query: where was joe biden a senator?

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign The 2008 presidential campaign of Joe Biden, the longtime Senator from Delaware, announced his candidacy for President of the United States on the edition of January 7, 2007 of "Meet the Press". He officially became a candidate on January 31, 2007 after filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission. Biden had previously run for president in 1988, but failed to receive the nomination of the Democratic Party. If elected, Biden would have been the first sitting Senator and Roman Catholic to become president since John F. Kennedy, and the only President to be born during

title: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

text: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign The 1988 presidential campaign of Joe Biden, the longtime Democratic United States Senator from Delaware and eventual 47th Vice President of the United States, began in June 1987. He ran for President of the United States in the 1988 United States presidential election. He was considered one of the potentially strongest candidates in the field. However, in September 1987, newspaper stories stated he had plagiarized a speech by British politician Neil Kinnock. Other allegations of past law school plagiarism and exaggerating his academic record soon followed. Biden withdrew from the race later that month. Biden

title: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: commission's audit revealed the campaign to have accepted contributions above the legal limit, to have failed to properly compensate for a 2007 jet ride, and to have issued checks that were never cashed. A Biden spokesperson said that "Some repayment is commonplace after presidential campaign audits and the repayment ordered here is relatively small. Payment is due to the Treasury 30 days after the FEC issues its formal ruling and 'Biden for President' will comply with that." Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign The 2008 presidential campaign of Joe Biden, the longtime Senator from Delaware, announced his candidacy for President of

title: Electoral history of Joe Biden

text: presidential primaries: Excluding penalized contests, only primary and caucuses votes: Including penalized contests: 2008 Democratic National Convention (Vice Presidential tally): United States presidential election, 2008: 2012 Democratic National Convention (Vice Presidential tally): United States presidential election, 2012: Electoral history of Joe Biden Electoral history of Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017), United States Senator from Delaware (1973–2009). To date Joe Biden has not lost an election. New Castle Council, 1970: Delaware United States Senate election, 1972: Delaware United States Senate election, 1978: Delaware United States Senate election, 1984: Delaware United States Senate election, 1990: Delaware United

title: Electoral history of Joe Biden

text: Electoral history of Joe Biden Electoral history of Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017), United States Senator from Delaware (1973–2009). To date Joe Biden has not lost an election. New Castle Council, 1970: Delaware United States Senate election, 1972: Delaware United States Senate election, 1978: Delaware United States Senate election, 1984: Delaware United States Senate election, 1990: Delaware United States Senate election, 1996: Delaware United States Senate election, 2002: Delaware United States Senate election, 2008: 1984 Democratic National Convention (Presidential tally): 1988 Democratic National Convention (Presidential tally): 2008 New Hampshire Democratic Vice Presidential primary: 2008 Democratic

title: Joe Biden

text: 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008, usually getting about 60 percent of the vote. He did not face strong opposition; Pete du Pont, then governor, chose not to run against him in 1984. Biden spent 28 years as a junior senator due to the two-year seniority of his Republican colleague William V. Roth Jr. After Roth was defeated for re-election by Tom Carper in 2000, Biden became Delaware's senior senator. He then became the longest-serving senator in Delaware history and, , was the 18th longest serving senator in the history of the United States. In May 1999, Biden became the

title: Hunter Biden

text: Biden married Kathleen Buhle. They have three daughters: Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy. They divorced in 2017. In 2016, Biden began dating Hallie Olivere, his former sister-in-law and the widow of his brother, Beau. Hunter Biden Robert Hunter Biden (born February 4, 1970) is the second son of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Biden. He is a partner at Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC, and is Counsel to Boies, Schiller, Flexner, LLP, a New York-based-law firm. Biden was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the younger son of former U.S. Senator and Vice President Joe Biden, and his

title: Hunter Biden

text: Hunter Biden Robert Hunter Biden (born February 4, 1970) is the second son of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Biden. He is a partner at Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC, and is Counsel to Boies, Schiller, Flexner, LLP, a New York-based-law firm. Biden was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the younger son of former U.S. Senator and Vice President Joe Biden, and his first wife, Neilia Hunter. His mother and younger sister, Naomi Christina Biden, were killed in an automobile crash on December 18, 1972, in which he and his brother, Beau, were seriously injured. He

title: Joe Biden

text: been serving the people of Delaware as their United States senator." Biden cast his last Senate vote on January 15, supporting the release of the second $350 billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Biden resigned from the Senate later that day; in emotional farewell remarks on the Senate floor, where he had spent most of his adult life, Biden said, "Every good thing I have seen happen here, every bold step taken in the 36-plus years I have been here, came not from the application of pressure by interest groups, but through the maturation of personal relationships." As the

title: Joe Biden

text: and had a 53–46 percent edge in the nationwide popular vote. Biden had continued to run for his Senate seat as well as for Vice President, as permitted by Delaware law. On November 4, Biden was also re-elected as senator, defeating Republican Christine O'Donnell. Having won both races, Biden made a point of holding off his resignation from the Senate so that he could be sworn in for his seventh term on January 6, 2009. He became the youngest senator ever to start a seventh full term, and said, "In all my life, the greatest honor bestowed upon me has

title: Beau Biden

text: Beau Biden Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (February 3, 1969 – May 30, 2015) was an American attorney, officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was the eldest of three children from the marriage of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia Biden. He served as the Attorney General of Delaware, a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, and a member of the Democratic Party. Biden was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the elder son of former U.S. Senator and Vice President Joe Biden, and his first wife, Neilia

title: Joe Biden

text: their School of Public Policy and Administration after Biden, naming it the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, which also houses the Biden Institute U.S. Senators are popularly elected and take office January 3 for a six-year term (except when appointed to fill existing vacancies). Footnotes Books Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. Biden was

title: Joe Biden

text: became a social worker and staffer at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. Biden and his wife are Roman Catholics and regularly attend Mass at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware. During his first years in the Senate, Biden focused on legislation regarding consumer-protection and environmental issues and called for greater accountability on the part of government. In mid-1974, freshman Senator Biden was named one of the "200 Faces for the Future" by "Time" magazine, in a profile that mentioned what had happened to his family and characterized Biden as "self-confident" and "compulsively

title: Joe Biden

text: few years before moving to a house in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe Biden Sr. was then more successful as a used car salesman, and the family's circumstances were middle class. Biden attended the Archmere Academy in Claymont where he was a standout halfback/wide receiver on the high school football team; he helped lead a perennially losing team to an undefeated season in his senior year. He played on the baseball team as well. During these years, he participated in an anti-segregation sit-in at a Wilmington theatre. Academically, he was an above-average student, was considered a natural leader among the students, and

title: Joe Biden

text: senior Obama advisor said Biden "is always prepared to be the skunk at the family picnic to make sure we are as intellectually honest as possible." On June 11, 2010, Biden represented the United States at the opening ceremony of the World Cup, attended the England v. U.S. game which was tied 1–1, and visited Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa. Throughout, Joe and Jill Biden maintained a relaxed atmosphere at their official residence in Washington, often entertaining some of their grandchildren, and regularly returned to their home in Delaware. Biden campaigned heavily for Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, maintaining

title: Joe Biden

text: Richard Lugar the Hilal-i-Pakistan award from the Government of Pakistan, "in recognition of their consistent support for Pakistan." In 2009, Biden received the Golden Medal of Freedom award from Kosovo, that region's highest award, for his vocal support for their independence in the late 1990s. Biden is an inductee of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame. He was named to the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2009. On June 25, 2016, Joe Biden received the freedom of County Louth in the Republic of Ireland. On January 12, 2017, Obama surprised Biden by awarding him the Presidential Medal

title: Joe Biden

text: Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942, and lived there for ten years before moving with his family to Delaware. He became an attorney in 1969 and was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, when he became the sixth-youngest

title: Joe Biden

text: family and were never substantiated by the police. Biden was sworn into office on January 5, 1973 by Francis R. Valeo, the Secretary of the Senate in a small chapel at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center. Beau was wheeled in with his leg still in traction; Hunter, who had already been released, was also there, as were other members of the extended family. Witnesses and television cameras were also present and the event received national attention. At age 30 (the minimum age required to hold the office), Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history, and one

title: Joe Biden

text: generally sought to attend to state needs. Biden was a strong supporter of increased Amtrak funding and rail security; he hosted barbecues and an annual Christmas dinner for the Amtrak crews, and they would sometimes hold the last train of the night a few minutes so he could catch it. He earned the nickname "Amtrak Joe" as a result (and in 2011, Amtrak's Wilmington Station was named the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station, in honor of the over 7,000 trips he made from there). He was an advocate for Delaware military installations, including Dover Air Force Base and New

title: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

text: article in question. Biden said it was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation. After ending his Presidential campaign, Biden requested the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Delaware Supreme Court review the issue. The Board concluded on December 21, 1987, after Biden had withdrawn, that the senator had not violated any rules, although Biden did not release this result until May 1989. As revealed by a video shown on C-SPAN, when questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school, Biden had replied "I think I probably have a much higher IQ

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: ... The point Senator Biden was making is that there has been a vibrant Indian-American community in Delaware for decades. It has primarily been made up of engineers, scientists and physicians, but more recently, middle-class families are moving into Delaware and purchasing family-run small businesses ..." The Indian-American activist who was on the receiving end of Biden's comment later called the media coverage of Biden's comments "completely unfair," and stated that he was "100 percent behind (Biden) because he did nothing wrong." On January 31, 2007, Biden took his first steps into the presidential campaign, but his comments about other

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: might be endangered by his "manic-obsessive running of the mouth." In July 2006, while speaking to a group of Indian-Americans in Manchester, New Hampshire, Biden stated in regards to his relationship with the Indian-American community: "I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian Americans — moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." His comment was caught on C-SPAN. When asked to explain further, Biden spokesperson Margaret Aitken stated "The Senator [Biden] admires, supports and respects the Indian-American community

title: Jill Biden

text: Pennsylvania to study fashion merchandising, but soon found it unsatisfying. She married Bill Stevenson, a former college football player, in February 1970. Within a couple of years he opened the Stone Balloon in Newark, Delaware, near the University of Delaware. It became one of the most successful college bars in the nation. She enrolled at the University of Delaware, where she declared English as her major. She then took a year off from college and did some modelling work for a local agency in Wilmington. She and Stevenson drifted apart. Subsequently, she returned to college and met Senator Joe Biden

title: Joe Biden

text: grandfather, William Biden, was born in Sussex, England, and immigrated to the United States. His maternal great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Biden's father had been very well off earlier in his life but suffered several business reversals by the time his son was born. For several years the family had to live with Biden's maternal grandparents, the Finnegans. When the Scranton area went into economic decline during the 1950s, Biden's father could not find enough work. In 1953, the Biden family moved to an apartment in Claymont, Delaware, where they lived for a

title: Joe Biden

text: with the leadership of those countries. Biden became the 47th Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2009, when he was inaugurated alongside President Barack Obama. Biden is the first United States Vice President from Delaware and the first Roman Catholic to attain that office. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens administered the oath of office to Biden. In the early months of the Obama administration, Biden assumed the role of an important behind-the-scenes counselor. One role was to adjudicate disputes between Obama's "team of rivals". The president compared Biden's efforts to a basketball player "who does a

title: Joe Biden

text: video highlighting the Biden–Kinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets. Later in 1987, the Delaware Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility cleared Biden of the law school plagiarism charges regarding his standing as a lawyer, saying Biden had "not violated any rules". In February 1988, after suffering from several episodes of increasingly severe neck pain, Biden was taken by long-distance ambulance to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and given lifesaving surgery to correct an intracranial berry aneurysm that had begun leaking; the situation was serious enough that a priest had administered last rites at the hospital. While recuperating, he

title: Joe Biden

text: leaders did when they appeased Hitler in the runup to World War II. Biden stated: "This is bullshit. This is malarkey. This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement." Biden later apologized for using the expletive. Biden further stated, "Since when does this administration think that if you sit down, you have to eliminate the word 'no' from your vocabulary?" Biden was a familiar figure to his Delaware constituency, by virtue of his daily train commuting from there, and

title: Joe Biden

text: turned out that Biden had already noticed a photograph of her in an advertisement for a local park in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden would credit her with renewing his interest in both politics and life. On June 17, 1977, Biden and Jacobs were married by a Catholic priest at the Chapel at the United Nations in New York. Jill Biden has a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware; two master's degrees, one from West Chester University, and one Villanova University; and a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware. They have one daughter together, Ashley Blazer (born 1981), who

title: Joe Biden

text: on "Meet the Press" on January 7, stating he would "be the best Biden I can be." In January 2006, Delaware newspaper columnist Harry F. Themal wrote that Biden "occupies the sensible center of the Democratic Party." 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." During his campaign, Biden focused on the war in Iraq and his support

title: Joe Biden

text: pages of a law review article. Biden said it was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and he was permitted to retake the course after receiving an "F" grade, which was subsequently dropped from his record (this incident would later attract attention when further plagiarism accusations emerged in 1987). He received his Juris Doctor in 1968, graduating 76th of 85 in his class. Biden was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969. Biden received student draft deferments during this period, at the peak of the Vietnam War, and in 1968, he was reclassified by the

title: Joe Biden

text: Law, Delaware's only law school, teaching a seminar on constitutional law. The seminar was one of Widener's most popular, often with a waiting list for enrollment. Biden typically co-taught the course with another professor, taking on at least half the course minutes and sometimes flying back from overseas to make one of the classes. Biden was a sponsor of bankruptcy legislation during the 2000s, which was sought by MBNA, one of Delaware's largest companies, and other credit card issuers. Biden allowed an amendment to the bill to increase the homestead exemption for homeowners declaring bankruptcy and fought for an amendment

title: Joe Biden

text: Syria's rebel fighters. As Iraq fell apart during 2014, renewed attention was paid to the Biden-Gelb Iraqi federalization plan of 2006, with some observers suggesting that Biden had been right all along. Biden himself said that the U.S. would follow ISIL "to the gates of hell." By 2015, a series of swearings-in and other events where Biden placed his hands on women and girls and talked closely to them had attracted the attention of both the press and social media. In one case, a senator issued a statement afterward saying about his daughter, "No, she doesn't think the vice president

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: candidates commenting that "Joe is right" in the Democratic debates has been converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad. On January 31, 2007 as Biden entered the presidential race he attacked frontrunner Hillary Clinton's plan for the War in Iraq. During an interview on "Good Morning America", Biden called Clinton's plan "a disaster" and "counterproductive". Biden stated that his plan called for a "political solution" unlike Clinton's "military solution". Biden praised Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate, calling her "fully qualified". He also spoke highly of Illinois Senator Barack Obama referring to him as "the first mainstream African-American who

title: Biden family

text: Biden family The Biden family is an American political family. Joe Biden's father, Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (1915–2002) used to claim the name was of Irish origin, but the claim could not be verified. The name is likely from French "boton". Joe Biden's mother, Catherine Eugenia "Jean" (Finnegan) Biden (1917–2010), however, was of Irish descent. Some people with the surname include: Joe Biden married Neilia Hunter in 1966, and they had two sons and a daughter (Naomi Christina). In December 1972, while Joe Biden was Senator-elect, Neilia and Naomi were killed in a traffic accident which injured the two sons,

title: Joe Biden

text: polling indicated he was popular and where Obama had not campaigned or performed well in the Democratic primaries. He also campaigned in some normally Republican states, as well as in areas with large Catholic populations. Under instructions from the Obama campaign, Biden kept his speeches succinct and tried to avoid off-hand remarks, such as one about Obama's being tested by a foreign power soon after taking office, which had attracted negative attention. Privately, Obama was frustrated by Biden's remarks, saying "How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid?" Obama campaign staffers referred to Biden blunders as "Joe bombs" and

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: knows Israeli leaders, as much as Joe Biden." During the 2008 Vice-Presidential debate, Biden stated "no one in the United States Senate has been a better friend to Israel than Joe Biden. I would have never, ever joined this ticket were I not absolutely sure Barack Obama shared my passion." In November 2010, Biden served as the keynote speaker at the General Assembly (GA) of Jewish Federations of North America, where he stated that "This government will stand with Israel. It's in our own self-interest, beyond it being an absolute moral necessity." He also renewed his support for peace talks

title: Joe Biden

text: senator in American history. Biden was re-elected to the upper house of Congress six times, and was the fourth most senior senator when he resigned to assume the vice presidency in 2009. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991, but advocated U.S. and NATO intervention in the Bosnian War in 1994 and 1995. He voted in favor of the resolution authorizing the Iraq War in 2002, but opposed the surge of U.S. troops in 2007. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing

title: Joe Biden

text: youngest senator to cast 10,000 votes. With a net worth between $59,000 and $366,000, and almost no outside income or investment income, Biden was consistently ranked as one of the least wealthy members of the Senate. Biden stated that he was listed as the second-poorest member in Congress; he was not proud of the distinction, but attributed it to having been elected early in his career. Biden realized early in his senatorial career how vulnerable poorer public officials are to offers of financial contributions in exchange for policy support, and he pushed campaign finance reform measures during his first term.

title: Joe Biden

text: assault; he also introduced Lady Gaga. On December 8, 2016, Biden went to Ottawa to meet with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. During his two full terms, Joe Biden never cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, making him the longest serving Vice President with this distinction. On May 30, 2015, Biden's son, Beau Biden, died at age 46 after having battled brain cancer for several years. In a statement, the Vice President's office said, "The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words." The nature and seriousness of the illness had not been previously disclosed to the public,

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: was fourth at 5% behind Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards, for the month of October 2007. In head-to-head matchups with Republican candidates, Biden trailed Senator John McCain on January 10, 2007 38% to 46%. On July 17, Biden trailed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani 37% to 46%. The closest Biden came to a GOP candidate in a head to head matchup was against former Senator Fred Thompson, trailing him 38% to 40% on July 17, 2007. Biden spoke of the fact that he had spent 34 years in the Senate and had been active in many

title: Joe Biden

text: his other alma mater Syracuse University (LL.D 2009) University of Pennsylvania (LL.D 2013) Miami Dade College (2014) Trinity College, Dublin (LL.D 2016) Colby College (LL.D 2017) Morgan State University (DPS 2017) University of South Carolina (DPA 2017) Biden also received the Chancellor Medal from his alma mater, Syracuse University, in 1980, and in 2005, he received the George Arents Pioneer Medal—Syracuse's highest alumni award—"for excellence in public affairs." In 2008, Biden received the Best of Congress Award, for "improving the American quality of life through family-friendly work policies," from "Working Mother" magazine. Also in 2008, Biden shared with fellow Senator

title: Joe Biden

text: and Senator Hillary Clinton; he never rose above single digits in the national polls of the Democratic candidates. In the initial contest on January 3, 2008, Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses, garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates. Biden withdrew from the race that evening, saying "There is nothing sad about tonight. ... I feel no regret." Despite the lack of success, Biden's stature in the political world rose as the result of his 2008 campaign. In particular, it changed the relationship between Biden and Obama. Although the two had served together on the Senate

title: Joe Biden

text: Bush administration and Clinton administration were reluctant to implement the policy, fearing Balkan entanglement. In April 1993, Biden spent a week in the Balkans and held a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević. Biden related that he told Milošević, "I think you're a damn war criminal and you should be tried as one." Biden wrote an amendment in 1992 to compel the Bush administration to arm the Bosnians, but deferred in 1994 to a somewhat softer stance preferred by the Clinton administration, before signing on the following year to a stronger measure sponsored by Bob Dole and Joe

title: Joe Biden

text: for the implementation of the Biden-Gelb plan to achieve political success. He touted his record in the Senate as the head of major congressional committees and his experience on foreign policy. Despite speculation to the contrary, Biden rejected the notion of accepting the position of 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.'" Other candidates' comments that "Joe

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: Political positions of Joe Biden Joe Biden served as the Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He served in the Senate from 1973 until 2009 and made his second run for President of the United States in the 2008 presidential election as a Democrat. Biden was announced as Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's running mate on August 23, 2008, and was elected Vice President on November 4, 2008. Biden has supported campaign finance reform including the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and banning contributions of issue ads and gifts; capital punishment as his 1994 Violent Crime

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: about Russia alleged backsliding on democratic reforms. In August 2008, Biden criticized Russia's military action in Georgia. "By acting disproportionately with a full scale attack on Georgia and seeking the ouster of Georgia's democratically elected President Mikheil Saakashvili, Moscow is jeopardizing its standing in Europe and the broader international community – and risking very real practical and political consequences," Biden wrote in a Financial Times op-ed. Biden urged Russia to abide by the negotiated cease fire. Political positions of Joe Biden Joe Biden served as the Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He served in the

title: Joe Biden

text: bunch of things that don't show up in the stat sheet." Biden played a key role in gaining Senate support for several major pieces of Obama legislation, and was a main factor in convincing Senator Arlen Specter to switch from the Republican to the Democratic party. Biden lost an internal debate to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding his opposition to sending 21,000 new troops to the war in Afghanistan. His skeptical voice was still considered valuable within the administration, however, and later in 2009 Biden's views achieved more prominence within the White House as Obama reconsidered his Afghanistan strategy.

title: Joe Biden

text: 2010, a microphone picked up Biden telling the president that his signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was "a big fucking deal" during live national news telecasts. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs replied via Twitter "And yes Mr. Vice President, you're right ..." Senior Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett said that Biden's loose talk "[is] part of what makes the vice president so endearing ... We wouldn't change him one bit." Former Senate colleague Lindsey Graham said, "If there were no gaffes, there'd be no Joe. He's someone you can't help but like." Biden gained a long-running

title: Joe Biden

text: disputed this. Obama and Biden were re-elected in 2012, defeating Republican businessman Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan. In October 2015, after months of speculation, Biden announced he would not seek the presidency in the 2016 elections. In one of the final acts of his term in January 2017, President Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction. After completing his second term as vice president, Biden joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was named the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Presidential Practice. , Biden was reported to be actively considering a 2020

title: Joe Biden

text: suburbs to Washington, D.C., which he continued to do throughout his Senate career. In the aftermath of the accident, he had trouble focusing on work, and appeared to just go through the motions of being a senator. In his memoirs, Biden notes that staffers were taking bets on how long he would last. A single father for five years, he left standing orders that he be interrupted in the Senate at any time if his sons called. In remembrance of his wife and daughter, Biden does not work on December 18, the anniversary of the accident. Biden's elder son, Beau,

title: Beau Biden

text: for sex offenders. Joe Biden resigned from the Senate following his 2008 election to the vice presidency. Governor Ruth Ann Minner named former Joe Biden aide Ted Kaufman to fill the vacant seat, but Kaufman made it clear that he would not be a candidate in the 2010 special election. This fueled speculation Beau would run at that time. Biden's father stated after the announcement of Kaufman's appointment, "It is no secret that I believe my son, Attorney General, would make a great United States Senator just as I believe he has been a great attorney general. But Beau has

title: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

text: the best orators among the potential presidential candidates for 1988. The declared absence of Senator Ted Kennedy from the field, to whom Biden was sometimes compared, was also encouraging to a possible Biden candidacy. 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. Biden was initially considered one of the potentially strongest candidates as campaigning began in 1987. This was because of his moderate image, his speaking ability on the stump

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: made this statement or any similar statements. David Wade, a Biden spokesman, stated that "This is a lie peddled by partisan opponents of Senators Obama and Biden and we will not tolerate anyone questioning Senator Biden's 35-year record of standing up for the security of Israel." Wade also stated that Biden' views a nuclear Iran as a "grave threat to Israel and the United States." Israeli officials later reported that the original story appeared "dubious." Regarding the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Biden defended his right to oppose some AIPAC-backed measures. Biden stated that "AIPAC does not speak for

title: Joe Biden

text: Biden made visits to Iraq about once every two months, including trips to Baghdad in August and September 2009 to listen to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and reiterate U.S. stances on Iraq's future; by this time he had become the administration's point man in delivering messages to Iraqi leadership about expected progress in the country. More generally, overseeing Iraq policy became Biden's responsibility: the president is said to have put it as "Joe, you do Iraq". Biden said Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration." Biden's January 2010 visit to Iraq in the midst of turmoil

title: Joe Biden

text: system became a major factor in the campaign, Biden voted in favor of the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which passed the Senate 74–25. On October 2, 2008, Biden participated in the campaign's one vice presidential debate with Palin. Post-debate polls found that while Palin exceeded many voters' expectations, Biden had won the debate overall. On October 5, Biden suspended campaign events for a few days after the death of his mother-in-law. During the final days of the campaign, Biden focused on less-populated, older, less well-off areas of battleground states, especially in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, where

title: Biden family

text: who recovered from their injuries. Joe Biden married his second wife, Jill, in 1977, and together they had a daughter, Ashley. In May 2015, Beau died of brain cancer. Biden family The Biden family is an American political family. Joe Biden's father, Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (1915–2002) used to claim the name was of Irish origin, but the claim could not be verified. The name is likely from French "boton". Joe Biden's mother, Catherine Eugenia "Jean" (Finnegan) Biden (1917–2010), however, was of Irish descent. Some people with the surname include: Joe Biden married Neilia Hunter in 1966, and they had

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: the presidential campaign of Barack Obama stated that "Senator Biden expressed his appreciation for AIPAC's important work supporting Israel's security and the U.S.-Israel relationship, and that he looks forward to continuing to work with them as partners on these issues in the future as he has in the past." Biden has stated he supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Biden cosponsored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 which expressed U.S. support for a two-state solution. During the 2008 Vice-Presidential debate, Biden stated that the Bush administration's policy with regard to the Middle East has been "an abject failure"

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: on "The Daily Show" that same evening: "Look, the other part of this thing that got me in trouble is using the word clean. I should have said fresh." Some media observers labeled Biden's announcement a "launch pad disaster." Jesse Jackson telephoned Biden and reported afterward "Senator Biden ... assured me that he regrets that his remarks were misinterpreted. He was serious and contrite. To me, this was a gaffe, not a statement about his philosophy or ideology." The remark did much to undermine the start of Biden's campaign, and severely damaged his fund-raising ability. Despite this, Obama and Biden

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: drop out of the race after finishing lower than third in the Iowa Caucus. The results also presented a refutation of what he stated in September 2007 when he said that the campaign was "gaining some traction [in Iowa]." The September 2007 assessments made by University of Iowa professor Bruce Gronbeck and Drake University professor Dennis Goldford displayed more merit at the end of the race after Gronbeck stated that Biden was not gaining traction in the race and with Goldford adding that "[Biden] talks like a senator, not a president". Democratic strategist Ron Parker argued in September that Biden

title: Joe Biden

text: 2017, he was named the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will focus on foreign policy, diplomacy, and national security while leading the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He will also pursue his "Cancer Moonshot" agenda. On March 12, 2017, Biden during a keynote speech at the annual SXSW festival stated, "The only bipartisan thing left in America is the fight against cancer." During a Las Vegas, Nevada hedge fund conference interview on May 18, Biden said that he had never been confident in Clinton's candidacy: "I never thought she was

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: candidates overshadowed his entrance. Biden especially drew criticism in the popular press for his evaluation of Senator Barack Obama; Biden was quoted in the "New York Observer" as saying: "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." The audio of the interview, posted on the "Observer"'s website, reportedly includes a significant pause after "African-American" which would drastically change the meaning of the statement. Biden sought to clear up the controversy by apologizing to Obama on the same day and repeated his regret

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: $6,329,324, and had a total of $128,210 in debts. Perhaps the biggest problem Biden faced was the fact that voters did not know about him and his candidacy. An April 2–5 poll conducted by Gallup found that 38% of the public had never heard of Joe Biden and 17% had no opinion at all about him. In contrast, 0% of the public had never heard of Hillary Clinton and only 3% had no opinion according to a June 1–3 poll by Gallup. A September poll conducted by Clemson University found that 36% of the public had never heard of Joe

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: an AIPAC spokesman stated that "We had a very warm conversation with Senator Biden today, as we have many times throughout the years, about the importance of the U.S-Israel relationship, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in the future. We had an opportunity to express our appreciation for his strong leadership in support of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and we were pleased to hear Senator Biden reaffirm his desire to maintain his close relationship with AIPAC as we work together to strengthen the special friendship between the two democracies over many years to come." An adviser to

title: Jill Biden

text: Jill Biden Jill Tracy Biden (, previously Stevenson; born June 3, 1951) is an American educator who is married to the 47th Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden. She served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was born in Hammonton, New Jersey, and grew up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. She married Joe Biden in 1977, and became stepmother to his two young sons from his first marriage, Beau and Hunter, whose mother and baby sister died in a car accident in 1972. Joe and Jill Biden have a daughter, Ashley, born in

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: quarter. This was fourth among Democrats. Biden has qualified for matching funds for his primary campaign but did not decide whether or not to accept them. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Joe Biden raised $8,215,739 for his presidency campaign. Individual contributors gave $6,087,885 toward his campaign, PACs gave $101,475, and $2,026,379 has come from his Senate Re-election Fund. 66% of the PAC contributions came from business groups, 19% from labor groups, and the final 16% from ideological organizations. 19.3% of his finances had been disclosed, while 80.7% had not. When he withdrew, Biden had $1,886,340 on hand, spent

title: Joe Biden

text: kept Biden uninformed about strategy discussions, which in turn irked Biden. Relations between the two campaigns became strained for a month, until Biden apologized on a call to Obama and the two built a stronger partnership. Publicly, Obama strategist David Axelrod said that any unexpected comments had been outweighed by Biden's high popularity ratings. Nationally, Biden had a 60 percent favorability rating in a Pew Research Center poll, compared to Palin's 44 percent. On November 4, 2008, Obama was elected President and Biden Vice President of the United States. The Obama-Biden ticket won 365 Electoral College votes to McCain-Palin's 173,

title: Joe Biden

text: and with Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings in decline at that time, Biden was reported to again be seriously considering the prospect and a "Draft Biden 2016" PAC was established. , Biden was still uncertain whether or not to run. Biden cited the recent death of his son being a large drain on his emotional energy, and that "nobody has a right ... to seek that office unless they're willing to give it 110% of who they are." On October 21, speaking from a podium in the Rose Garden with his wife and President Obama by his side, Biden announced his

title: Joe Biden

text: that stance, with Biden not wanting to diminish his political power by appearing uninterested in advancement). Biden was officially nominated for vice president on August 27 by voice vote at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. After his selection as a vice presidential candidate, Biden was criticized by his own Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Bishop Michael Saltarelli for not opposing abortion. The diocese confirmed that even if elected vice president, Biden would not be allowed to speak at Catholic schools. Biden was soon barred from receiving Holy Communion by the bishop of his original hometown of Scranton,

title: Joe Biden

text: Foreign Relations Committee, they had not been close, with Biden having resented Obama's quick rise to political stardom, and Obama having viewed Biden as garrulous and patronizing. Now, having gotten to know each other during 2007, Obama appreciated Biden's campaigning style and appeal to working class voters, and Biden was convinced that Obama was "the real deal". Since shortly following Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, Obama had been privately telling Biden that he was interested in finding an important place for him in a possible Obama administration. Biden declined Obama's first request to vet him for the vice presidential

title: Joe Biden

text: ideologically incompatible with that view. Bork's nomination was rejected in the committee by a 9–5 vote, and then rejected in the full Senate by a 58–42 margin. In the Thomas hearings, Biden's questions on constitutional issues were often long and convoluted, sometimes such that Thomas forgot the question being asked. Viewers of the high-profile hearings were often annoyed by Biden's style. Thomas later wrote that despite earlier private assurances from the senator, Biden's questions had been akin to a beanball. The nomination came out of the committee without a recommendation, with Biden opposed. In part due to his own bad

title: Joe Biden

text: Biden again opposed. During and afterwards, Biden was strongly criticized by liberal legal groups and women's groups for having mishandled the hearings and having not done enough to support Hill. Biden subsequently sought out women to serve on the Judiciary Committee and emphasized women's issues in the committee's legislative agenda. Biden was involved in crafting many federal crime laws. He spearheaded the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law, which included the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004 after its ten-year sunset period and was not renewed. It also

title: Joe Biden

text: presidential transition of Barack Obama began, Biden said he was in daily meetings with Obama and that McCain was still his friend. The U.S. Secret Service codename given to Biden is "Celtic", referencing his Irish roots. Biden chose veteran Democratic lawyer and aide Ron Klain to be his chief of staff, and "Time" Washington bureau chief Jay Carney to be his director of communications. Biden intended to eliminate some of the explicit roles assumed by the vice presidency of his predecessor, Dick Cheney, who had established himself as an autonomous power center. Otherwise, Biden said he would not model his

title: Joe Biden

text: year by Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labour Party. 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] 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

title: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign

text: "surprise". When the campaign began, former Senator Gary Hart, who had made a strong nomination run four years earlier, was considered the clear front-runner. Indeed, "The Wall Street Journal" referred to the eight-person Democratic field as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". The field's chances were greatly improved once Hart withdrew from the race in May 1987, following revelations of Donna Rice and "Monkey Business". However, Biden did not see a rise in his poll numbers immediately after the Hart withdrawal, and was particularly stagnant in polls for the Iowa caucuses. Nevertheless, Biden had confidence that he could prevail; on

title: Joe Biden

text: considered an endorsements, as Biden had said that he would meet with any candidate who asked. After Obama endorsed Hillary Clinton on June 9, 2016, Biden endorsed her later the same day. Though Biden and Clinton were scheduled to campaign together in Scranton on July 8, the appearance was canceled by Clinton in light of the shooting of Dallas police officers the previous day. Following his endorsement of Clinton, Biden publicly displayed his disagreements with the policies of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. On June 20, Biden critiqued Trump's proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country as well

title: Joe Biden

text: experiences in 1987 with his presidential campaign, Biden was reluctant to let personal matters enter into the hearings. Biden initially shared with committee, but not the public, Anita Hill's sexual harassment charges, on the grounds she was not yet willing to testify. After she did, Biden did not permit other witnesses to testify further on her behalf, such as Angela Wright (who made a similar charge) and experts on harassment. Biden said he was striving to preserve Thomas's right to privacy and the decency of the hearings. The nomination was approved by a 52–48 vote in the full Senate, with

title: Joe Biden

text: alter ego persona, "The President of Vice", on the satirical news site The Onion, which parodied his job title. Despite their different personalities, Obama and Biden formed a friendship, partly based around Obama's daughter Sasha and Biden's granddaughter Maisy, who attended Sidwell Friends School together. Biden's most important role within the administration was to question assumptions, playing a contrarian role. Obama said that "The best thing about Joe is that when we get everybody together, he really forces people to think and defend their positions, to look at things from every angle, and that is very valuable for me." Another

title: Joe Biden

text: presidential run, and a CNN poll placed him as the most popular potential Democratic presidential candidate. Biden was born on November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Catherine Eugenia Biden (née Finnegan) and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. He was the first of four siblings in a Catholic family, with a sister and two brothers. His mother was of Irish descent, with roots variously attributed to County Louth or County Londonderry. His paternal grandparents, Mary Elizabeth (Robinette) and Joseph Harry Biden, an oil businessman from Baltimore, Maryland, were of English, French, and Irish ancestry. His paternal great-great-great

title: Joe Biden

text: During his years as a senator, Biden amassed a reputation for loquaciousness, with his questions and remarks during Senate hearings being known as long-winded. He has been a strong speaker and debater and a frequent and effective guest on the Sunday morning talk shows. In public appearances, he is known to deviate from prepared remarks at will. According to political analyst Mark Halperin, he has shown "a persistent tendency to say silly, offensive, and off-putting things"; "The New York Times" writes that Biden's "weak filters make him capable of blurting out pretty much anything". Journalist James Traub has written that

title: Joe Biden

text: Foreign Relations. In 1997, he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee in January 2001 and from June 2001 through 2003. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections, Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007. Biden was generally a liberal internationalist in foreign policy. He collaborated effectively with important Republican Senate figures such as Richard Lugar and Jesse Helms and sometimes went against elements of his own party. Biden was also co-chairman of the NATO Observer Group in the Senate. A partial list covering this time showed Biden meeting with

title: Joe Biden

text: a great candidate. I thought I was a great candidate." Biden delivered a speech to the graduating class of Colby College on May 21, 2017, calling for a return to "unity and purpose", and three days later expressed confidence in contemporary students being able to handle "the challenges that lie ahead" at Harvard University during the college's Class Day ceremony. While attending the launch of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement on March 30, 2017, a student asked Biden what "piece of advice" he would give to President Trump, Biden responding that the president should grow up

title: Joe Biden

text: is right" in the Democratic debates were converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad. In mid-2007, Biden stressed his foreign policy expertise compared to Obama's, saying of the latter, "I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." Biden also said that Obama was copying some of his foreign policy ideas. Biden was noted for his one-liners on the campaign trail, saying of Republican then-frontrunner Rudy Giuliani at the debate on October 30, 2007, in Philadelphia, "There's only three things he mentions in

title: Joe Biden

text: a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11." Overall, Biden's debate performances were an effective mixture of humor, and sharp and surprisingly disciplined comments. Biden made remarks during the campaign that attracted controversy. On the day of his January 2007 announcement, he spoke of fellow Democratic candidate and Senator Barack Obama: "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." This comment undermined his campaign as soon as it began and significantly damaged his fund-raising capabilities; it later took second place on "Time"

title: Joe Biden

text: Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders cutting the vice president out of any direct talks with Congress, feeling that Biden had given too much away during previous negotiations. Biden's Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized again in 2013. The act led to further related developments in the creation of the White House Council on Women and Girls, begun in the first term, as well as the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, begun in January 2014 with Biden as co-chair along with Jarrett. Biden has a strong stance on sexual assault. For example, Biden stated to

title: Joe Biden

text: to forbid anti-abortion felons from using bankruptcy to discharge fines; the overall bill was vetoed by Bill Clinton in 2000 but then finally passed as the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act in 2005, with Biden supporting it. The downstate Sussex County region is the nation's top chicken-producing area, and Biden held up trade agreements with Russia when that country stopped importing U.S. chickens. In 2007, Biden requested and gained $67 million worth of projects for his constituents through congressional earmarks. Following his initial election in 1972, Biden was re-elected to six additional terms, in the elections of 1978,

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: must end this war in a way that doesn't require us to send their (soldiers) grandchild back." It continues by declaring, "Joe Biden is the only candidate with a plan to get us out of Iraq and keep us out." As September began, while on the campaign trail in Iowa, Biden confided to the Associated Press that he was "counting on Iowa a lot". He hoped to come in "first, second or an indistinguishable third" and if not he would leave the campaign trail and return to Washington. His early statements seemed to mirror the future as he would ultimately

title: Joe Biden

text: with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. Biden led the efforts to pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. He also chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and in 2008, both times dropping out after lackluster showings. In 2008, Biden was chosen as the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. After being elected vice president, Biden oversaw infrastructure spending aimed at counteracting the Great Recession and

title: Time for Biden

text: Time for Biden Time for Biden is a United States political action committee (PAC) formed to draft Joe Biden for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The PAC was created in January 2018 by Matthew Graf of Rock Island, Illinois and Collin West of East Moline, Illinois. It seeks former Vice President Joe Biden's entry into the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020, but is not affiliated with or sponsored by Biden himself. Should Biden announce a run, the founders of the committee said resources would be merged with the campaign. The organization was criticized by some, who felt it was created

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: and environmental threats in the 21st century. Non-native species alter vegetation, compete with native species, introduce new diseases, and interfere with maritime commerce. Aware of these dangers, Senator Biden continues supporting programs used to stop importing non-native plants and animals to the US. After learning that Russia will start banning chicken imports from 19 plants in the United States, Biden issued the following statement: Russia is once again using non-tariff barriers as an excuse to close its markets to American poultry. I am concerned about the effect of this action on Mountaire, a major employer and integral part of our

title: Joe Biden

text: Lieberman. The engagement led to a successful NATO peacekeeping effort. Biden has called his role in affecting Balkans policy in the mid-1990s his "proudest moment in public life" that related to foreign policy. In 1999, during the Kosovo War, Biden supported the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia and Montenegro, and co-sponsored with his friend John McCain the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution, which called on President Clinton to use all necessary force, including ground troops, to confront Milosevic over Serbian actions in Kosovo. In 1998, "Congressional Quarterly" named Biden one of "Twelve Who Made a Difference" for playing a lead role in

title: Time for Biden

text: too early and that Democratic effort should be spent on the 2018 midterm elections, though President Trump began his re-election campaign around the same time. Time for Biden Time for Biden is a United States political action committee (PAC) formed to draft Joe Biden for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The PAC was created in January 2018 by Matthew Graf of Rock Island, Illinois and Collin West of East Moline, Illinois. It seeks former Vice President Joe Biden's entry into the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020, but is not affiliated with or sponsored by Biden himself. Should Biden announce a

title: Joe Biden

text: And his ability to understand himself and deal with other politicians has gotten much much better." Traub concludes that "Biden is the kind of fundamentally happy person who can be as generous toward others as he is to himself." Biden ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, and on the national ticket as eventual nominee Barack Obama's running-mate. Biden had thought about running for president again ever since his failed 1988 bid. Biden declared his candidacy for president on January 31, 2007, after having discussed running for months prior, and first made a formal announcement to Tim Russert

title: Joe Biden

text: several foreign policy matters, including NATO enlargement and the successful passage of bills to streamline foreign affairs agencies and punish religious persecution overseas. Biden had voted against authorization for the Gulf War in 1991, siding with 45 of the 55 Democratic senators; he said the U.S. was bearing almost all the burden in the anti-Iraq coalition. Biden was a strong supporter of the 2001 war in Afghanistan, saying "Whatever it takes, we should do it." Regarding Iraq, Biden stated in 2002 that Saddam Hussein was a threat to national security, and that there was no option but to eliminate that

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: to the Cuban thaw, Biden strongly opposed the Fidel Castro and Raul Castro government in Cuba and supported the continuation of the trade embargo, as well as the democratization of the island in the post-Castro era. In 2006, Biden stated, "We should be putting together a plan as to how we are going to play a positive role in moving that country, after the Castros are gone, to—more toward democratization and liberalization in their society." However, Joe Biden's support for the trade embargo ended on December 17, 2014 when then President Barack Obama announced reestablishment of United States-Cuba relations. In

title: Political positions of Joe Biden

text: and pondered why Saddam Hussein didn't tell the international community that he had disposed of them. He stated in July 2002 that most chemical and biological agents produced by Iraq would have been neutralized or degraded in storage, encouraging the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to convene hearings to reassess the threat. When the committee scheduled hearings in the beginning of August 2002, Scott Ritter, the chief United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, stated that "Sen. Joe Biden is running a sham hearing. It is clear that Biden and most of the Congressional leadership have pre-ordained a conclusion that seeks to

title: Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign

text: on Foreign Relations, released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan calls for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions. With public approval of the handling of the conflict decreasing considerably since the invasion in 2003, Biden believed this plan would have helped his campaign among the electorate had he been nominated. The key points included: Controversial comments had adversely affected the campaign of Joe Biden. "Washington Post" columnist Richard Cohen is quoted as saying that Biden's candidacy

title: Joe Biden

text: Bush tax cuts. Biden then took the lead in trying to sell the agreement to a reluctant Democratic caucus in Congress, which was passed as the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. In March 2011, Obama detailed Biden to lead negotiations between both houses of Congress and the White House in resolving federal spending levels for the rest of the year and avoid a government shutdown. By May 2011, a "Biden panel" with six congressional members was trying to reach a bipartisan deal on raising the U.S. debt ceiling as part of an overall deficit

title: Joe Biden

text: Selective Service System as not available for service due to having had asthma as a teenager. He never took part in anti-war demonstrations, later saying that at the time he was preoccupied with marriage and law school, and "wore sports coats ... not tie-dyed". Negative impressions of drinking alcohol in the Biden and Finnegan families and in the neighborhood led to Biden becoming a teetotaler. He suffered from stuttering through much of his childhood and into his twenties and overcame it by spending many hours reciting poetry in front of a mirror. On August 27, 1966, while Biden was still

title: Joe Biden

text: a Florida Democratic Party fundraiser in Hollywood. During an appearance at the Brainstorm Health Conference in San Diego, California on May 2, 2017, Biden said the public "has moved ahead of the administration [on science]." On May 31, Biden tweeted that climate change was an "existential threat to our future" and remaining in the Paris Agreement was "best way to protect our children and global leadership." The following day, after President Trump announced his withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement, Biden tweeted that the choice "imperils US security and our ability to own the clean energy future." While