VP Vetting–Oh Biden Doesn’t Count –It’s a Man’s World
Sep 2nd, 2008 by David Anderson
If we want to talk about earmarks according to the Washington Post Hunter Biden’ firm received 3.4 million in earmarks from Senator Obama. Senators Obama and Biden have the earmark thing down. It is even a family affair. There is nothing illegal or immoral about this. It just stands in contrast to McCain who did no earmarks and fights for a better way. I also think it makes a joke out of stories critical of Palin for doing her job as mayor and getting aid for her town to build legitimate projects ($500,000 for a youth shelter, $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs, and $15 million for a rail project).
How about the lawsuit on Hunter? This is likely sour grapes, but it does go to the campaign because the allegation is that the position was created for one reason, his father was running for President. “Hunter Biden was made president with an annual salary of $1.2 million, despite his inexperience in the hedge fund industry, the lawsuit said.” Read Delaware Online article.
What does all this really mean? Not much. It will all work out. Biden did nothing criminal, and his father shouldn’t be held responsible for his noncriminal actions. Please don’t take offense Hunter, if your side of the story is correct it will work out. Why did I not hammer this issue which goes to actual government policy? The nature of the evidence counts, Hunter’s side is plausible and may carry the day. There is no evidence that it involved Senator Biden. Hunter recused himself from lobbying his father. By the wild standard advocated by some, no one in government would qualify for Vice President, including our own Senator. I just thought it interesting if it were equally applied. Even stranger is the new found attention on family connections, being sued for fraud in a firm that you hired on allegedly because of your father’s influence is more serious than sleeping with your fiance. The truth is neither should be public father at this time. The first because the evidence hasn’t appeared to substantiate it; the second because it is a private matter. That hasn’t stopped the press. Maybe we should tell them how we feel then and only then will it stop.
There was a concern that Hunter Biden’s role as a lobbyist would have an impact on the senator’s proposed presidential run,” Wille said. “That’s what James Biden told Mr. Lotito. … Was it true? Who knows? There is no allegation the senator was involved in any of these events.”
In an affidavit, Hunter Biden said his father had nothing to do with the deal and that it is Lotito who swindled the Bidens.
He said Lotito lied about being a “fully licensed and accredited securities professional” with hedge fund experience.In addition, he said Lotito recommended an attorney to vet the business deal who was under investigation and was ultimately convicted of several felony charges for conspiracy and wire and mail fraud in a scheme to steal millions from a computer company.
In the hedge fund business deal, Lotito and the Bidens created a company called LLB Holdings USA and together agreed to pay $21.3 million for 54 percent interest in Paradigm.
In the lawsuit, Lotito said that soon after creating LLB, the Bidens crafted a “secret deal” to create their own company that was designed to buy out his shares in Paradigm for a low rate, to which he agreed. He said he knew nothing of the secret deal until later and now believes he was defrauded out of millions of dollars and his share in the company.
Just read everything I could find on the suit. All evidence points to a blackmail attempt by “Lolita” (sic) to get hush money because Biden is VP…
The lawsuit contends that even though a business deal was transacted legally and agreed to by both parties, “Lolita” (sic) now thinks he was taken advantage of and now wants more money…..
Perhaps come November, if Biden is elected, you may get your tort reform….
I think Hunter will be vindicated. Lolita was out manuvered and as I said now has sour grapes. The story does show how Washington works. If your lobbying firm has the Securities clients, they can create a 1.2 million dollar job for you that you had little to no experience in. Then again, it works for President.
I am sure that you see that I am pointing out the different media standards. Obviously, I am not attacking the Bidens. They are good people, if occassionally misguided in policy.
David,
Sorry to hrow it in here, but it was the latest post on the VP candidates.
“” HOLY hoop skirts: When did the clock tick back to 1958?
When Joe Biden tragically lost his wife and infant daughter in a car wreck in 1972, not a single colleague, friend or competitor advised him to quit his newly won Senate seat to raise his two little surviving sons.
Rather, he was sworn into office from the injured boys’ bedside, and took to commuting an hour and a half each way from Delaware to Washington. And when Biden’s second wife gave birth to a daughter, no one thought to ask him to step aside and stay home. ” – Andrea Peyser NY Post
Double Standard for males and females?
On top of that, Hillary and Bill had a 12yrold in the WH. Did Hillary drive her to school everyday and wait when she came home with milk and cookies? or was she globe-trotting, building up that experience she so highly touted during her campaign for Pres?
That makes it a Democratic double standard too.
I love watching the fringe on the left implode their own candidate. This issue will undoubtedly come back to bite them.
Joe Biden’s remarks about the kids being off limits was a political move, but it might have also been a move of self preservation. He knows that his family story is less than perfect as well and that if the media continues this Palin bloodbath, he could very well end up drowning in it.
You guys are clueless. If you want to know what the actual public thinks, take a look at the National Enquirer cover. If you think that’s the kind of publicity the national party was hoping for, good luck to you.
The National Inquirer? That’s a joke right.
I only look at that to get my Big Foot sighting updates, not political ones.
Sorry I meant Sasquatch.
John, why do you make things like this up: “When Joe Biden tragically lost his wife and infant daughter in a car wreck in 1972, not a single colleague, friend or competitor advised him to quit his newly won Senate seat to raise his two little surviving sons.”
Seriously, John, how do you know that?
Do you realize what you do to your credibility when you do this?
It has been reported that Biden considered not taking his Senate seat, but was advised to take it by some colleagues.
He did make a commitment to spend as much time as possible with his boys, and did exactly that, for many years, correct?
This speaks volumes about his character regarding his priority on his commitment to his family.
I doubt that you would ever volunteer info like this, as you have not yet cleaned the fog off of your partisan spectacles. Perhaps there is yet some hope, hopefully!
When it comes to US Weekly and National Enquirer, I think what you hope is that they spell your name right. As long as they don’t have pictures or tapes of really bad stuff, they are a non-factor. Then again Star had the Jennifer Flowers tapes and it didn’t matter. Quite frankly, it shouldn’t have.
That does go back to John Feroce’s double standard. Why would Bill Clinton stay in the race and put his 12 year old daughter through that? The real answer is that it is not our call. Did the same people have a problem with that aspect? Now someone who has done everything right shouldn’t run because of—I don’t even understand the reason. I think the real reason is that Sarah Palin frees the conservative movement from GWB and like Bobby Jindal brings it into the reform generation. That is the greatest threat the hard left can imagine.
Most Americans would like to choose from two good parties with differing views, what they want is to win by the GOP becoming a tarnished relic like the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. It was so ruined by Brian Mulroney that it went from 151 to 2 seats. That is what the left hopes the GOP will do. McCain showed that he is in it to win not just in this election, but in the future. That terrifies the left wing establishment.
“Most Americans would like to choose from two good parties with differing views”
Which is precisely why I wish folks like Sarah Palin and her hyper-Christian social conservative wacko brethren would break off and form their own party, leaving behind a Republican party that is concerned with fiscal responsibility and good government instead of telling people what to do with their personal lives and trying to inject religious ideology into the public educational system. If such a Republican party existed, they might actually sway me away from voting straight D all the time.
“leaving behind a Republican party that is concerned with fiscal responsibility and good government instead of telling people what to do with their personal lives and trying to inject religious ideology into the public educational system.,” said JohnnyX,
Then you need to vote McCain Palin. That is exactly the record they have–their real record not the ginned up one.
“Then you need to vote McCain Palin. That is exactly the record they have–their real record not the ginned up one.”
David Anderson, master comedian. You should have your own HBO special.
To clarify my previous post with just a couple examples, DA:
- McCain voted for the “Defense of Marriage Act.” How precisely is that an example of him not telling people what to do with their personal lives?
- In February 2007, McCain spoke at an event sponsored by the Discovery Institute. While McCain has professed a personal “belief in evolution,” I’m sorry – as a science educator, any candidate who acknowledges the Discovery Institute as having even a shred of credibility is not receiving my vote.
Why they don’t vote? Are they not citizens? You are pretty intolerant. Agreeing with you is not enough, you don’t think other people should even be recognized and you are a teacher? I hope not.
The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law by Bill Clinton. The local one was signed by Tom Carper. Big Republicans aren’t they? The Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr wrote the law. Are you voting Green Party? Senator Obama said he supports the traditional definition of marriage. I don’t see much difference between he and McCain on that issue. Neither would have gotten the nomination if they took your position.
The Defense of Marriage Act didn’t change any marriage laws. It stood by the existing law and under Congress’ authority under its expressed powers in Article 1 section 8, it defined which marriage contracts would be subject to the good faith and credit clause of the Constitution and what the federal government would recognize. That was an area they had the responsibility to define. I wish McCain would support the Constitutional Amendment like Bush, but he doesn’t at this time. You should be happy with him and I shouldn’t.
The Discovery Institute’s entire raison d’etre is to force religion-based, non-scientific discourse into public school science classrooms where it simply does not belong. While I recognize their existence and their right to have an opinion, I view them with nothing but the highest level of disdain. If McCain wants to pander to the evangelical vote by associating himself with them, then fine, that’s his choice. Quite an odd one considering he claims to “believe in evolution.” It certainly doesn’t help my opinion of him any.
Last I checked, Obama has called for overturning the defense of marriage act. I could be wrong on that but that’s what I was able to find in a quick search. Supporting the traditional definition of marriage would be a place I disagree with him, but I still agree with him on far more issues than I do McCain. Regarding voting green party – I have in fact voted that way before in local elections. Unfortunately given our current state of affairs on the national level your only real choices are D or R. And as long as R has a christofascist slant to it, I doubt I’ll be swinging that way. Sorry.
I was going on the statement Senator Obama made during the Rick Warren forum. You and I are both right oddly enough. He says he supports keeping the definition of marriage between one man and one woman with allowances for civil unions. Yet he signed a pledge and took out advertisements in gay publications saying he favors the repeal of DOMA. I took him at his word and did not research that question further. I also see the Democratic Party Platform calls for the repeal of DOMA for the first time. Radical stuff. It is out of line with 70% of the people with something they feel strongly about.
Why is the fact that Mr. Obama is only 6.25% African Negro not reported?
Because to acknowledge it is to report this devastating truth about
him: Mr. Obama is not legally African-American. It is impossible for
him to be, in truth, America’s first African-American president.
Federal law requires that to claim a minority status, you must be at
least 1/8 of the descriptor, but for the sake of this article, I’ve
converted it to a decimal fraction for easier comprehension. You must
be at least 12.5% of the racial component you claim for minority
status. Mr. Obama, claiming to be African-American, is half the legal
threshold.
Again, to let it sink in: Mr. Obama is not legally African-American.
It is impossible for him to be, in truth, America’s first
African-American president.
http://kennethelamb.blogspot.com/2008/02/barak-obama-questions-about-ethnic.html