Guest
08-23-2008, 10:19 PM
I always liked Joe Biden's directness and logic when he was interviewed on the various Sunday morning talk shows. But as we all know, the "real" person can be a lot different than what you see on TV. In the case of Joe Biden, the real man may be a whole lot better than you see on TV.
My sister moved to Wilmington a few years ago and found that Joe Biden lived only about a half mile from her house, as the crow flies. She quickly became impressed with the man and the way he conducted himself personally. Biden commuted to Washington on Amtrak on a daily basis. He slept most nights in his own bed in Wilmington and was known for his avoidance of the cocktail parties sponsored by corporations and lobbyists. He often said that he returned home each night that he could to be with his sons. He used to say that "kids remember what they've been told for 12 hours, but not 24. I need to be with them every day that I can".
Wilmington is a pretty small town and people know one another pretty well. Biden knew most of them. My sister ran into him a several occasions having a "bite and a beer" in the local pizza joint. He was known to frequent the place--most often taking the same table--on most Friday nights. Generally, he was holding court with a group of the locals.
Biden volunteered to teach a class on constitutional law to students at the Widener University law school, a short 5-6 mile trip up the pike from his home in Wilmington. He taught every Saturday morning for many, many years and the locals say he seldom missed a class.
When Biden campaigned, he was known for not traveling as one might expect from a six-term, senior member of the U.S. Senate. Biden most often traveled in a caravan of one, sometimes two vehicles, staying at two-star hotels with free "continental" breakfasts. At one stop he took down the folding chairs himself. It's all enough to wonder why in the world a six-time senator would want to schlep around like this. He never out-spent his campaign contributions and never caused businesses that provided his campaign with goods and services to write off his bad debts. Those that know him tell you that's the Joe Biden they know.
About the only negative thing I've been able to find on Biden is the accusation by Senator Ducacis that he plagiarized a British politician in one of his stump speeches. Research shows that Biden made the same speech many times, always crediting the Brit who he quoted--until one time in the 1987 presidential primary campaign in Iowa. His opponent caught his failure to credit the original author and the accusation of plagiarism was enough to sink his hopes for the nomination that time around. Wow! If that's the worst I can find, I'll be a happy man.
If you want to know more about Joe Biden, research him yourself using "the Google". Or read this biography...
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/joe_biden_profile_of_vice_pres.html
My sister moved to Wilmington a few years ago and found that Joe Biden lived only about a half mile from her house, as the crow flies. She quickly became impressed with the man and the way he conducted himself personally. Biden commuted to Washington on Amtrak on a daily basis. He slept most nights in his own bed in Wilmington and was known for his avoidance of the cocktail parties sponsored by corporations and lobbyists. He often said that he returned home each night that he could to be with his sons. He used to say that "kids remember what they've been told for 12 hours, but not 24. I need to be with them every day that I can".
Wilmington is a pretty small town and people know one another pretty well. Biden knew most of them. My sister ran into him a several occasions having a "bite and a beer" in the local pizza joint. He was known to frequent the place--most often taking the same table--on most Friday nights. Generally, he was holding court with a group of the locals.
Biden volunteered to teach a class on constitutional law to students at the Widener University law school, a short 5-6 mile trip up the pike from his home in Wilmington. He taught every Saturday morning for many, many years and the locals say he seldom missed a class.
When Biden campaigned, he was known for not traveling as one might expect from a six-term, senior member of the U.S. Senate. Biden most often traveled in a caravan of one, sometimes two vehicles, staying at two-star hotels with free "continental" breakfasts. At one stop he took down the folding chairs himself. It's all enough to wonder why in the world a six-time senator would want to schlep around like this. He never out-spent his campaign contributions and never caused businesses that provided his campaign with goods and services to write off his bad debts. Those that know him tell you that's the Joe Biden they know.
About the only negative thing I've been able to find on Biden is the accusation by Senator Ducacis that he plagiarized a British politician in one of his stump speeches. Research shows that Biden made the same speech many times, always crediting the Brit who he quoted--until one time in the 1987 presidential primary campaign in Iowa. His opponent caught his failure to credit the original author and the accusation of plagiarism was enough to sink his hopes for the nomination that time around. Wow! If that's the worst I can find, I'll be a happy man.
If you want to know more about Joe Biden, research him yourself using "the Google". Or read this biography...
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/joe_biden_profile_of_vice_pres.html