Joe Biden // Current

Recovery Act: More than 1,000,000 Jobs Saved/Created

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QQ09Rj2tY Vice President Joe Biden is joined by... more

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Death by Joystick

With Joe Biden advocating an Afghanistan strategy that concentrates on remote drones,... more

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Arianna Huffington thinks Joe Biden Should Resign - Do you?

Joe Biden met with CENTCOM chief Gen. David Petraeus this morning to talk about Afghanistan -- an issue that has pushed the vice president into the spotlight, landing him on the cover of the latest Newsweek.

I have an idea for how he can capitalize on all the attention, and do what generations to come will always be grateful for: resign.

The centerpiece of Newsweek's story is how Biden has become the chief White House skeptic on escalating the war in Afghanistan, specifically arguing against Gen. McChrystal's request for 40,000 more troops to pursue a counterinsurgency strategy there.

The piece, by Holly Bailey and Evan Thomas, opens with details of a September 13th national security meeting at the White House. Biden speaks up:

"Can I just clarify a factual point? How much will we spend this year on Afghanistan?" Someone provided the figure: $65 billion. "And how much will we spend on Pakistan?" Another figure was supplied: $2.25 billion. "Well, by my calculations that's a 30-to-1 ratio in favor of Afghanistan. So I have a question. Al Qaeda is almost all in Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And yet for every dollar we're spending in Pakistan, we're spending $30 in Afghanistan. Does that make strategic sense?" The White House Situation Room fell silent.
Being Greek, I'm partial to Biden's classic use of the Socratic method -- skillfully eliciting facts in a way that lets people connect the dots that show how misguided our involvement in Afghanistan has become.

It's been known for a while that Biden has been on the other side of McChrystal's desire for a big escalation of our forces there -- the New York Times reported last month that he has "deep reservations" about it. So if the president does decide to escalate, Biden, for the good of the country, should escalate his willingness to act on those reservations.

What he must not do is follow the same weak and worn-out pattern of "opposition" we've become all-too-accustomed to, first with Vietnam and then with Iraq. You know the drill: after the dust settles, and the country begins to look back and not-so-charitably wonder, "what were they thinking?" the mea-culpa-laden books start to come out. On page after regret-filled page, we suddenly hear how forceful this or that official was behind closed doors, arguing against the war, taking a principled stand, expressing "strong concern" and, yes, "deep reservations" to the president, and then going home each night distraught at the unnecessary loss of life.

Well, how about making the mea culpa unnecessary? Instead of saving it for the book, how about future author Biden unfetter his conscience in real time -- when it can actually do some good? If Biden truly believes that what we're doing in Afghanistan is not in the best interests of our national security -- and what issue is more important than that? -- it's simply not enough to claim retroactive righteousness in his memoirs.

Though it would be a crowning moment in a distinguished career, such an act of courage would likely be only the beginning. Biden would then become the natural leader of the movement to wind down this disastrous war and focus on the real dangers in Pakistan.

The number of those on both sides of the political spectrum who share Biden's skepticism is growing. In August, George Will called for the U.S. to pull out of Afghanistan and "do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, airstrikes and small, potent Special Forces units."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/why-joe-biden-should-resi_b_320929.htmlJoe Biden met with CENTCOM chief Gen. David Petraeus this morning to talk about... more

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Biden fundraiser for Himes in Greenwich Connecticut Interview 1

William Landers interviews Greenwich Democratic Chairperson outside Congressman Jim... more

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Joe Biden's Georgia Disaster Tour: More Than Just a Photo Op

Local news commented on the acessibility of those who came to comfort the flood victims.

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The News

Auto-tune the news.

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The Muppets Take on Health Care

Statler and Waldorf weigh in on the issues.

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Michelle Obama favoured Joe Biden over Hillary Clinton as vicepresident book claims

Michelle Obama put the final nail in the coffin in the idea of Hillary Clinton... more

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Biden: Stimulus projects moving faster than expected

Vice President Joe Biden will claim Thursday that the $787 billion stimulus plan "is... more

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2 months ago
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What's in Health Insurance Reform for you?

For many Americans who are happy with their health care, a central question about... more

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2 months ago
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Biden pushes Bush NATO policy

VP Joe Biden told Georgia and the Ukraine the US still supports their membership in NATO

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3 months ago
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Weak economy pushing Russia to arms deal: Biden

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia's struggling economy and its leaders' pragmatism will... more

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4 months ago
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Good Morning! Israeli building, Biden's in Ukraine, and Healthcare Battle

Hey everybody - A few of the stories we're tracking here at Current News. We'll try... more

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4 months ago
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Joe Biden: ‘We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt’

CNSNews.com) – Vice President Joe Biden told people attending an AARP town hall... more

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Franken's First Time Around: Questioned "Clarence Thomas" In 1991 SNL Sketch (VIDEO)

This isn't Al Franken's first Supreme Court confirmation hearing. In 1991 he appeared... more

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4 months ago
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My Friends at Fox

There is a softer side of Fox News, where you can make three best friends.... more

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4 months ago
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27 comments

Obama Responds To Biden On Economy: "We Had Incomplete Information"

In a pair of separate interviews, President Obama defended his administration's... more

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Foreign policy: have a question about Obama's intent? Ask Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden doesn't mince his words, and oftentimes, he has been teased... more

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4 months ago
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Biden’s new brief

Vice President Joe Biden's official portfolio is expanding. NEWSWEEK has learned that President Obama has asked Biden to take the lead role on Iraq as the U.S. begins its scheduled drawdown of combat troops, a move that comes as administration officials are expressing concerns about the uptick in violence and political instability in the region.

Biden's role will be something of an unofficial envoy to Iraq, though he won't handle day-to-day dealings with officials on the ground. The goal is to "raise the level" in hopes that Biden's stature encourages Iraqi officials to bridge their political differences, says a senior administration official who didn't want to be named talking about high-level personnel decisions. "He knows the players," White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel tells NEWSWEEK. "He brings a lot of experience and expertise on this issue to the table, and the president trusts him."

While they insist that overall incidents of violence in Iraq remain low, Obama and his aides worry about the recent spate of bombings in the region and the Iraqi security forces' ability to respond. But it's the continued political turmoil that has officials most anxious. Both Obama and Biden have raised the issue repeatedly with Iraqi leaders in recent months, without much success. "I think the Maliki government is not only going to have to continue to strengthen its security forces, but it's also going to have to engage in the kind of political give-and-take leading up to the national elections that we've been talking about for quite some time," Obama said on June 26. "I haven't seen as much political progress in Iraq … as I would like to see."
The senior administration official was careful to note that Biden's efforts will not undermine Christopher Hill, who is the U.S. ambassador to Iraq—though many outside observers haven't been shy in noting Hill's lack of Middle East experience (he was last assigned to North Korea).

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden visited the region nearly a dozen times and has been an active player in policy discussions. Speaking about Iraq last February, he said, "We're going to have to get in there and be much more aggressive in forcing them to deal with these issues."Vice President Joe Biden's official portfolio is expanding. NEWSWEEK has learned that... more

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4 months ago
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Biden Mistaken About Nation's Biggest Transportation Project

Officials broke ground on the $8.7 billion project on Monday.

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tagged w/ Joe Biden

Recovery Act: More than 1,000,000 Jobs Saved/Created

Death by Joystick

Arianna Huffington thinks Joe Biden Should Resign - Do you?

Biden fundraiser for Himes in Greenwich Connecticut Interview 1

Joe Biden's Georgia Disaster Tour: More Than Just a Photo Op

The News

The Muppets Take on Health Care

Michelle Obama favoured Joe Biden over Hillary Clinton as vicepresident book claims

Biden: Stimulus projects moving faster than expected

What's in Health Insurance Reform for you?

Biden pushes Bush NATO policy

Weak economy pushing Russia to arms deal: Biden

Good Morning! Israeli building, Biden's in Ukraine, and Healthcare Battle

Joe Biden: ‘We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt’

Franken's First Time Around: Questioned "Clarence Thomas" In 1991 SNL Sketch (VIDEO)

My Friends at Fox

Obama Responds To Biden On Economy: "We Had Incomplete Information"

Foreign policy: have a question about Obama's intent? Ask Joe Biden

Biden’s new brief

Biden Mistaken About Nation's Biggest Transportation Project

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