First Musharraf and Bhutto now . . .

. . . Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is calling Biden for help.



Biden offers advice to Israeli prime minister
By Holly Ramer
Associated Press Writer / November 28, 2007

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Apologizing for his tardiness and touting his foreign policy credentials at the same time, Democrat Joe Biden told students that a call from the prime minister of Israel delayed his arrival at their conference.

Biden, a presidential hopeful and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was waiting for his luggage at the airport Wednesday night when his cell phone rang.

"The prime minister of Israel was calling. He was calling me because he wanted to discuss with me and get my opinion about what happened in Annapolis," Biden said, referring to this week's U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference that included Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and representatives from dozens of other countries.

Speaking at a national conference for high school and college students, Biden spent most of his time on Iraq, arguing that until the war ends, there will be no money to fix any of the nation's problems and the country will remain isolated from the rest of the world.

"Until we settle Iraq, no one in the world is going to listen to us. No one is prepared to join with us," he said.

Biden, who has been pushing a plan to end the war by carving Iraq into three distinct states, pointed out that many of his rivals for the Democratic nomination have praised his foreign policy experience. And he noted that he has been to Iraq more than all the other Democratic candidates combined.

"Every time I fly out of that airport ... I fly out with some flag-draped coffin strapped to the floor of that C-130," he said. "All I can think of as I fly out is, 'What parent is waiting at the other end? What husband or wife? And for what?"

He told his young audience that they will bear the burden of caring for the thousands of wounded soldiers who will need medical care for the rest of their lives.

"Your generation is inheriting the obligation," he said. (snip)

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/28/biden_offers_advice_to_israeli_prime_minister/

poor condi, she`s just another wallflower at the ball.....

Is far better for America and the World. Joe Biden is over qualified to be sec of state. just the facts.

Over qualified.

who's in Biden's Fav Five. :)

These types of stories about Biden don't make it to the MSM. I wish he would get more MSM coverage. It speaks volumes that he gets a call after the conference.

Wouldn't that be cool?!

I think it's very telling that the Israeli PM phoned Biden to get his take on the Annapolis meeting.

Biden has an established relationship with the world leaders, and the fact that many of them solicit his input is an indication they respect his opinion.

It also indicates to me that if Biden were President, there would be a lot more actual dialoguing with these nations rather than just photo ops. We - and they -- could actually be ACCOMPLISHING something.

Even if I weren't a Biden supporter, I'd seriously be giving him a look during this crucial, critical time of global unrest.

With all due respect and admiration for the other candidates, I'd actually be nervous if someone with less hands-on experience moved into the White House.

Thank you for this post.

Edit - spelling

is a necessary card to play as part of Biden unavoidable need to move past Richardson in Iowa, but I don't believe this is an issue voters are going to select a President because of.

In fact, it's the most important reason for me, as I have stated over and over on this board. For obvious reasons. Someone else said last week that this was not important to americans, and there were hundreds of post saying, not so fast.. and if you believe the polls, it is the most important. I was watching a news show from Iowa about a month ago, and out of 10 people they interviewed, only 1 didn't say foreign policy first. And, he was a Bush supporter, saying that he liked Bush, he thought Bush was criticized too much, and that what he would look for in a candidate, he would compare to Bush. Swear to God, he said that. Very scary.

PS. Biden is over qualified to be SOS. And he wouldn't take a breif stint in any admin, when he gets more done in the senate.

Congress and the states can set the domestic agenda, but cannot conduct foreign policy, or command in chief.

Clinton is the only (real) president since who knows when who is remembered primarily for domestic accomplishments.

JFK - Cuban Missile Crisis, Berlin Crisis
LBJ - Vietnam (trumps the great society programs and civil rights)
Nixon - Vietnam, China, Russia (wtaergate is not a domestic accomplishment)
Ford - an asterisk (pardoning nixon)
Carter - Iranian hostages and Israel-Egypt peace
Reagan - Cold War stuff
Bush 1 - Gulf War, Panama
Clinton - the economy
Bush II - Iraq

When was the last time, this country was in as bad shape as it is now?

This is a whole new ball of wax.

There hasn't been a senator elected to the presidency in 40 years either. So if you think that will still hold true, we can rule out a LOT of candidates.

Global Unrest right now. I don't think the term "world peace" is being too dramatic.

Maybe at another time in our world's history SOS would be appropriate, but I want Biden guiding the SOS, not waiting to be guided by a President with less experience than he.

this will be wide by tomorrow morning.

SWEET

Was this proposal "off the table" because it actually makes sense and might get us out of Iraq by the end of this century?

Debacle doesn't begin to describe the current situation in Iraq or the ongoing planning for the rest of the M.E., but Biden has far greater credibility than our current maladministration and would have the support of the interested parties in restoring order to the region.

Biden's not everything I'm looking for in a candidate, but mine is proving more unelectable every day and Joe's a hell of a second choice. Shit, who am I kidding, the ONLY second choice.

I've always thought the plan made sense, but what do I know. The first time I heard Joe talk about it was on Leno, and I thought...yeah...that might work...would it be trouble free? Probably not, but doing nothing isn't the answer either. Here's the show if you are interested;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3eo57pBQwc

And no, it wouldn't be without problems. However, with a limited central government, tribal area borders set in stone and oil revenue sharing, each group would have a lot more incentive to get along, make it work and resist any and all outside influence against their common interest.

The only reason for any of the groups to resist this solution is an eventual intent to take control of the entire nation. That mindset could ONLY lead to an endless civil war, total shutdown of the oil fields and poverty for all Iraqis for decades.