I don’t recall hearing a word from Barack about a plan or a tactic.’”

Around that time, Biden in an interview with the Huffington Post, he assessed Obama and Hillary Clinton: “The more people learn about them (Obama and Hillary) and how they handle the pressure, the more their support will evaporate.”

December 11, 2007: “If Iowans believe campaign funds and celebrity will fix the debacle in Iraq, put the economy on track, and provide health care and education for America’s children, they should support another candidate,” said Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro. “But I’m confident that Iowans know what I know: our problems will require experience and leadership from Day One. Empty slogans will be no match for proven action on caucus night.”

Also that night, Biden said in a campaign ad, “When this campaign is over, political slogans like ‘experience’ and ‘change’ will mean absolutely nothing. The next president has to act.”

September 26, 2007: Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro said, “Sen. Obama said he would do everything possible to end the war in Iraq and emphasized the need for a political solution yet he failed to show up to vote for Sen. Biden’s critical amendment to provide a political solution in Iraq.

December 26, 2006: “Frankly, I think I’m more qualified than other candidates, and the issues facing the American public are all in my wheelbarrow.”

On Iraq:

Biden on Meet the Press in 2002, discussing Saddam Hussein: “He’s a long term threat and a short term threat to our national security… “We have no choice but to eliminate the threat. This is a guy who is an extreme danger to the world.”

Biden on Meet the Press in 2002: “Saddam must be dislodged from his weapons or dislodged from power.”

Biden on Meet the Press in 2007, on Hussein’s WMDs: “Well, the point is, it turned out they didn’t, but everyone in the world thought he had them. The weapons inspectors said he had them. He catalogued — they catalogued them. This was not some, some Cheney, you know, pipe dream. This was, in fact, catalogued.”

Biden, on Obama’s Iraq plan in August 2007: “I don’t want [my son] going [to Iraq],” Delaware Sen. Joe Biden said from the campaign trail Wednesday, according to a report on Radio Iowa. “But I tell you what, I don’t want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years and so how we leave makes a big difference.” Biden criticized Democratic rivals such as Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama who have voted against Iraq funding bills to try to pressure President Bush to end the war. “There’s no political point worth my son’s life,” Biden said, according to Radio Iowa. “There’s no political point worth anybody’s life out there. None.”

Biden on Meet the Press, April 29, 2007: “The threat [saddam Hussein] presented was that, if Saddam was left unfettered, which I said during that period, for the next five years with sanctions lifted and billions of dollars into his coffers, then I believed he had the ability to acquire a tactical nuclear weapon — not by building it, by purchasing it. I also believed he was a threat in that he was — every single solitary U.N. resolution which he agreed to abide by, which was the equivalent of a peace agreement at the United Nations, after he got out of — after we kicked him out of Kuwait, he was violating. Now, the rules of the road either mean something or they don’t. The international community says “We’re going to enforce the sanctions we placed” or not. And what was the international community doing? The international community was weakening. They were pulling away.”

Biden to the Brookings Institution in 2005: “We can call it quits and withdraw from Iraq. I think that would be a gigantic mistake. Or we can set a deadline for pulling out, which I fear will only encourage our enemies to wait us out — equally a mistake.”

Analyzing the surge on Meet the Press, September 9, 2007: “I mean, the truth of the matter is that, that the — America’s — this administration’s policy and the surge are a failure, and that the surge, which was supposed to stop sectarian violence and — long enough to give political reconciliation, there’s been no political reconciliation... The reality is that, although there has been some mild progress on the security front, there is, in fact, no, no real security in Baghdad and/or in Anbar province, where I was, dealing with the most serious problem, sectarian violence. Sectarian violence is as strong and as solid and as serious a problem as it was before the surge started.”

Biden in October of 2002: “We must be clear with the American people that we are committing to Iraq for the long haul; not just the day after, but the decade after.”

On Meet the Press, January 7, 2007, assessing the proposal of a surge of troops to Iraq: “If he surges another 20, 30, or whatever number he’s going to, into Baghdad, it’ll be a tragic mistake, in my view, but, as a practical matter, there’s no way to say, ‘Mr. President, stop.’”

On Meet the Press, November 27, 2005: “Unless we fundamentally change the rotation dates and fundamentally change how many members of the National Guard we’re calling up, it’ll be virtually impossible to maintain 150,000 folks this year.” (The number of troops in Iraq peaked at 162,000 in August 2007, during the surge.)

This should be fun.

[DKW 86 7,726]

I have to tell you, that noise you heard from the South was Rush Limbaugh having an orgasm about this pick. I thought Rep. Chet Edwards was a good cjhoice myself. But them again, I am not running for President.

I really believe that Obama may be about to "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

[RunInRed 16,991]

Some of you are so predictable. Obama could have chosen Jesus Christ himself and the response would still have been the same. Nevertheless, I'll attempt to add some early balance to this thread. Let's start this initial discussion with Biden's Bio:

U.S. Senator:

Biden took office on January 3, 1973, at age 30, becoming the fifth-youngest U.S. Senator in United States history. He has since won additional terms easily, defeating James H. Baxter, Jr. in 1978, John M. Burris in 1984, M. Jane Brady in 1990, and Raymond J. Clatworthy in 1996 and 2002, usually with about 60 percent of the vote. He is now the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Delaware history.

Foreign Relations:

Biden is also a long-time member and current chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1997, he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee from June 2001 through 2003. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections, Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007. His efforts to combat hostilities in the Balkans in the 1990s brought national attention and influenced presidential policy: traveling repeatedly to the region, he made one meeting famous by calling Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a "war criminal." He consistently argued for lifting the arms embargo, training Bosnian Muslims, investigating war crimes and administering NATO air strikes. Biden's subsequent "lift and strike" resolution was instrumental in convincing President Bill Clinton to use military force in the face of systematic human rights violations.[citation needed] Biden has also called on Libya to release political prisoner Fathi Eljahmi.[20]

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Biden was supportive of the Bush administration's efforts, calling for additional ground troops in Afghanistan and agreeing that Saddam Hussein was a threat that needed to be dealt with. The Bush administration rejected an effort Biden undertook with Senator Richard Lugar to pass a resolution authorizing military action only after the exhaustion of diplomatic efforts. In October 2002, Biden voted for the final resolution to support the war in Iraq. He has long supported the appropriations to pay for the occupation, but has argued repeatedly that more soldiers are needed, the war should be internationalized, and the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about the cost and length of the conflict.[21]

In November 2006, Biden and Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan calls for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions.[22]

Judiciary:

Biden is a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In this capacity, he dealt with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. While chairman, Biden presided over two of the most contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings: Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.[13]

Biden has been involved in crafting many federal crime laws over the last decade, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law. He also authored the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA), which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the section of VAWA allowing a federal civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence exceeded Congress' authority and therefore was unconstitutional.[14] Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000 and 2005.[15][16] In March 2004, Biden enlisted major American technology companies in diagnosing the problems of the Austin, Texas-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and to donate equipment and expertise to it.[17][18][13]

As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the nation's "Drug Czar," who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, also known as the RAVE Act. He continues to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as Rohypnol, and drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine. In 2004 he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids like androstenedione, the drug used by many baseball players.[13]

Biden's legislation to promote college aid and loan programs allows families to deduct on their annual income tax returns up to $10,000 per year in higher education expenses. His "Kids 2000" legislation established a public/private partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet access, and technical training to young people, particularly to low-income and at-risk youth.[19]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden

What does Biden bring to the ticket? A lot.

First of all, he has a love of politics and public service. He never tried to get rich from his role, even though he has been in the Senate for decades. He is a fancy dresser--given to stick pin collars and French cuffs--and yet he is an unassuming son of a car salesman who takes the train home to Wilmington almost every night.

His personal story is compelling: a riches-to-rags family background; a first wife killed in a car crash; a devoted life with his second wife; a passel of grandchildren whom he adores as much as they adore him. And he's never had a hint of financial or sexual scandal.

Biden is a Catholic--a demographic must for a Democratic ticket eager to get swing voters in heavily Catholic states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.

He knows foreign policy and defense issues of course, but in a textbook way. He is a street politician who has walked the streets of the planet.

He genuinely wants to serve. He kept telling President Bush in the aftermath of 9/11 that he wanted to help him, privately, anytime. Bush, ill-advisedly, never availed himself of the priceless chance.

Certainly among Democrats, Biden has few enemies. Even most Republicans like him.

For now, here in Denver, most Democrats seemed pleased as the early word leaked out. Biden in some ways is the anti-Dick Cheney. And that's change the party can believe in.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863/page/2

Progressives like me are thrilled with this pick - if you've been following this board, you know he was my preference for VP for a long long time. Overall, an excellent choice IMO. Working/blue collar guy. Experience/Foreign Policy/National Security credentials. Enthusiastic debater. A fighter - fearless and outspoken. At his core, he's beyond a decent guy.

And finally, a few of my favorite Biden clips:

[RunInRed 16,991]

It's also worth noting that I will go ahead predict the ironies in these criticisms of Obama/Biden will be highlighted when McCain picks Romney in less than a week. I will be willing to bet that these same people who are now criticizing Obama/Biden won't be as eager to point out the contrasts from the Republican primary between McCain/Romney.

[jw 4 au 526]

It's also worth noting that I will go ahead predict the ironies in these criticisms of Obama/Biden, which will be highlighted when McCain picks Romney in less than a week. I will be willing to bet that these same people won't be eager to point out the contrasts from the Republican primary between the two.

I actually happen to like Biden a lot, and I have always said that. He has been waffling lately to try and pander to the far left (maybe for this exact reason), but he is a true moderate Democrat based upon his 30+ years of service. I would even consider voting for this ticket, but only if it was Biden/Obama. Good ticket, wrong order, in my opinion. Obama is simply not Presidential.

[OldNewby 27]

It's also worth noting that I will go ahead predict the ironies in these criticisms of Obama/Biden, which will be highlighted when McCain picks Romney in less than a week. I will be willing to bet that these same people won't be eager to point out the contrasts from the Republican primary between the two.

Both camps are going to go after one another - that's part of the game. McCain's camp just gets a little head start.

[Tigermike 3,425]

It's also worth noting that I will go ahead predict the ironies in these criticisms of Obama/Biden, which will be highlighted when McCain picks Romney in less than a week. I will be willing to bet that these same people won't be eager to point out the contrasts from the Republican primary between the two.

Mama always said life was like a box a chocolates, never know what you're gonna get. Forrest Gump

But I predict you will still be whining next week and the week after and the week after.

[jw 4 au 526]

But I predict you will still be whining next week and the week after and the week after.

Don't go out on a limb there with that prediciton TM. But you left out a few other verbs.

[OldNewby 27]

August 23, 2008

It's Biden: So much for 'Hope and Change'

Rick Moran

In choosing Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate, Barack Obama has acknowledged his own shortcomings while recognizing that the election he and his people thought a cakewalk a few months ago is now a battle royale along the lines of the 2000 and 2004 contests.

Republicans would do well not to celebrate too much over this choice. On the surface, it may appear to be a mistake - an almost comically bad selection by Obama due to Biden's well known (and well documented) verbal gaffes. And, as Politico points out, this should worry the Obama camp:

But while Biden, 65, made strides during the primary season on curbing his legendary penchant for leaving no thought unspoken, those who have watched him (and listened to him) over the years know the Obama team will spend some sleepless nights wondering what he might say at any given moment.

Leaving that aside, Biden is a formidable presence and brings quite a bit to the table. He is, by Democratic party standards, a moderate, especially on foreign policy where he has distinguished himself as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Senate. He voted for the Iraq War and has consistently advocated victory in that conflict. An early and harsh critic of Administration Iraq policy (like John McCain), Biden and McCain have been seen as the biggest advocates for putting more troops into Iraq as far back as 2004. He supported Bush's Pakistan policy until he began to run for president. He has taken a tough stance against the Russians. He has fully backed our efforts in Afghanistan.

He can be called a foreign policy realist - something he will have to abandon now that he is running with the most idealistic and naive candidate in history. But Obama doesn't care where he stands on issues as much as his perceived "experience" overcomes his own lack of foreign policy credentials.

Domestically, he is further left but has been known as a friend of credit card companies and banks. He is very liberal on social policy (he received a 0% rating from the Family Research Council) and does well with organized labor. He got a perfect score from the liberal ADA in 2005 and 2006.

What are Obama's expectations? What does he bring to the ticket?

Joe Biden is an attack dog, a savage puncher who brings some skills to a debate. He will more than ably fill the traditional role of a running mate by attacking McCain like there's no tomorow while Obama preaches his hope and change mantra staying above the fray.

It is true that Biden is in love with his own voice (most senators are) and he can be very windy at times. But the Obama camp will keep him on a very short leash which will help and I expect he will also be somewhat protected from the press. This may minimize the gaffe potential.

As far as his personal attributes he is an emotive sort of fellow which plays well with most voters. He has a working class upbringing although after 36 years in the senate, he is far beyond those humble beginnings. He is a Catholic and may help shore up Obama's working class Catholic base that Hillary won so handily in Pennsylvania and other states.

I've listed most of his negatives except the intangible. Joe Biden is the consummate inside the beltway, Washington insider. For Barack Obama to go before the people now offering "hope and change" is ludicrous. Also, Biden is only 6 years younger than John McCain so using his age against him is now under the bus.

But it is his ability as a back alley brawler that Obama probably chose him. His sarcasm can sometimes be too biting and at times he comes off as just plain mean. But when he smiles that huge, teeth baring grin and lets loose a torrent of invective against his opponent, he can be fearsome.

This campaign started with both men saying they wanted to elevate dialogue and stay away from personal attacks. But any student of history can tell you that this is the strategy of the loser and the winner is usually the one who is most able to portray his opponent as the devil incarnate. Negative politics is like torture; it is used because it works. And with the country still in a 50-50 split, the candidate who can hit first and hit the hardest will probably come out on top.

link:http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/08/its_biden_so_much_for_hope_and.html

[Grumps 3,706]

I admire Obama's willingness to pick Biden despite Biden's prior criticism of him. I agree that Biden fills some of the gaping holes in Obama's resume. Very gutsy.

[SouthLink02 8]

I admire Obama's willingness to pick Biden despite Biden's prior criticism of him. I agree that Biden fills some of the gaping holes in Obama's resume. Very gutsy.

Agreed. I thought it was a very smart choice

[tiger88 934]

Don't like the poll choices so I didn't pick one.

I will say that having a good foreign relations guy as veep does little to cover up the fact that you are completely clueless and green on the same. Bidens advantage will not last and it will come down to mccain vs obama in the long run

I think it a poor choice he felt like he needed to make to try and salvage the election which is quickly slipping away from him due largely to the fact that everyone is beginning to realize how green he is. The more money he spends on ads the more people see how green he is and the more his numbers drop.

Mcaain will win the debates, obamas slide will continue, and Biden will not be a saviour for him. Period.

Did anyone esle see the shots of biden with the ball cap on? He looks eerily like mccain in some of those.

[SouthLink02 8]

I think it a poor choice he felt like he needed to make to try and salvage the election

You mean he made a VP choice that gives him the best advantage for winning the Presidency....right? So, he made a VP choice for election purposes.

So, when was the last time a Candidate running for President didn't do that?

I mean, in 2000 every Republican friend of mine was praising Bush for plugging any foreign/national security weakness with Cheney. I agreed. He was soft on it and he filled the void. How is it wrong for Obama to plug in his weakness?

Is anyone dumb enough to think McCain isn't going to do the same damn thing?

[tiger88 934]

I think it a poor choice he felt like he needed to make to try and salvage the election

You mean he made a VP choice that gives him the best advantage for winning the Presidency....right? So, he made a VP choice for election purposes.

So, when was the last time a Candidate running for President didn't do that?

I mean, in 2000 every Republican friend of mine was praising Bush for plugging any foreign/national security weakness with Cheney. I agreed. He was soft on it and he filled the void. How is it wrong for Obama to plug in his weakness?

Is anyone dumb enough to think McCain isn't going to do the same damn thing?

My point that you missed was that this is not the pick he would have liked to have made even weeks ago. His hand was forced and this candidate goes against the change platform he beat like a drum to get him where he is now. He is desperate, this isn't going to save him.

[CCTAU 3,369]

Some of you are so predictable. Obama could have chosen Jesus Christ himself....

I thought achmed IS Jesus Christ. Are you guys now backing off of the messiah love?

Biden is a great choice for republicans. Achmed is crumbling slowly but steadily. The only ones hanging with him are the Bush haters. And the more folks see that McCain is not Bush, the better they fell about him.

With someone like Romney strong on domestic economics, McCain will steadily pull away.

So congratulations lefties. You moved it to the right just a hair.

[Tigermike 3,425]

For a campaign that has consistently chided John McCain for being mired in the old Washington guard and conducting the "same old Washington politics," Obama's choice is bizarre. Joe Biden, change?? Biden, just happens to be the sixth-longest-serving and notoriously long-winded senator? Biden, who was named a Face for the Future by Time magazine in his freshman senatorial year -- in 1974? Biden, who withdrew from the 1988 presidential race after speech-plagiarizing and school-grade-exaggerating scandals? Biden, who snagged a whopping 1% of Iowa delegates in January?

Obama's been running on the mantra that experience doesn't matter, why'd he go for the guy with the most experience he could find? But I think we all know why. Even Obama knows he needs help, with foreign policy, with domestic policy, with energy policy, with fiscal policy,,,,,,,,, I know, I know, deep down Obama thought he would need help carrying Deleware.

"You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.". Joe Biden

[SouthLink02 8]

"You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.". Joe Biden

I do love that quote

[SouthLink02 8]

My point that you missed was that this is not the pick he would have liked to have made even weeks ago.

How do you know that?

Everything people say Biden brings to the table (according to the media) is what Obama was lacking when he first started running for President. I don't see any drastic change to selecting Biden

His hand was forced and this candidate goes against the change platform he beat like a drum to get him where he is now. He is desperate, this isn't going to save him.

I always took his change comments to mean the policies put in place in Washington such as the Democrat/Republican differences on taxes, foreign policy, etc....so picking Biden still goes along those lines

If anyone believed Obama in that he was going to actually pick non-DC people, they were living in a dream anyway

[tiger88 934]

My point that you missed was that this is not the pick he would have liked to have made even weeks ago.

How do you know that?

Everything people say Biden brings to the table (according to the media) is what Obama was lacking when he first started running for President. I don't see any drastic change to selecting Biden

His hand was forced and this candidate goes against the change platform he beat like a drum to get him where he is now. He is desperate, this isn't going to save him.

I always took his change comments to mean the policies put in place in Washington such as the Democrat/Republican differences on taxes, foreign policy, etc....so picking Biden still goes along those lines

If anyone believed Obama in that he was going to actually pick non-DC people, they were living in a dream anyway

I don't know for certain but I think it is the case. Biden only became the front runner in the last week or so. Before that kane was often mentioned who is supposedly good friends w/ obama. Now the georgia crisis blows up and obamas number begin to slip more and poll numbers show that americans don't trust his foreign relations skills at all and it is a main reason he is slipping in the polls despite bankrolling ads at a 2-1 margin over mccain.

So all of a sudden biden is the front runner and then the pick. He voted for the war in iraq, as well as the surge, labeled hussein (saddam not barrack) as a dangerous man who should be eliminated as a threat, has praised mccain while bashing obama, and is a 35 year insider in washington. Did I mention he was a prime pusher of the bankrutcy bill or whatever it was called that obama pretty much said was poisonous.

To me it seems pretty obvious his hand was forced by the situation and possibly others to choose biden. If you don't agree thats fine. To me the evidence speaks for itself.

No one said he wasn't going to pick non-dc people although he did covet several non-dc people including a governor or two. However there is a difference between picking a fresh face and one who in entrenched in a system which he has said is broken and pointed to his 26 years in congress as being part of that broken syste. Well, now he has a running mate who has 35 yrs in that same system.

[SouthLink02 8]

Do you think Bush's hand was forced to pick Cheney in 2000?

[tiger88 934]

Do you think Bush's hand was forced to pick Cheney in 2000?

Not really forced, at least nowhere the extent that obama has been. GWB lacked foreign experience but had 2 terms as a governor under his belt and a father who was an ex president as well to fall back on. I think he could have also won with a variety of other picks as well.

I don't think obama had a choice at all. Other than hillary that is, and their blood is too bad to allow that to happen. Bush may have been a pale shade of green wheras obama is a deep dark musky smelling pine green.

In the end it will come down to obama vs maccain and not biden vs mccain or his running mate. I think obama is screwed either way and this pick is not going to save him, whereas people felt comfortable enough with bush to elect him twice.

As biden clearly stated himself in direct reference to obama, the POTUS has no room for on the job training.

[TexasTiger 13,556]

Do you think Bush's hand was forced to pick Cheney in 2000?

Yes, Cheney told him to.

[Tigermike 3,425]

Since the title of this thread is:

Ladies and Gentleman, the next VP of the United States..., CNN confirms

It's time to get back on subject.

Obama was 11 when Biden entered Congress. I guess they're going fishin' together.

Obama: "Just call me Opie."

[TexasTiger 13,556]

Since the title of this thread is:

Ladies and Gentleman, the next VP of the United States..., CNN confirms

It's time to get back on subject.

Obama was 11 when Biden entered Congress. I guess they're going fishin' together.

Obama: "Just call me Opie."

Obama was a young community organizer when McCain was a serial adulterer cheating on his handicapped wife.

Got a sitcom reference for that one?