Biden’s Baggage « The Washington Independent
Jul 31, 20209.8K Shares989.1K Views
DENVER — Much has been made of the alleged Senate curse in the race for the presidency. You know the theory: Because lawmakers, over their tenure in Washington, almost inevitably have voted for some bill that’s controversial or benefits contributors or somehow runs counter to a declared stance, it opens political opponents to attacks of poor judgment, cronyism or hypocrisy. (The last sitting senator to be elected to the White House was John F. Kennedy.)
Well, the same vulnerability applies also to vice-presidential contenders — particular when they’ve been in Washington since 1973, as Sen. Joseph Biden has. Indeed, not a week has passed since Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama named Biden as his running mate, and the press is already digging through the Delaware senator’s long voting record. From today’s USA Today:
“„Sen. Joe Biden worked to defeat a bipartisan bill designed to curb asbestos lawsuits at a time his son’s law firm was filing them in Delaware and a former aide was lobbying against the measure…
This is an odd case because Biden had close ties operating on both sides of the asbestos issue. But in a White House contest boasting three sitting senators already, this certainly won’t be the last time we’ll see this past-voting theme surface.
Remember, for example, when McCain voted against Bush’s tax cuts?
Hajra Shannon
Reviewer
Latest Articles
Popular Articles