Biden Accuses Bush of Misleading on Iraq

Biden Accuses Bush of Misleading on Iraq

Two days after announcing his intention to seek the presidency, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden on Tuesday accused President Bush of "misleading statements and premature declarations of victory" in Iraq and called on him to change course.

"The disconnect between the administration's rhetoric and the reality on the ground has opened not just a credibility gap, but a credibility chasm. Standing right in the middle of that chasm are 139,000 American troops — some in their third rotations," the Delaware senator said in a speech at a Washington think tank.

He said Bush should level with voters about the stakes and risks in Iraq and push to get allies more involved in security and reconstruction efforts. While the address broke little new ground, it was arguably the first campaign speech of the 2008 race.

On Sunday, the blunt-speaking Biden said he plans to seek the Democratic presidential nomination unless he decides later this year that he can't win. At least 20 Democrats and Republicans are considering entering the unusually wide-open field, but no politician has gone as far as Biden to advance his or her candidacy.



*edited to fix link

Wow. Biden's sure out there, leading the unpopular sentiment, isn't he?

Or did the percentage of Americans who think the invasion of Iraq sucked just go past 50?

:)

but, he won't

I wonder if Dr. Frist could give Senator Biden something for that schizophrenia he's suffering from

what if Joe announced his prez intentions like Kucinich, not intending to actually get the nom, but so that people would listen to him when he said stuff like this. What do you think? Would Biden have gotten much ink for saying this before he announced?

Eh? Eh?

No one from electoral-vote poor Delaware can get the nod. He is out there to raise money and live it up for a couple of years. He loves the attention. After its over he will either a)become secretary of state for a Dem, or b) write a book and go on speaking tours if a puke wins.

They all think they can win. I'm not saying I think Biden is electable, but we did get a president from the not exactly electoral vote rich state of Arkansas...

These are the people who are attracted to the stage and to politics.

It has been this way for what passes for political eons.

He got 18.9% percent of the popular vote. Clinton won in 1992 with only 43.01% of the popular vote and Smirk Daddy had 37.45% A change of 300,166 votes (.29% of the national total) from Clinton to Smirk Daddy in 10 states would have given the electoral win to Smirk Daddy.

Smirk Daddy could have won the electoral vote if these states had the following (very small) vote change:

Georgia - 6,858 votes (0.30%)
Perot had 309,657 (13.34%)

New Hampshire - 3,279 votes (0.61%)
Perot had 121,337 (22.59%)

Ohio - 45,317 votes (0.92%)
Perot had 1,036,426 (20.98%)

New Jersey - 39,671 votes (1.19%)
Perot had 521,829 (15.61%)

Montana - 5,151 votes (1.25%)
Perot had 107,225 (26.12%)

Kentucky - 23,964 votes (1.61%)
Perot had 203,944 (13.66%)

Colorado - 33,416 votes (2.13%)
Perot had 366,010 (23.32%)

Wisconsin - 55,106 votes (2.18%)
Perot had 544,479 (21.51%)

Louisiana - 41,293 votes (2.31%)
Perot had 211,478 (11.81%)

Tennessee - 46,111 (2.33%)
Perot had 199,968 (10.09%)

In 1996, Perot did not run, but he still pulled 8.40% of the popular vote, and Clinton, despite the power of incumbency, still did not break the 50% popular vote barrier (Clinton got 49.23%). Even though Dole ran a miserable campaign, a small vote swing in only eight states would have given him the electoral victory.

A change of 618,073 votes (.64% of the national total) from Clinton to Dole in the following eight states would have landed us with President Bob Dole:

Kentucky - 6,666 votes (0.48%)
Perot had 120,396 (8.67%)

Nevada - 2,366 votes (0.51%)
Perot had 43,986 (9.47%)

Arizona - 15,608 votes (1.12%)
Perot had 69,884 (7.90%)

Tennessee - 22,809 votes (1.21%)
Perot had 105,918 (5.59%)

Florida - 151,168 votes (2.85%)
Perot had 483,870 (9.12%)

Missouri - 67,960 votes (3.15%)
Perot had 217,188 (10.06%)

Ohio - 144,170 votes (3.18%)
Perot had 483,207 (10.66%)

Pennsylvania - 207,326 votes (4.60%)
Perot had 430,984 (9.56%)

This is why the GOP strategy focuses on firing up their base and peeling off 5% of each Dem base group - - highlighting the Log Cabin Republicans, selling faith based pork to African-American ministers, getting Catholic bishops to shill for them...

This is also why the DLC moderates think that if they just "tone down" their rhetoric on gay rights, gun control, affirmative action, (insert wedge issue of the week), etc... because they think it's the Perot voters they have to win over...

He always announces it WAY too early, and he never gets more than 3% in the pre-primary polls, so he never runs.

This is not some slick way of throwing the light on Smirk lying us into Iraq.

This is Joe Biden being Joe Biden.

So it's the limelight for Joey again, eh?

I read the "Woo-hoo, Biden is ON FIRE" threads that pop up from time to time on DU and all I can hear is "I want you to know that I am going to vote for you, but first I must admonish you."

Sorry Joe. I know you want the nomination in 2008 but you'll need to become a Democrat first, then establish a track record. The clock's ticking and I don't think you can pull it off.

And landed us with Clarence Thomas as a result.

That, and so much more...

Clown, Doofus, Switcherooer, Dainty underwear Democrat.

old rhetoric about fearing gay marriage? We have huge problems in Iraq and what is he talking about?"

Bushco, and then only if he is successful.

weary of Biden--one day he with us and another he's against us--can't trust him. Not my choice for '08. But on another note let's start a letter writing campaign to Repubes--yes Repubes--start pounding them for impeachment--do it endlessly til then relent!!! Blame them for all the ills--fail Iraq war, failed SS, failed economy, fail NCLB (No Child Left Behind), failed policies and the DSM!! Write them, call them, bug them endlessly!! Spread the word!!

1. He didn't mislead, HE LIED!!!
2. Where have you been for the last 5 years?

Speaking is all he does. Just don't expect him to back up his words with votes.

Do your worst, Joe.

But "redemption" will not come in the form of the Presidency.

Easy there now...no need to get yourself all worked up.

(Man this guy is going to blow it for ALL Democrats with OUTBURSTS LIKE THAT...) :eyes:

Other words you might want to think about using include:

"Liar"

"Lying"

and "Lie."

If you are trying to impress the BASE, ya better use our language.

Misled? Dont you have to LEAD before you can "mislead?"

I dont know what that word MEANS in the context of Bush.

Try again next time, Joe.

Damn straight! "You have to lead before you can mislead."

Biden?...C'mon, say it with me: BUSH IS A LIAR!! Sheesh. :eyes:

I will not support another Democrat who is not solidly, unequivocally, and publicly against the war and demanding an accounting from the liars in power. I do not want to hear about how we can 'get it right', I want to hear how we can Get Out.

Nobody wants to be the last soldier to die for a mistake.

since he announced early, he now has to show just how tough he is. So that means (I hope) he will be the lightening rod for calling out the moron* on everything he does wrong(which is a lot). He won't get my vote, but perhaps he will stir up the shit enough for the people to start waking the hell up. I can dream.

He's acting like a liberal.

Oh, I will support him, he's a progressive just like me. :sarcasm:

I guess we have three more years of listening to Biden's nonsense until he drops out of the race with his .002 % of the vote.

you fucking STUPID MONKEY!

WE knew that YEARS AGO!

YOU on the other hand, VOTED FOR IT MORAN!

your 15 minutes are up. i hear MBNA is looking for a new CEO. bet YOUR app is on the TOP of the pile!

my advice? accept the position you fucking SCUMBAG

I think it would be perfect for Senator Joementum II: The Nightmare Continues.

senate job, you accommodater of criminals. Who does that sound like from 2004? More soft pedaling, cautious circling around the monster in the room (we need to withdraw from the illegal immoral war in Iraq) for another powerful but-oh-so-cautious, want-to-be-more-powerful members of the Senate fraidy cats club.

are on the SAME team.

However, for this waltz, Joe's the "Bad Cop."

Disgusting! :puke:

to talk about how to get the troops out of Iraq.

Of course, Biden wants MORE troops and MORE occupation, not less.

Even casual observers of national and foreign affairs not in a coma (like me) knew the rationale for this war was total BS at the time the senate voted for it. If Bidet really was mislead he is then a moron with no judgment and has absolutely no qualifications to be CIC. What's worse is that would mean that Bidet was mislead by an idiot like like Bush; imagine if he was up against competent adverse world leaders.

piss up a rope. Your fence straddling and enabling helped this war happen. there were hundreds of thousands of "ordinary" Americans who were smart enough to know Bush and his cast of thugs were lying from the outset. Didn't he sign a PNAC letter once?

You voted for this war, remember?

Don't make excuses, please.

He has a son fighting in Iraq - he has a vested interest.

Say what you will about Biden, nothing cuts closer to home than blood.

when you are seeking the nomination.

fuck Biden.

Many many times.

And I won't support him during the primaries, even when he is the first to come out against Iraq pubically.

But he does love his son, even if thats the only one he still cares about.

And I think he knows by now Iraq is nothing short of a full out failure.

But are you willing to bet a beer over my prediction?

by a long shot.

he is riding coat-tails

he is a repuke. an MBNA repuke at that.

i'd LOVE to buy you a beer but not over this.

Since I'm guessing Kuch won't run again...and Dean won't either.

And sure! I'll drink beer :)

Because he opposed the invasion before it came up for a vote and has consistently opposed it. He hasn't been afraid to bust the Bush admin for lying about the intel, the environment, or anything else. And Gore has been speaking out since well before before Bush's poll numbers were below 50% and well before the war's poll numbers were before 50%.

Unlike Biden, Gore won't have to explain why he's now opposing a war he once voted for.

And, unlike Kucinich (no offense to Kucinich or his supporters) Gore has enough moderate support to win the nomination and win the White House -- again.

Someone back me up on this please. I read it on DU a couple of days ago.

Didn't Thomas Paine speak of "Sunshine Patriots." Mr. Biden can step up and collect his merit badge for that award.

The DSM story is not going away. Biden is innoculating the public so that by the time they understand what really went down in the run-up to the war, they are convinced that the Democrats have already done their ineffectual response.

Biden is a tool.

:kick:

Joe Biden, whose words have impressed me in the past, needs to quit the Senate and just get a job in the MSM. He sounds just like them - for good reason: He too is trying to cover for his vote in support of the Bush Invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Liberation - OIL).

If Bush had actually believed the lies he told before the war, THEN we would have been misled, but the fact is that the lies he told us were deliberate inventions. It is far too polite and diplomatic to say that the President misled the country - he told custom-crafted lies, used fear-mongering and false patriotism, and the media helped him mislead us by delivering White House talking points as news. Now some in the media say that "everybody knew" Bush was lying. Now Andrea Mitchell thinks we're "brain dead" if we didn't know what Bush was doing.

Biden and the MSM were made for each other - they should just go mislead each other that Joe Biden has a real shot at the Democratic nomination. But leave us out of it. We are "brain dead" to you.

No shit, little beaver. Now you're telling us? What a doof.

:kick: