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Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (pronounced /'dʒoʊsɛf rɒbɪ'nɛt 'bаɪdɛn/; born November 20, 1942), is the senior United States Senator from Delaware. He is both the Democratic vice presidential candidate for the November 2008 election and is a candidate for re-election in the U.S. Senate.
Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania for ten years prior to moving to Delaware, Biden trained as a lawyer and became a senator in 1973 at age 30, the fifth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He has served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. He is a long-time member and current chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and has worked on resolutions concerning the Yugoslav wars and Iraq War.
Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 2008. In his sixth consecutive term in the Senate, Biden has served for the sixth-longest period among current senators.
On August 23, 2008, Barack Obama's presidential campaign announced that Biden would be Obama's running mate for the 2008 US Presidential election. Biden officially accepted the nomination on August 27, 2008 at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
In 1969, Biden began practicing law in Wilmington, Delaware, and was soon elected to the New Castle County, County Council, where he served from 1970 to 1972.[5]
The 1972 U.S. Senate election presented Biden with a unique opportunity. Popular Republican incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs was considering retirement, which would likely have left U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell, Jr. in a divisive primary fight. To avoid that, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon was invited to a meeting to convince Boggs to run again with full Republican support. Boggs ran, but Biden eventually won in an upset.[10]
Biden took office on January 3, 1973, at age 30, the minimum age to become a U.S. Senator; he became the fifth-youngest senator in U.S. history.[11] In 1974, then-freshman Senator Biden was named one of the 200 Faces for the Future by Time magazine.[12]
Biden has since won additional terms easily, usually with about 60 percent of the vote. He is now the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Delaware history. He is running for re-election as senator in 2008. In 2007, Biden reported that he "garnered $67 million worth of projects"[13] for his constituents through congressional earmarks. With a net worth between $59,000 and $366,000, he is considered one of the least wealthy members of the Senate.[1][14] Biden sits on the board of advisors of the Close Up Foundation[15] and has been co-chair of the NATO Observer Group in the Senate.[16]
Now the longest-serving Senator in Delaware's history, Biden spent 28 years as a junior Senator due to the two-year seniority of his Republican colleague William V. Roth. After Roth was defeated for re-election by Thomas R. Carper in 2000 Biden became Delaware's senior Senator.
Biden serves on the following committees in the 110th U.S. Congress:[17]
* Committee on Foreign Relations (chairman)
o As chairman of the full committee Biden is an ex officio member of each subcommittee.
* Committee on the Judiciary
o Subcommittee on Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
o Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs (chairman)
o Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law
o Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees
o Subcommittee on Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security
* Caucus on International Narcotics Control (co-chairman)
Biden is a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and on which he served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In this capacity, he dealt with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. While chairman, Biden presided over two notably contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings: Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.[18]
Biden has been involved in crafting many federal crime laws over the last decade, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law, and the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA), which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the section of VAWA allowing a federal civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence exceeded Congress' authority and therefore was unconstitutional.[19] Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000 and 2005.[20] In March 2004, Biden enlisted major American technology companies in diagnosing the problems of the Austin, Texas-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and to donate equipment and expertise to it.[21][18]
As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the U.S. "Drug Czar", who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, also known as the RAVE Act. He continues to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as Rohypnol, and drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine. In 2004 he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids like androstenedione, the drug used by many baseball players.[18]
Biden's legislation to promote college aid and loan programs allows families to deduct on their annual income tax returns up to $10,000 per year in higher education expenses. His "Kids 2000" legislation established a public/private partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet access, and technical training to young people, particularly to low-income and at-risk youth.[22]
Biden has twice run for the Democratic nomination for President, first in 1988, and again in 2008. Both times he was unsuccessful. He also considered joining the Democratic field of candidates for the 2004 presidential race but decided otherwise, saying he did not have enough time to cultivate a sufficient fundraising base. Biden had urged Republican Senator John McCain to run with Kerry, saying the cross-party ticket would help heal the “vicious rift” in U.S. politics.[30] Biden had also been widely discussed as a possible Secretary of State in a Democratic administration.[31]
1988
Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign, 1988
In 1987, Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate, formally declaring his candidacy at the Wilmington train station on June 9, 1987. When the campaign began, Biden was considered a potentially strong candidate because of his moderate image, his appeal to Baby Boomers, his high profile position as chair of the Senate Judiciary committee during the Robert Bork confirmation hearings, and his fundraising appeal—$1.7 million raised in the first quarter of 1987 was more than any other candidate.[32] Biden received considerable attention in the summer of 1986 when he excoriated Secretary of State George Shultz at a Senate hearing because of the Reagan administration's support of South Africa, which continued to support a system of apartheid.[33]
By August 1987, Biden's campaign had begun to lag behind those of Michael Dukakis and Richard Gephardt.[32] In September 1987, the campaign ran into trouble when he plagiarized a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party.[34] Kinnock’s speech included the lines: "Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university?" Then pointing to his wife in the audience, he continued: "Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?" While Biden’s speech included the lines: "I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university?" Then, pointing to his wife: "Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?" Though Biden had previously cited Kinnock as the source for the formulation many times before, he made no reference to the original source at the August 23 debate in question.[35]
It was also discovered that, during his time as a law student at Syracuse, Biden had plagiarized a law review article. Though the then-dean of the law school, as well as Biden's former professor, downplayed the incident, they did find that Biden drew "chunks of heavy legal prose directly from" the article in question. Biden said it was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and Biden was permitted to retake the course after receiving a grade of F, which was subsequently dropped from his record.[36] Biden also released his undergraduate grades, which were unexceptional.[36] When questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school, Biden had inaccurately recollected graduating in the "top half" of his class when he actually graduated 76th from 85, that he had attended on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees.[37] He had received two majors, History and Political Science, and a single B.A., as well as a half scholarship based on financial need.[37] Faced with these revelations, Biden withdrew from the nomination race on September 23, 1987, saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his past mistakes.[38] After Biden withdrew from the race, it was revealed that the Dukakis campaign had secretly made a video showcasing the Biden/Kinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets.[39]
2008
Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2008
2008 presidential campaign logo
2008 presidential campaign logo
Biden declared his candidacy for president on January 31, 2007, although he had discussed running for months prior,[40] and first made a formal announcement to Tim Russert on Meet the Press on January 7, stating he would "be the best Biden I can be."[41] In January 2006, Delaware newspaper columnist Harry F. Themal wrote that Biden "occupies the sensible center of the Democratic Party."[42] Themal concludes that this is the position Biden desires, and that in a campaign "he plans to stress the dangers to the security of the average American, not just from the terrorist threat, but from the lack of health assistance, crime, and energy dependence on unstable parts of the world."[42]
Themal goes on to quote Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen as saying that Biden's candidacy might be endangered by his "manic-obsessive running of the mouth."[42] This foreshadowed Biden's January 31 remark on fellow Democratic candidate and Senator Barack Obama, frequently transcribed as, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that's a storybook, man."[43] However, several linguists and political analysts stated that the correct transcription includes a comma after the word "African-American", which "would significantly change the meaning (and the degree of offensiveness) of Biden's comment".[44] Still, his comments took second place on Time magazine's list of Top 10 Campaign Gaffes for 2007.[45] Biden had earlier been criticized in July 2006 for a remark he made in an edition of C-SPAN's Road to the White House about his support among Indian Americans: "I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking."[46] Biden later said the remark was not intended to be derogatory: "It was meant as a compliment."[46] and the Indian-American activist who was on the receiving end of Biden's comment stated that he was "100 percent behind (Biden) because he did nothing wrong."[47]
Despite speculation to the contrary,[48] Biden has rejected the notion of accepting the position of United States Secretary of State, focusing only on the presidency. At a 2007 campaign event, Biden said, "I know a lot of my opponents out there say I'd be a great Secretary of State. Seriously, every one of them. Do you watch any of the debates? 'Joe's right, Joe's right, Joe's right.'"[49] Other candidates commenting that "Joe is right" in the Democratic debates was converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad.[50]
Biden was noted for his one-liners on the campaign trail, saying of Republican then-frontrunner Rudy Giuliani at the October 30, 2007, debate in Philadelphia, "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11."[51]
On January 3, 2008, Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses, garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates.[52] Biden withdrew from the race that evening, saying "There is nothing sad about tonight.... I feel no regret."[53]
Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Joe Biden
Various interest groups have given Biden scores or grades as to how well his votes align with the positions of each group.[63] Biden has a lifetime 72 percent score from Americans for Democratic Action through 2004, while the American Conservative Union awarded Biden a lifetime rating of 13 percent through 2007.[64] Biden has a lifetime average "liberal" score of 77.5 percent, according to a National Journal analysis that places him ideologically among the center of Senate Democrats.[65] The ACLU gives him an 86 percent lifetime score, with a 91 percent score for the current session of Congress.[66]
The Almanac of American Politics rates congressional votes as liberal or conservative on the political spectrum, in three policy areas: economic, social, and foreign. For 2005–2006, Biden's average ratings were as follows: the economic rating was 80 percent liberal and 13 percent conservative, the social rating was 78 percent liberal and 18 percent conservative, and the foreign rating was 71 percent liberal and 25 percent conservative.[67]
Works
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2007). Promises to Keep. Random House. ISBN 9781400065363.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2001-07-24). Administration’s Missile Defense Program and the ABM Treaty: Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2002-02-12). Examining The Theft Of American Intellectual Property At Home And Abroad: Hearing before the Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2002-08-01). Hearings to Examine Threats, Responses, and Regional Considerations Surrounding Iraq: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756728231.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (September 2003). Strategies for Homeland Defense: A Compilation by the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756726239.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2001-07-08). Putin Administration's Policies toward Non-Russian Regions of the Russian Federation: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2001-09-05). Threat of Bioterrorism and the Spread of Infectious Diseases: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2002-02-27). How Do We Promote Democratization, Poverty Alleviation, and Human Rights to Build a More Secure Future: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756724783.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (January 2003). Political Future of Afghanistan: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756730392.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (January 2003). International Campaign Against Terrorism: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756730414.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2002). Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS: Future Efforts in the U.S. Bilateral & Multilateral Response: Hearings before the Comm. on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756734541.
* Biden Jr., Joseph R.; Jesse Helms (April 2000). Hague Convention On International Child Abduction: Applicable Law And Institutional Framework Within Certain Convention Countries Report To The Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756722500.
* Nicholson, William C. (ed.) (2005). Homeland Security Law and Policy, with a foreword by Joseph Biden, C. C Thomas. ISBN 0398075832.
