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Take a look at Joe Biden--There's a lot in him for Progressives

By Janet Crane, Ph.D, PDA MA 6th Congressional District chapter
December 22, 2007

There are progressives working on Senator Joe Biden's campaign, and I want to encourage PDA members to scrutinize the man and his record more carefully, then consider joining us in supporting and working for him. Progressives appear to have too quickly overlooked Biden's liberal and impressive record in his 34 years in the Senate, representing Delaware-a state that truly straddles the South and the North.

If one surveys the ratings of human rights, civil rights, labor, and environmental organizations, Biden is one of the most liberal Senators. His composite long-term rating by the League of Conservation Voters is the highest among the senators running for president. Biden entered politics as a county councilman, and began to establish himself as a voice for small businesses, for the environment, and for civil rights.

Although Biden voted incorrectly in 2002 for the infamous permission on Iraq, his record on Iraq has since been the most innovative and courageous of anyone in Congress.

Biden is strongly against the war but believes if we have troops in harm's way we must protect them and we must support them. He (with Republican Sam Brownback) has authored the only workable political solution for Iraq that would allow us to bring the troops home--a federal system with a weak central government. This proposal received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress and among Iraqis (but not by the puppet Malaki government). Biden understands the situation in Iraq and the major players in the region better than any other presidential candidate. He is recognized and respected for his expertise not just on Iraq but on foreign affairs in general. He has been chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since January and has often been mentioned as being ideally qualified to be Secretary of State. As Biden tells his audiences, he is not interested in that job, but wouldn't you want someone qualified to be Secretary of State as your president? I surely do, and the fact that he is regularly consulted by foreign heads of state--particularly in the troublesome parts of the world--gives me hope.

Biden almost single-handedly fought to recognize and intervene in the Bosnian genocide of the 1990s, finally convincing a reluctant President Clinton. Biden likes to point out that when such interventions are done correctly not a single life needs to be lost. He is for a similar intervention in Darfur.

Biden regularly says that his proudest accomplishment is co-authorship of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). He is currently working toward an international act with the same title and protections.

Biden was chairman of the Judiciary Committee for eight years and has sat on that committee for most of his years in the Senate. His most notable accomplishment was leading the hearings against Robert Bork--during which Biden's understanding of constitutional law and its protections of individual privacy became legendary. He was the examiner who probed most deeply into the troubling aspects of Clarence Thomas's qualifications.

Biden, to sum up, is a consensus-builder. He truly is a uniter, not a divider. He works well with and displays admirable collegiality with all his colleagues in the Senate. In these partisan days, I am confident Biden will heal many of the wounds and bring the country together as no other candidate can. He is a warm, compassionate man, and he is a man of principle. I think it's important for progressives to know that after 36 years of public service, Biden remains one of the poorest (in terms of personal wealth) members of the Senate. He has served because he loves doing it. When he walks into a room his passion for his job and his interest in other people immediately become obvious.

He brings to his candidacy knowledge of and experience with foreign affairs, crime, education, judicial issues, and the workings of government that the country badly needs. He is the one person ready to step into the Oval Office and immediately begin undoing the damage to our civil liberties, healing our national bitterness, and elevating our international standing. When divisiveness and experience are major issues (as they are in this campaign), one finds the perfect answer in Joe Biden. He is electable.

I would welcome being contacted by anyone interested in learning more about Senator Biden or working on his campaign. We are active now in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. We need folks in South Carolina. Janet Crane, Ph.D, Salem School Committee; Chair, PDA Chapter Massachusetts 6th Congressional District. Email: janet.crane@comcast.net  Tel: 978 304-2630.

Visit Biden's campaign site  and read a great article analyzing the NPR debate. 

Please share with us on our blog what you or your chapter will be doing in the coming weeks pertaining to the presidential races.