Joe Biden 2008

Future Updates on Democratic Race

2008-01-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden has officially withdrawn from the Democratic race for President.

For future updates on the Democratic Race for the Nomination, please visit:

Barack Obama 2008 http://2008obama.blogspot.com

or

Hillary Clinton 2008 http://2008clinton.blogspot.com

Joe Biden Article on Iraq

2007-02-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden has written the following article, published this week. He is calling for Congress to repeal the authorization for force to be used in Iraq.

"Two weeks ago, Congress made clear its opposition to President Bush's plan to send more US troops to Iraq.

Opposing the surge is only a first step. There needs to be a radical change in course in Iraq. The pressure is building on Congress -- especially Republicans -- to act if the president will not.

The best next step is to revisit the authorization Congress granted Bush in 2002 to use force in Iraq.

We gave the president that power to destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and, if necessary, to depose Saddam Hussein. The weapons of mass destruction were not there. Saddam Hussein is no longer there. The 2002 authorization is no longer relevant to the situation in Iraq.

Together with Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will offer legislation to repeal that authorization and replace it with a much narrower and achievable mission for our troops in Iraq.

Congress should make clear what the mission of our troops is: to deny terrorists a safe haven, train Iraqis, and help Iraq defend its borders. We should set as a goal removing from Iraq all US combat forces not necessary for this limited mission by early 2008, as the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommends.

Congress also should make clear that the troops should not stay in Iraq indefinitely and get mired in a civil war.

Repealing and replacing the 2002 authorization is not micromanagement from Washington, it is matching our soldiers' mission to the changing realities in Iraq.

Revisiting the 2002 authorization is the right next step but it cannot be the last step. The United States must also answer a two-word test: "What next?"

Everyone wants to get the troops out of Iraq as soon and as safely as possible. There is great political reward in saying, "I can get us out the fastest."

But while leaving Iraq is necessary, it is not a plan. There needs to be a plan for what we leave behind so that we do not trade a dictator for chaos that engulfs Iraq and spreads throughout the Middle East.

Nine months ago, Leslie Gelb of the Council on Foreign Relations and I proposed a plan, which offers a roadmap to a political settlement in Iraq that gives its warring factions a way to share power peacefully and us a chance to leave with our interests intact.

The plan would decentralize Iraq and give Kurds, Shi'ites, and Sunnis control over their daily lives; bring the Sunnis in by guaranteeing them a fair share of the oil; enlist the support of Iraq's neighbors and the world's major powers to promote the plan with the Iraqis; and withdraw US combat forces by 2008. You can read the details at PlanForIraq.com.

The Bush administration has bet everything on a future that will not happen: Iraqis rallying behind a strong central government that protects the rights of all citizens equally.

Since the onset of sectarian war, there is no trust within the central government, no trust of the government by the people and no capacity by the government to deliver services and security. There is no evidence that we can build that trust and capacity any time soon.

There are two other ways to govern Iraq from the center: A foreign occupation that the United States cannot sustain or the return of a strongman, who is not on the horizon.

That leaves federalism -- an idea a majority of Iraqis have already endorsed in their constitution.

Our plan offers a way to make federalism work for all Iraqis. And it offers the possibility -- not the guarantee -- of producing a soft landing in Iraq. That would be the best possible outcome for Iraq and for America."

Biden's New Hampshire Schedule

2007-02-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is Joe Biden's New Hampshire Schedule. He will be there Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

"Senator Joe Biden will campaign across the Granite State this Tuesday, February 27th and Wednesday, February 28th making stops in Hanover, Concord, Henniker and Bedford. In Hanover and Henniker, Sen. Biden will hold town hall meetings to discuss the current situation in Iraq and his plan to introduce legislation to revisit the original 2002 Iraq War resolution and replace it with a much narrower mission statement for the troops. Nine months ago, Biden, along with Council on Foreign Relations President Emeritus Leslie H. Gelb, unveiled their plan for a political solution in Iraq. For more information on the plan, visit: www.PlanForIraq.com."

Tuesday, February 27th

6:30 PM
Senator Biden will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Iraq Alumni Hall, Dartmouth College

Wednesday, February 28th

10:30 AM
Senator Biden will speak at Granite State Independent Living Center

3:30 PM
Senator Biden will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Iraq,New England College Simon Center

5:30 PM
Senator Biden will attend a reception with Bedford Town Democrats, Bedford Public Library

Joe Biden at Nevada Forum

2007-02-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden's press statement following his appearance at the Democrat candidates forum in Carson City, Nevada.

Sen. Joe Biden today addressed more than 500 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employee (AFSCME) members and retirees at the first 2008 Democratic Presidential Forum in Carson City, Nevada.

In his remarks, Biden addressed the need for a new direction in American foreign policy and a new focus on middle class concerns saying, “We are under tremendous pressure – there’s a lot of challenges in the United States of America right now. We have a war in Afghanistan, genocide in Darfur, there are two nations out there developing nuclear weapons - and at home we need a healthcare policy, access to college education, and beyond that, an energy plan.”

“We cannot fix these other problems unless we deal with Iraq. It affects every other aspect of our policies.” Biden said. “If we do it right – we’ll regain the flexibility, the credibility and our ability to deal with all the problems you’ve heard talked about today. But if we don't get it right, we are going to be shackled financially and in every other way for a long time to come.”

In his closing, Biden stressed that President Bush has left the next president of the United States with no for margin for error, telling the audience that in the next election, “The American people, we have an incredible opportunity to change the world.”

Joe Biden's Plan for Iraq

2007-02-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden visited the Brookings Institute on Thursday, and delivered a speech that outlines his plan for Iraq.

The speech was entitled Iraq's Future and America's Interests and Biden outlined the following five points in his plan.

First, maintain a unified Iraq by decentralizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing room in regions – as the Iraqi constitution provides. The central government would be responsible for common concerns, like guarding Iraq’s borders and distributing its oil revenues.

Second, secure support from the Sunnis – who have no oil – by guaranteeing them a fair share of oil revenues. Allow former Baath party members to go back to work and reintegrate Sunnis with no blood on their hands.

Third, increase economic assistance to Iraq and its regions. Insist that the oil-rich Gulf states put up most of the money, tie it to the protection of minority rights, and create a major jobs program to deny the militia new recruits.

Fourth, initiate a major diplomatic offensive to enlist the support of Iraq’s neighbors. Create an oversight group of the U.N. and the major powers to enforce their commitments. These countries have a profound stake in preventing chaos in Iraq and the credibility we lack to press for compromise by all Iraqis. If a political settlement fails to take hold, these same countries are vital to any strategy to contain the fall out within Iraq.

Fifth, instruct the military to draw up plans for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq by 2008. Leave behind a small force to take on terrorists and train Iraqis. The best way to focus Iraq’s leaders on the political compromises they must make is to make it clear to them that we are leaving.

Joe Biden's Nevada Schedule

2007-02-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

This is Joe Biden's schedule for his tour of Nevada next week. Starting this Friday and continuing through the weekend, Biden will be campaigning in Iowa.

Monday February 19th, 2007

600 PM Biden will keynote a Washoe County Democrats Dinner

Tuesday February 20th, 2007

945AM Biden will speak to the Carson City Democratic Party

700PM Biden will speak to the Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations
Topic: Iraq’s Future and America’s Interest

Wednesday February 21st, 2007

1200 PM Biden will participate in the AFSCME Candidates Forum

Full Details here.

Biden's foresight on Iraq

2007-02-11T22:31:00.001-08:00

Good piece by Gannett News Service columnist Chuck Raasch last week, that speaks of Joe Biden's foresight on the war in Iraq.

"Among Democrats, Biden's crystal ball clearest on Iraq"

WASHINGTON — Nearly four years ago, just days before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, then-presidential candidate Howard Dean asked: "What I want to know is what in the world some of these Democrats are doing supporting the president's unilateral intervention in Iraq?"

He was cheered by California Democrats at their convention. At the same gathering, both John Kerry, the party's eventual 2004 nominee, and John Edwards, Kerry's eventual running mate, were booed for supporting the invasion.

Today, Dean presides over a party that is steadily steering toward an anti-war base, while four Democratic presidential candidates who voted to give President Bush the authority to invade Iraq, are trying to explain their votes in the context of a war that has turned increasingly bloody and murky.

The four are Edwards, who left the Senate, and Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Joe Biden, D-Del.

Before joining 73 other senators in favor of the resolution in October of 2002, all four had warned of the consequences of not building enough international support for the war and of inadequate post-war planning.

But of the four, Biden was the most prescient and specific in warning about the sectarian violence that has since wracked Iraq, leading to increasing pressure to withdraw American troops. Given the record, Biden's plan to extricate the United States from Iraq could be his biggest selling point in a long-shot battle for the '08 nomination.

"There is a danger that Saddam's downfall could lead to widespread civil unrest and reprisals," Biden said on the Senate floor on Oct. 10, 2002.

Biden warned in that speech that "one-third of that population (in Iraq) hates the other two-thirds of the population. They say Iraq will quickly be able to organize itself politically, economically, and militarily, into a peaceful, unified nation, free of weapons of mass destruction.

The American people need to know that most experts believe Iraq will require considerable assistance politically, militarily, and economically. Indeed, they say we should speak not of 'the day after,' but of 'the decade after.' "

On one point, the four Democrats were in accord with the Bush administration leading up to the war. They all publicly proclaimed that Iraq had an active weapons-of-mass-destruction program and desired more, including nuclear weapons. No WMD were discovered after the invasion.

In a pre-vote speech that October, Clinton went one step further, asserting that while there was no connection between the 9/11 attacks and Saddam, she believed Saddam had given "aid, comfort and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaida members." War critics dispute that claim, saying Saddam saw the terrorist group as a threat to his regime.

Dodd agreed that Saddam posed a threat but couched his vote as a diplomatic tool to force Saddam to allow weapons inspectors, banned for four years, back into Iraq. "My main reason for supporting the resolution is that I believe the chances of avoiding war with Iraq are enhanced substantially if this country is united as a nation," Dodd said on Oct. 9, 2002.

A day later, Edwards called Saddam "a grave threat to America and our allies, including our vital ally, Israel." But, he complained, "We have not heard nearly enough from the administration about its plans for assisting the Iraqi people as they rebuild their lives and create a new, democratic government. The president has said the U.S. will help, but he hasn't offered any details about how."

But five months later, just four days before the invasion commenced, Edwards — by then a prospective presidential candidate — defended the decision to go to war at that stormy meeting of California Democrats.

"I believe that Saddam Hussein is a serious threat and I believe he must be disarmed, including the use of military force if necessary," Edwards said, as assembled Democrats booed.

In the days before the invasion, Biden and Clinton expressed concern that all diplomatic avenues had not been explored but said they were full-scale behind the troops about to go into battle.

Today, Biden, Dodd, Clinton and Edwards are all varying critics of the way President Bush led up to and conducted the war.

Edwards has apologized for his vote and calls it a test of "political courage" to oppose Bush's plan to send an additional 21,000 troops to help quell violence, especially in Baghdad. "We have to stand up against George Bush's escalation of this war," Edwards told the Democratic National Committee earlier this month.

Clinton has been less apologetic, claiming senators get no "do-overs," but said recently that if she had been president in 2002 she would not have launched the invasion. In October 2002, the most explicit caveat she put on an invasion was that "international support and legitimacy are crucial" to any U.S. action in Iraq. But in the same statement, she also warned of the threats of "Saddam Hussein's biological and chemical weapons."

Dodd told the DNC this month that he was disappointed that the Senate was tied up over a non-binding resolution expressing disapproval of Bush's "surge" and that it was "time to send a bill to the president with real teeth in it." He supports a resolution requiring Bush to get congressional approval for any buildup.

Biden's plan may be the boldest. It would partition Iraq into three territories under a national government in an attempt to cool warring Sunni and Shiite factions. He told the DNC that Bush "took us to war unnecessarily ... without letting the weapons inspectors finish their work, without enough troops" and "most of all, without a plan — any plan" for reconstruction.

Joe Biden to Iowa February 16

2007-02-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden has announced that he will be travelling to Iowa to campaign on February 16, his first trip to the state since announcing his candidacy. Biden has already made numerous visits to Iowa in the last couple of years.

And it certainly is a busy schedule. I count 9 events, in the space of just over 2 days. That's real old school campaigning. Good to see.

Friday 16 February

3pm - Biden will speak about National Security at a Town Hall with Iowa Veterans Home Residents, Marshalltown

7 pm - Biden will be the keynote speaker at the Story County Democrats Soup Supper Collegiate, United Methodist Church, Ames

Saturday 17 February

830am - Biden will be the keynote speaker at "Women For a Stronger America" Breakfast, Des Moines

1130am - Biden will speak at the Hawkeye Labor Council, AFL-CIO's United Labor Alliance Luncheon, Cedar Rapids

1230pm - Biden will attend and speak at a lunch reception with the Linn County Phoenix Club History Center, Cedar Rapids

630pm - Biden will speak at the Scott County Democrats Red, Davenport

Sunday 18 February

830am - Biden will speak at a House Party hosted by former State Representative Jane Teaford and Bill Teaford, Cedar Falls

1230pm - Biden will keynote a "First in the Nation Series" Event at Wartburg College, Waverly

430pm - Biden will speak to Franklin County Democrats, Hampton

Biden Says America Wants a Debate

2007-02-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

"Mr President, Stop, No More Escalation Mr President"

Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Joe Biden called on his Senate colleagues to allow general debate on the Iraq war.

Biden said that the Senate has a duty to debate the Iraq war and the prevention of a debate is a "total forfeiture of our responsibility."

He said that Iraq dominates our political debate and is on the minds of tens of millions of Americans.

The vote in the Senate yesterday fell 11 votes short of the 60 needed to debate the issue. Democrats however have vowed to find a way to send a strong message to President Bush not to escalate the war in Iraq.

Biden said that the only way to solve the problems in Iraq is through diplomacy.

Joe Biden at DNC Winter Meeting

2007-02-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

"I Understand"

Having had a shaky start to his Presidential campaign, it was fitting that the words that opened Joe Biden's speech to the Democratic National Committee's Winter Meeting in Washington were, "So how was your week?" and then "It's been a hell of a week".

Yes, it has.

Biden apologised to the conference and said he expressed deep regret if his words in the New York Observer had offended. He said that those who know him, will judge him by his history and his heart.

It was a good start to the speech, and one that Biden needed. His apology was sincere, and it will go a long way to killing the issue in Democrats minds.

Biden then moved on to criticism of the Bush Administration, who he has said has dug America into a deep hole. He said that the President took America to an unnecessary war, without enough troops, without enough equipment and without a plan.

He said that the price of the failure in Iraq can be measured by the blood that has been shed by Americans - 3,067 dead, and over 20,000 injured. In addition, $350 billion has been spent on this failed policy.

Biden received a standing ovation as he declared with passion that "We must stop this war."

Talking up his credentials as a Democratic nominee, Biden cited his experience in foreign affairs, saying that what America needs right now is a President who understands these issues, who can bring an end to the war in Iraq and then turn to other hot spots around the world.

On domestic matters, Biden also spoke of the need for a new energy plan and of protecting the 47 million Americans without health insurance.

Biden said that he will "...fight for the values that unite us rather than the wedges that have sought to divide us."

Biden Postpones New Hampshire

2007-02-02T20:40:00.001-08:00

Joe Biden will be postponing his trip to New Hampshire, which was planned for Monday 5th February due to the vote that will take place in the Senate on the Iraq war on Monday afternoon.

Biden will reschedule the trip as soon as possible.

Biden Under Fire for Obama Remarks

2007-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden has come under immediate fire for his comments published in the New York Observer yesterday.

Biden said of Barack Obama that he was "...the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.

Ok, there was a moment that we thought that Biden might have been misquoted, but he has confirmed that those are the words he said.

However, he has since said that he has been taken out of context, and what he meant was that Obama was something brand new that nobody has seen before. He also called Obama the most exciting candidate that either party has produced since he has been around.

Biden phoned Obama to explain, and we understand that was accepted, and Obama didnt take the comments personally. However, Obama did release a statement late yesterday to say that "African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate."

Biden has also released a statement saying "I deeply regret any offense my remark in the New York Observer might have caused anyone."

This isn't a great start for Biden. While he should have been riding high after his announcement, he was forced onto the back foot, defending a poor choice of words.

Some critics have called Biden's campaign for the nomination the shortest in history. It isn't over for Biden yet, but he would be wise at this point to go positive in the near future and stay well away from the negative.

Biden on Jon Stewart Tonight

2007-01-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden will be following up his appearance on ABC this morning, as a guest on the Comedy Channel's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart".

The video from Biden is now on his website - head here to watch.

It's a good fireside chat. Biden looks and sounds impressive. Add this to his higher profile over the last few weeks, and he might just be a serious contender.

Biden says that this is not the time for the divisive politics George Bush is practicing. He says that we have to focus on the hopes and dreams of the people here in America.

Biden Calls Clinton Plan "Disaster"

2007-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:00

While Biden this morning said that Hillary Clinton was fully qualified to be President, he also labelled her plans to withdraw funding from local Iraqi forces, a "disaster". Biden was speaking on ABC as he launched his bid for the Democratic nomination.

Biden is calling for a political solution and settlement between the Sunnis and the Shias, and said that a diplomatic resolution was the only way forward for the region.

Also in this morning's news was an interview Biden conducted with the New York Observer, where he launched attacks on fellow contenders, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

Biden said that he didn't think that Edwards knew what he was talking about on the Iraq issue, and regarding Obama, said he wasn't sure that America would elect a one term Senator.

Biden also said of Obama, that he is "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." That's an unfortunate choice of words by Biden, let's hope he has been misquoted - because the tone of that sentence is very troubling indeed.

Joe Biden - Running For President

2007-01-31T06:49:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden has skipped the exploratory committee, and launched an all out bid for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Biden of Delaware, who was unsuccessful in his campaign for the nomination in 1988, has been prominent as a Democrat, particularly in the last few weeks as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Biden will shortly be releasing a video on his website, http://www.joebiden.com/

As far as experience goes, Biden is hard to beat. He has been a Senator since 1973, and as well as the Foreign Relations Committee, is a former chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Biden has said that he would need to raise $20 million to be competitive in the nomination campaign. Thus far, he has $3million in his account.

Having already been to New Hampshire nearly 10 times in the last 2 years, Biden plans to travel there again next week. Expect a trip to Iowa in the near future as well.

If you have the time, check out the C-SPAN interview with Biden on his website - it's a frank discussion with the real Biden. If Democrat voters get a glimpse of this side of Biden, he will be a serious chance.

Biden Says Bush Has No Plan

2007-01-29T21:35:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden appeared yesterday on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, and in reference to the Iraq Resolution by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, has called on the President to "Listen to Us".

He was joined in a debate by Sen. Richard Lugar (R) who is also from the Senate Committee.

Biden said that the ground has moved beneath the President's feet and there is a movement in the congress to say, "Listen to us". But he also said that the President has no credibility, he exaggerated the reason to go to Iraq and there is not a lot of trust in the Bush Administration.

Biden has made a prediction that this will be the first time on the Senate floor that there will be a full debate on this issue. He has said that he doesn't think there will be more than 20% of the Senate that says the President is headed in the right direction.

Even Sen Lugar said that he was only "hopeful" that the President was headed in the right direction, and that the debate on this issue was important.

Biden the 800th Candidate

2007-01-29T20:51:00.001-08:00

In a wide field for the Democratic nomination for President, Joe Biden has joked that he is the 800th candidate.

Biden was speaking on ABC's "This Week" yesterday.

He admitted that the race to secure the nomination would not be easy, but people should judge him on his life story, and his record which he feels best prepares him for the job.

Biden said that those who have won Iowa in the past have usually been the ones with the most experience and most foreign policy capability. He also said that he was doing quite well in South Carolina.

Biden has looked very impressive over the past few weeks - and his stance on the war has given him plenty of media opportunities.

But it is a crowded field. And there are some good candidates in the race. However, Biden has said that if gets to stand on the same stage as them, he will do just fine.

As Biden also said, finding money to run for the nomination would be tough, and he thinks he needs about $20 million to take him to Iowa.

Joe Biden to Declare Wednesday

2007-01-27T04:08:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden will officially declare that he will be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President, this Wednesday, according to sources close to his camp.

The announcement will be accompanied by a video statement by Biden, on his website www.joebiden.com

Biden has been getting some good press over the last month as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's inquiry into the Iraq war.

Biden announced on Meet the Press earlier this month that he would file papers for an exploratory committee by the end of January.

No More Troops - Biden

2007-01-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden is urging people to sign a petition to stop any more troops being sent to Iraq.

Biden has been leading the charge in the last 2 weeks as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has said that it appears that the President did not listen to the message sent by the American people last November on the Iraq War.

You can view and/or sign the petition here.

Biden on Clinton - She's the Frontrunner

2007-01-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden appeared on Fox News on Sunday, and said that Hillary Clinton was formidable, and was definitely odds on favorite to win the Democratic nomination for President.

But Biden also said that this race was a marathon, and there was a long way to go before the nomination was decided. He said that Clinton would have to make her best case and "I don't think Hillary's best case versus mine or Barack's or anybody else's necessarily trumps us."

In other news, Biden yesterday introduced to the Senate the Homeland Security Act of 2007. The legislation would "create a trust fund to implement the 9/11 Commission’s security recommendations. It would also provide funds for new local law enforcement jobs and for other critical homeland security upgrades."

Biden has long talked about making America a safer place - this measure would strip some of the tax cuts for those earning over $1million a year, to put $10billion a year into a Homeland Security Trust Fund.

Joe Biden said that “This is all about setting the right priorities for America. Instead of giving a tax cut to the richest Americans who don’t need it, we should be focusing on the security of all Americans”

Bipartisan Resolution on Iraq - Biden

2007-01-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden, will join Senator Carl Levin, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to introduce a bipartisan resolution against the escalation plans for Iraq.

Biden issued a statement saying that "The resolution we are introducing today is responsible, forward-looking, bipartisan and constructive" and "It is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating U.S. troop presence in Iraq."

This resolution should send a strong message to President Bush and the GOP that this issue wont be going away any time soon. And given that Biden is running for President, his role and experience on the Foreign Relations Committee will not harm his chances in attempting to secure the nomination.

Joe Biden will also be appearing on Fox tomorrow (Sunday) with Levin to discuss what the Democrats will be doing in Congress. Former Speaker of the House, and possible GOP candidate for the Presidential Nomination, Newt Gingrich will also give his perspective on the escalation plans. The State of the Union speech by President Bush next Tuesday is also sure to be discussed.

In other news The Congressional Quarterly has written an extensive piece on Biden's foreign policy credentials, saying he has considerable expertise. He also has an in depth understanding of the situation on the ground in Iraq, and "...he can speak knowledgeably about the allegiances of different Iraqi tribes, the shifting demographics in the northern city of Kirkuk, and the finer points of the Iraq constitution."

While Iraq is at a crucial juncture, CQ suggests that "Biden is also the only Democratic presidential aspirant with a detailed exit strategy for Iraq at a time when the country is desperately seeking a way out of the war."

Biden leads charge against Bush Plan in Iraq

2007-01-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden led the charge against the President Bush's plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq.

Biden said that the military is already stretched to the breaking point and the increase of US troops will inevitably lead to a loss of more lives .

Citing the result in the Mid-terms in November, Biden made it clear to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the country had voted for a dramatic change, but obviously President Bush had not listened. But in addition, Bush had rejected a cross section of leaders across the country, as well as his own military commanders in Iraq.

Biden also said that he had heard that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were also opposed to the plan to increase troop numbers.

The only way forward Biden suggested, was to look for a bipartisan solution from Congress. He said that there needed to be a way to force the leaders in Iraq to act, and also to secure support from Iraq's neighbouring countries.

Biden described this issue as the most pivotal in all his time in the Senate. He said that a solution must be found and alluding to the Vietnam War said that no policy can be sustained without the informed consent of the American people.

Joe Biden's opening statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Iraq, 8mins.

Joe Biden is running for President

2007-01-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is running for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. On NBC's Meet the Press, Biden said that by the end of the month he will be filing the paperwork to set up an exploratory committee.

Joe Biden has made no secret of the fact that he would like to be President, so this announcement comes as little surprise. In 1988 Biden was a contender for the Democratic nomination that Michael Dukakis ultimately won. Biden withdrew from the race amid some controversy that he had borrowed some remarks from UK Labour Leader Neil Kinnock without attribution.

However, Biden has been a steady worker over many years, and his recent promotion to Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gives him a much greater profile, emphasizing his experience in international affairs.

Over the coming weeks, Biden will be conducting a series of hearings on the strategy in Iraq. Although an early supporter of the war in Iraq, Biden is now a constant critic of the US strategy and the Bush Administration, stating on Meet the Press that "They have no answer to deal with how badly they have screwed it up."

Joe Biden already has close to 3.5million in his campaign account, and has spent a good period of time campaigning in key states like Iowa and New Hampshire. He has visited Iowa 6 times and New Hampshire 9 times since November 2004.

Recent polling numbers have Biden at about 4%, behind Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Kerry. But after the next month, and the profile he will receive on the hottest political topic of the moment, his polling numbers are almost sure to get a boost.

Biden has experience, and he is a steady hand. He has been a Senator from Delaware since 1973, he is a former Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Judiciary, as well as this being his second time as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.