Biden

I was hoping Obama would choose Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. It's the safe choice, probably a mistake considering how much ground McCain has been gaining lately. Biden is thought to be experienced on foreign policy, which shores up a major weakness, but he's not exactly on board with Obama's foreign policy. In the last few years he may have been more supportive of John McCain than Obama, but Obama picked him to be a brawler, and that is what we should expect. However, past comments by Biden could come back to haunt him.

Biden on Obama

"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."

"Having talking points on foreign policy doesn't get you there."

“If the Democrats think we're going to be able to nominate someone who can win without that person being able to [bring to the] table unimpeachable credentials on national security and foreign policy, I think we're making a tragic mistake.”

On Obama’s Iraq plan, Sept. 2007: “My impression is [Obama] thinks that if we leave, somehow the Iraqis are going to have an epiphany. I’ve seen zero evidence of that.”

“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.”

“When this campaign is over, political slogans like ‘experience’ and ‘change’ will mean absolutely nothing. The next president has to act.”

Biden on Iraq

Meet the Press, 2002, on Saddam: “He’s a long term threat and a short term threat to our national security… “We have no choice but to eliminate the threat. This is a guy who is an extreme danger to the world.”

2005: “We can call it quits and withdraw from Iraq. I think that would be a gigantic mistake. Or we can set a deadline for pulling out, which I fear will only encourage our enemies to wait us out — equally a mistake.”

Meet the Press, 2007, on WMDs: "Well, the point is, it turned out they didn’t, but everyone in the world thought he had them. The weapons inspectors said he had them. He catalogued — they catalogued them. This was not some, some Cheney, you know, pipe dream. This was, in fact, catalogued.”

On Obama's Iraq plan, August 2007: “I don’t want [my son] going [to Iraq]. But I tell you what, I don’t want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years and so how we leave makes a big difference... "[Criticizing Obama and Clinton's efforts to stop funding bills for Iraq] There’s no political point worth my son’s life. There’s no political point worth anybody’s life out there. None.”

Biden on Senator McCain

2007: “The only guy on the other side who’s qualified is John McCain.”

2005: “John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off..."

2007: “I’ve been calling for more troops for over two years, along with John McCain and others subsequent to my saying that.”