More Oh-Eight (D)
Posted: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 9:00 AM by Huma Zaidi
Filed Under:
Democrats
In an interview with the New York Observer, Biden has harsh words for his Democratic opponents on Iraq. He calls Sen. Hillary Clinton's plan to cap troops "'nothing but disaster,'" and says that former Sen. John Edwards, who has proposed an immediate withdrawal, doesn't know "'what the heck he is talking about.'" He also expressed his skepticism of newcomer Obama: "'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.'" Biden added the accusation that his rivals are posturing on the Iraq issue purely to advance their 2008 bids: "'You didn’t hear any one of them get in this debate at all until they announced for President.'"
Marring his announcement a bit, Bloomberg reports that Biden's son Hunter, a lobbyist, is being sued by a partner for fraudulently excluding him from the purchase of a hedge-fund investment firm. "Biden and his uncle James Biden squeezed investment consultant Anthony Lotito Jr. out of the 2006 acquisition of New York-based Paradigm Cos., Lotito says in a complaint filed Jan. 5 in New York state court. The Bidens lied to Lotito about their joint offer while negotiating a better deal alone, Lotito's complaint says... The Bidens have not yet filed a response to Lotito's complaint. Their attorney... e-mailed a statement denying Lotito's allegations."
Clinton delivers the keynote address today at the "Ten Big Ideas for a New America” Policy Forum. Pegged to MSNBC capturing Clinton singing the national anthem off-key, the New York Times takes its turn looking at how the Internet has become a blessing and a curse for presidential candidates. “The video clip may have been trivial, but the brief episode surrounding it illustrated how visual and audio technologies like video streaming have the potential to drive political news in unexpected directions, and how White House candidates are aggressively monitoring and trying to master them.”
Edwards has a town hall in Hanover, NH. The Politico has an interview with Edwards in which it becomes clear, as noted, that he's no longer Mr. Nice Guy toward his rivals like he was in 2004. "Should Hillary Clinton apologize for backing the Iraq war? 'That is a moral decision she has to make'... Is George Bush a 'good man in difficult circumstances trying to do the right thing?' No, Edwards said. He is not. That nonbinding resolution against the Iraq troop surge favored by Barack Obama? 'Useless,' said Edwards. 'Exactly like a child standing in the corner and stomping his feet.'"
Gov. Bill Richardson gives an interview to the New York Times Magazine, in which he: repeats his statement that if he doesn't win the nomination, he's not interested in being the running mate or Secretary of State; says he's sure that Condoleezza Rice would prefer that he stay out of foreign policy (and probably thinks he's annoying); says he doesn't think the nation should be officially bilingual; basically admits to dieting whenever he's up for election, and claims he's lost 30 pounds in the past five months; and, declines to comment on Sen. Hillary Clinton's level of experience to be president.
The Politico also looks at who might become Pelosi's pick, and notes that Dodd "is considering asking Pelosi for her backing. He was one of the few presidential candidates who called Pelosi shortly after the November election to congratulate her."
