Biden wasn't always defending Obama...

Posted: Thursday, July 17, 2008 1:18 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Joe Biden

From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
While Joe Biden is defending Obama over the Illinois senator's lack of subcommittee hearings on the issue of Afghanistan, opponents of Obama's candidacy have reminded us of some unflattering things the then-Biden campaign said on this topic.

On Aug. 1, 2007, when Obama unveiled his counterterrorism agenda, the Biden camp fired off a snarky email congratulating him for his "Johnny-come-lately position" on Afghanistan, noting that during two Foreign Relations Committee hearings on Afghanistan and other subjects, Obama didn't ask questions about the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or Afghanistan. (We also wrote on it here.)

“We find it a little disingenuous that Sen. Obama is hailing this as a new bold initiative when he has neglected to join his colleagues in the Senate when the opportunities have been there to redirect our forces into Afghanistan” Biden campaign manager Luis Navarro said at the time. “It’s good to see Sen. Obama has finally arrived at the right position, but this can hardly be considered bold leadership.” Ouch.

Biden's office passed along this response: "I doubt many people would be surprised to find out that Senator Biden and Obama ran against each other last year," Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander wrote First Read. "Unlike Senator McCain, Senator Obama understands that the responsibility of the next president goes beyond being commander-in-chief for Iraq -- he has to be commander-in-chief for America's security in the world. That's why he supports re-centering our foreign policy and beginning a responsible redeployment of American combat forces from Iraq."

EMAIL THIS

Comments

nothing more up to date to cover? if mccain has opened his mouth today most likely, from a historical stand point, he's surely made some ludicrous statement that insulted some group of people, or made blatant lies about his opponnet, or at the very least mentioned some plan to burn some nation off the face of the earth, maybe you guy's should try covering that instead? surprise everyone and try it just one time, try something out of character once.

MK,MO (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:06 PM)

Is this anything like McCain and Romney going after each other during the primary campaign?
Not even close!
OBAMA and BIDEN 08

JB, MI (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:07 PM)

The fact that McCain has missed the most critical senate votes recently should be a scandal. But the media is mostly silent on that.

McCain is even taking credit for Webb's GI bill, which McCain opposed and missed.

End Game (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:07 PM)

Biden is just another Democratic hack with his nose firmly up Obama's beHind. The big thing Obama and Biden have in common is that they are both elitist snobs.
*****************
You are so right; they are such elitist! Especially that Obama! Flying around the country campaigning in his wife's plane, what nerve!.....Oh wait that's the McCain's!

Ann DC (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:09 PM)

Why is no one talking about the impeachment proceedings and how Nancy Pelosi virtually made it impossible to work? Why is Congress sooooo afraid of this administration? Where is all the complaints from Americans about all the laws the Bush Administration has broken? Where is the media? How can the attorney general just decide not to pursue it? Can he be removed? What is going on in this country? If it was anyone of us we would have been locked up immediately. I am so disgusted.

New Independent (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:11 PM)

This is just some more garbage that needs to be swept under the rug. Looks like a job for the Twist and Fabricate the News Division at the NYTimes.

Jayson C. Blair NY (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:13 PM)

From the previous GOP/FirstRead hit piece on Obama: "Barack Obama has determined that he would rather lose a war that we are winning than lose an election by alienating his base.'

Honest journalists would note that McCain is lying; Obama NEVER said he wants to lose any wars. Shame on FirstRead from spreading McCain's libel.

Houston (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:13 PM)

camie "mccain has missed more votes in the senate then any other senator"
----------
Shhh!!! That's not the kind of thing that you're supposed to mention on FirstRead. It messes up their "narrative." Manufacturing narratives is the business of the corporate media. Mere reporting of facts has been relegated to the indie media, which the corporate media can then safely ignore.

Houston (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:17 PM)

The spin by Obama supporters on this site is amazing!

My hope is that when these same posters recognize the Obama campaign using past statements by Republican candidates against Sen. McCain, you will acknowledge, at least inwardly, your hypocrisy as you find ways to justify Obama's tactics.

CRM, Mesa, Arizona (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:20 PM)

I guess if you define "Right" to be what ever is currently rattling around in the head of Obama. Hard to tell if Obama is truly right about anything. All of his ideas have purely theoretical to this point.

Pure Maze, Washington State (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:21 PM)

Ryan and Colleen -- we ran this Romney quote about McCain earlier this morning in First Thoughts. "I frankly don't think that Senator McCain, despite his service and his length of experience, that that's going to be able to stand up to the message that Barack Obama has brought forward," he said. "I think Barack Obama would be able to do to John McCain exactly what he was able to do to the other senators who are running on the Democratic side." http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/17/1203669.aspx Thanks for posting and the feedback.

Mark Murray (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:23 PM)

The big thing Obama and Biden have in common is that they are both elitist snobs.
Fannie Mae Banks
------------------------------------------------------
This coming from someone who supports a candidate with a beer heiress multi-millionaire wife that owns how many houses? 16? Yeah, okay.
Diane from Illinois

----------

You don't need to be rich to be an elitist. You don't need to be smart to be a snob. Two facts Obama proves everyday.

Fannie Mae Banks (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:23 PM)

Obama will always play catch up....he doesn't have the experience to do anything else. 50 year old dem with no one to vote for, it'll hurt like heck, but I'll push the button for McCain.

Bill, Cool Springs (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:27 PM)

Me like First read, it use lots of words, says nothing, me no like to think.
Me got to go now, must shine club.
A Paleolithic Republican.

Paleolthic Republican (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:29 PM)

Wow, First Read - let's see you apply this same type of "reporting" on McWar.

Kate, Atlanta (Sent Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:30 PM)

<< Previous

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1204594