TPM notes on Biden from someone who met him

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/18/vice_president_joe_biden/

Vice President Joe Biden?
By M.J. Rosenberg - August 18, 2008, 1:28PM

Josh writes that the buzz here in Washington is all about Joe Biden. He's right. It is. And I hope he's the choice.

I was not a Joe Biden fan until I actually sat in a bunch of meetings with him. And he simply knocks your socks off. He knows foreign policy issues backwards and forwards. He knows the nuances and he knows the players. Not only will Joe Biden not get tripped up by an interviewer asking who the President of Uzbekistan is. Biden will tell him who the Vice President is and the Foreign Minister too.

In my many years in this city, I've sat in plenty of rooms with plenty of these guys, and he is about as impressive as they get.

Another good thing about Biden, he's great on the stump. He has, I think, licked the verbosity problem. Now he's pointed and, when necessary, quite aggressive and nasty. Obama does not like going for the jugular. Biden does.

He is also hungry. This 65-year old wants to be Vice President. It's his last chance at holding national office. He'll fight hard for it and he'll fight hard for Obama. (Unlike Lieberman or Edwards, he won't pull his punches in the debates).

All in all, he'd be a good solid choice both for the ticket and for the job. I hope he gets it.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/208939.php

Biden?
08.18.08 -- 12:44PM
By Josh Marshall

I just noticed that CNN is saying that Biden's the big buzz for VP down in DC political circles today. So I'm trying to process what I think of Biden as a potential pick.

On the one hand, it's not the most exciting choice. He doesn't bring a state. Delaware's going to go Democratic. And it's barely a state at that. And I'm not sure you'd rate it as a first: "history is made -- first sixty-something white senator with deep foreign policy experience chosen to be vp nominee!" Biden clearly thinks well of himself and likes to talk. But he's been a US Senator for pretty much his entire adult life. (He's 65 today and was elected at 30.) So I'm not sure you can expect anything different. Finally, Biden also occasionally says something really whacked, which we'll probably find out more of if he's the pick.

On the other hand, wholly separate from the cosmetics and electioneering calculus, I think he'd be a good choice. On substance, maybe a really good choice. Most senators grasp of foreign policy is fairly thin -- and it tends to be heavily influenced by whatever lobbyists or power players are in their orbit. But Biden has a pretty deep knowledge of pretty much every big foreign policy question. And his ideas and judgment strike me as fundamentally sane.

Back in 2004, when I was writing a piece for The Atlantic about John Kerry, I did long interview with Biden in his office on Capitol Hill. And I remember coming away thinking, this is the guy you'd want to have making big decisions on the key foreign policy questions. To the extent that we think Obama needs someone with deep foreign policy knowledge in a constitutional office (i.e., non-fireable) to add ballast to his foreign policy vision I'm not sure I could think of a much better person.

except for the part about Biden being hungry for VP. I honestly believe him when he says he doesn't WANT it. And it shows his loyalty and dedication to the Party that he's willing to forgo what he DOES want (SOS) if Obama feels he would like his help.

They don't call us the Biden Brigade for nuttin. :patriot:

Pretty impressive endorsement. Like Gateley, I don't agree that he is hungry for the VP, but I do think he wants to be part of this administration. I think his time has come.

Hi! You just sneak in very quietly and then slip away very quietly.

Good to see you!

. Not only will Joe Biden not get tripped up by an interviewer asking who the President of Uzbekistan is. Biden will tell him who the Vice President is and the Foreign Minister too.




Yep, and he probably has their phone numbers as well.