Biden, Biden, Biden. Everybody’s talking about Biden. I’ve rounded up some of the more interesting stuff below.
Start, of course, with Grist’s fact sheet on Biden’s environmental record and our interview with Biden on environmental issues.
Other green stuff: see a 2007 rundown on Biden from the League of Conservation Voters and this recent roundup from Greenpeace on his eco-record (I think they get the liquid-coal thing wrong — more on that later).
Here are Obama’s comments introducing Biden. Clear what they’re after here: combination of working class authenticity and foreign policy strength. Here are Biden’s full remarks. Here’s video of both:
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Here’s an NYT roundup on Biden’s positions on other issues and an NYT profile. Here’s another, better, longer profile from the Chicago Tribune, published early in the primary season. Here’s a pictoral history of Biden from TNR.
Joe Biden has the lowest net worth of any U.S. Senator. The Drum Major Institute gives Biden a 95% score on middle class issues. The One campaign says Biden has a great record on the global poor. Then again, Jackson Williams recalls Biden’s shameful support of the 2005 Bankruptcy Bill.
Biden is notoriously horrible on drug war, criminal justice, and civil liberty issues. Libertarian Radley Balko goes ballistic.
Here head AP political reporter Ron Fournier, who actually considered working for the McCain campaign earlier this campaign season, writes an “analysis” of the Biden choice that is unabashed McCain campaign talking points. Embarrassing. Steven Benen bashes it, and traces AP’s horrendous record during the campaign. Steven Clemons pushes back in his typically civil way.
Numbers guru Nate Silver analyzes the choice using, well, numbers. He’s fairly optimistic. This letter from a reader to Mark Halperin also captures the benefits of the Biden choice. Campaign reporter Marc Ambinder has some interesting reflections. Even Hillary Clinton approves!
Longtime D.C. insider types David Brooks and Jonathan Alter both called out Biden as the best choice last week.
Biden’s son is deploying to Iraq next year. Steven Waldman says Biden is serious about his Catholicism.
Some good stuff on Biden’s record from a Nevada journalist, including this tidbit:
In May 2002 Public Citizen, a research group founded by Ralph Nader, reported that Biden is one of only seven members of the Senate who have taken no money from the nuclear power industry in political action committee contributions from 1997 to 2002 (Hot Waste, Cold Cash: Nuclear Industry PAC Contributions and the Senators Who Love Them [PDF]).
Steve Clemons says that Americans will be very impressed when they meet Biden’s wife Jill.
Huffington Post has rounded up more good Biden videos here.
UPDATE: Dave Weigel, a Delawarian (Delawarite?), runs down the three best and three worst things about the Biden pick.
