So there’s a distinct possibility that Obama may pick Joe Biden as VP. I always expected Joe to be on a short list, but now that the buzz is out there as a true contender, some Democrats quickly point out the policy differences between he and Barack on the end game for Iraq.
On the face, Biden would be a safe pick because of his foreign policy credentials and his long history as a lawmaker, he is a currently a six-term Senate veteran and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But the centerpiece of Joe’s campaign is at odds with Obama's withdrawal plan. Joe intends to partition Iraq into separate smaller states.
Biden had been calling for the division of Iraq into three regions at just about every campaign stop while in the primaries, one for Sunnis, one for Shiites, and one for Kurds.
Biden, back in 2006, said: “The idea, as in Bosnia, is to maintain a united Iraq by decentralizing it, giving each ethno-religious group -- Kurd, Sunni Arab and Shiite Arab -- room to run its own affairs, while leaving the central government in charge of common interests, the thee regions would each be responsible for their own domestic laws, administration and internal security. The central government would control border defense, foreign affairs and oil revenues.”
Biden even went so far as to have the Senate vote on the proposal and send it to the President, who scoffed at the idea. Now here’s the slippery part…Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd voted with Joe Biden. Amazingly Obama and McCain didn’t even show up for the vote.
So the question is, will Barack choose Biden as VP? I like Joe…he has good character, a well defined history, and you know what to expect when he’s on the job. He kind-of lends a sense of a better tested and secure aspect to an otherwise lofty campaign of Change without Creds. Like an old favorite sweater. But at what cost to the ideal of sending the old dogs packing?
With only weeks until Denver, I’m curious who the #2 will be, aren’t you?
On the face, Biden would be a safe pick because of his foreign policy credentials and his long history as a lawmaker, he is a currently a six-term Senate veteran and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But the centerpiece of Joe’s campaign is at odds with Obama's withdrawal plan. Joe intends to partition Iraq into separate smaller states.Biden had been calling for the division of Iraq into three regions at just about every campaign stop while in the primaries, one for Sunnis, one for Shiites, and one for Kurds.
Biden, back in 2006, said: “The idea, as in Bosnia, is to maintain a united Iraq by decentralizing it, giving each ethno-religious group -- Kurd, Sunni Arab and Shiite Arab -- room to run its own affairs, while leaving the central government in charge of common interests, the thee regions would each be responsible for their own domestic laws, administration and internal security. The central government would control border defense, foreign affairs and oil revenues.”
Biden even went so far as to have the Senate vote on the proposal and send it to the President, who scoffed at the idea. Now here’s the slippery part…Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd voted with Joe Biden. Amazingly Obama and McCain didn’t even show up for the vote. So the question is, will Barack choose Biden as VP? I like Joe…he has good character, a well defined history, and you know what to expect when he’s on the job. He kind-of lends a sense of a better tested and secure aspect to an otherwise lofty campaign of Change without Creds. Like an old favorite sweater. But at what cost to the ideal of sending the old dogs packing?
With only weeks until Denver, I’m curious who the #2 will be, aren’t you?
5 comments:
You put Edwards on the poll question as a joke didnt you?
You're so bad.
The Biden plan, was never to be imposed, it was to be promoted but ultimately be agreed upon by Iraq. Fact is the constitution already allows for it, so it's doable. Also, those ethno-religious regions, you mention, could actually amount to quite a bit more than three, but it's all about allowing for local control. The plan was also mainly to be transitional, so that some breathing room could be achieved, and allow for more political reconciliation. As I understand it, Obama's main oppostition to it, was that it shouldn't be imposed on the Iraqi's.
The fact that a relatively overwhelming, majority voted for it in the Senate, which has been so consistently divided along party lines, particularly in regards to the war, is testimony to the respect that Biden has among his colleagues. Additionally, if Obama is to get anything done legislatively, he could really use the help of a VP, who has worked so effectively with the other side, on co-sponsored work.
The first real success in Iraq, Ambar province, was all about giving local control there, with federal support. Exactly along the lines of the Biden/Gelb plan.
This is a great ticket,allows Obama to take the high road and Biden is a very intelligent and verbal street fighter in the political arena. The Dems could use this for a change. He'd make guys like Cheney and Rumsfeld look like Special Ed's Helmet in a one on one...smitty
Hutchinson would be great for MacCain. It's the perfect MAW & PAW KETTLE TICKET.
I do like and respect MacCain as a person and feel bad that today these two guys have to go through some kind of Sanctimonious Acid Test [SAT] to get their fundamentalist goody too shoes score...smitty
Mike,
It will come down between Biden
and Bayh. In my view Bayh would be the best choice.
Post a Comment