Sen. Biden says intends to run for president

[Ron Burgundy]

Reuters - Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record), one of the Democratic party's leading voices on foreign policy and a sharp critic of President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq war, on Tuesday said he intends to run for president in 2008.

"It is my intention to seek the nomination, and it's my intention sometime in the month of January to set up the appropriate mechanism to be able to raise money for that purpose," Biden said near the end of a telephone news conference that centered mainly on Iraq.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama currently are viewed as the leading likely contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, which will be decided in early 2008.

Bush's term ends in January, 2009, and he is barred from seeking a third four-year term.

Biden, who sought the 1988 presidential nomination only to quit in 1987 amid accusations he plagiarized some of his stump oratory and early academic work, would enter the race as some prominent Democrats are bowing out.

Sen. Evan Bayh (news, bio, voting record) of Indiana earlier this month announced he would forego the 2008 campaign. His decision came after Obama attracted large crowds in New Hampshire, one of the early states to choose presidential nominees in 2008.

The perceived star power of Obama and Clinton could make it difficult for other Democrats to amass campaign contributions needed for a successful White House run.

Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina is expected to announce his candidacy this week. Edwards was running mate in 2004 to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in his failed bid to unseat Bush.

With no end in sight to the unpopular Iraq war and with Bush weighing a possible surge in U.S. combat troops there, Iraq is likely to loom large in the 2008 presidential race after it contributed to the Democratic win in November's congressional elections.

As the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden will have a forum for criticizing Bush's handling of the war. Biden said his panel is planning three weeks of high-profile hearings starting on January 9.

Biden criticized calls by some Republicans to boost combat troops in Iraq, telling reporters: "We've already broken Iraq. We're about to break the United States military."

Bush is preparing to announce a new policy on Iraq in early January.

The 64-year-old senator, who was first elected to the Senate in 1972, said Bush should follow recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which called for reducing the U.S. military presence to encourage Iraqis to take more responsibility to establish a political settlement among warring factions.

Two Democrats already have announced long-shot runs for president: Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, an unsuccessful candidate in 2004.

[Stoner]

Ah, Mr. Plagiarism himself. Sure he will make a fine candidate for the Libs.

[JaJae]

The Dems seriously need to stop scraping the bottom of the barrel. But is this what the Republicans have been saying all along, the Dems that get the spotlight are the extremists, the crooks, or the morons... it's a shame they don't push their quality candidates more.

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by JaJae

it's a shame they don't push their quality candidates more.

You have to have quality candidates before you can push for them.

[Stoner]

Question to our liberals. What do you think about these Biden quotes referring to Hussein and the Iraq war?

"We Know He Continues To Attempt To Gain Access To Additional Capability, Including Nuclear Capability." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 8/4/02)

"Constitutionally, The President Has The Right To Act Preemptively." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 6/16/02)

"Does The President Have The Right To Preemptively Go Strike The Chinese, The Communist Regime? The Answer's No. And So - But With Saddam, There Is--It's Much More Tenuous Because He Has Used Weapons Of Mass Destruction Before. He Has Made Assertions About Intentions To Use These Weapons And, Therefore, It Gives More Credence To The President's Capacity To Be Able To Go Act Preemptively." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 6/16/02)

"[W]hat Makes Saddam Hussein Different Is He Invaded A Country; He Lost A War; The Terms Of Surrender Were Specific Requirements Made And Commitments Made To The United Nations That He Has Violated." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/22/02)

"Mr. Ambassador [Richard Butler], I Share Your View That Saddam At All Costs Will Agree To No Inspection That May Cost Him His Weapons Of Mass Destruction." (Sen. Joe Biden, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/31/02)

"[i]f Saddam Were Successful In Building An Intermediate-Range Missile Or A Missile That Is Much Further Than 160 Kilometers, And If He Were Able To Provide A Nuclear Warhead On That Missile -- As We All Know, It's A Heck Of A Lot Easier To Put A Chemical Or Biological Warhead, For No Other Reason For The Laymen Out There, Other Than The Pure Weight Of The Object." (Sen. Joe Biden, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/31/02)

[JaJae]

Why is every word capitalized in your post?

[Stoner]

Hmmmm, it doesn't show it being capitalized on my screen.

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Question to our liberals. What do you think about these Biden quotes referring to Hussein and the Iraq war?

"We Know He Continues To Attempt To Gain Access To Additional Capability, Including Nuclear Capability." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 8/4/02)

"Constitutionally, The President Has The Right To Act Preemptively." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 6/16/02)

"Does The President Have The Right To Preemptively Go Strike The Chinese, The Communist Regime? The Answer's No. And So - But With Saddam, There Is--It's Much More Tenuous Because He Has Used Weapons Of Mass Destruction Before. He Has Made Assertions About Intentions To Use These Weapons And, Therefore, It Gives More Credence To The President's Capacity To Be Able To Go Act Preemptively." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 6/16/02)

"[W]hat Makes Saddam Hussein Different Is He Invaded A Country; He Lost A War; The Terms Of Surrender Were Specific Requirements Made And Commitments Made To The United Nations That He Has Violated." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 9/22/02)

"Mr. Ambassador [Richard Butler], I Share Your View That Saddam At All Costs Will Agree To No Inspection That May Cost Him His Weapons Of Mass Destruction." (Sen. Joe Biden, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/31/02)

"[i]f Saddam Were Successful In Building An Intermediate-Range Missile Or A Missile That Is Much Further Than 160 Kilometers, And If He Were Able To Provide A Nuclear Warhead On That Missile -- As We All Know, It's A Heck Of A Lot Easier To Put A Chemical Or Biological Warhead, For No Other Reason For The Laymen Out There, Other Than The Pure Weight Of The Object." (Sen. Joe Biden, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/31/02)

It's called taking in new facts that shape your opinion and view on a subject.

It's what rational people do.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

It's called taking in new facts that shape your opinion and view on a subject.

It's what rational people do.

Whether or not Bush had the right to invade Iraq changed? The legality of it has changed over the time he made those statements? Interesting, but not rational.

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Whether or not Bush had the right to invade Iraq changed? The legality of it has changed over the time he made those statements? Interesting, but not rational.

Saddam with WMD poised to attack us and our neighbors = We can invade



Saddam, as he was, with no WMD other than warheads that may give you a rash and no ability to go after anyone = No invasion


Now if you want to claim that Bush didn't know what was going on, even though the international community knew and didn't join us, go right ahead.

[DosEquis]

I guess conservatives prefer coke head/alocholic cheerleaders who "find" jesus after the age of 40

[motivez]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

I guess conservatives prefer coke head/alocholic cheerleaders who "find" jesus after the age of 40