Oh, That Joe! (No. 18 in a Series) — Biden Loves the Jews, Says McCain Hates the Religious Right
At a speech to members of the National Jewish Democratic Council in Washington, D.C., Tuesday evening, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., started off his speech the way only Joe Biden can.
“1972 campaign," Biden said, "I was a 29-year-old kid nominated for president — excuse me, nominated for senator, nominated for senator, senator, from the state of Delaware."
Next, Biden was hit by a coughing fit.
“There’s a lot to talk about and uh, excuse me,” he said, stepping away from the podium to cough. “I made the mistake of actually grabbing a handful of peanuts before I walked out here, which you should never do, I know.”
“Thank you, Michael,” he said, as his friend Michael Adler handed him a much-needed glass of water.
Still, the senator was not yet ready to start his stump speech for the audience, launching into a joke about Jews that he found analogous to the presidential election.
“Every year, the Yeshiva crew team used to row against Harvard, and they’d get creamed every year — year in and year out, after a really tough loss, the coach of Yeshiva told his captain, he said:
"’Look, I want you to go spy on Harvard and figure out what, what is it that they do? I mean, how, how can they win?’ So, the captain of Yeshiva’s crew team went and hid in the bushes along the river and after a couple minutes watching, he figured it out. He had a cell phone, he called his coach, he said, ‘Coach, I’ve got it, I’ve got it, coach.’ He said, ‘The secret is they’ve got eight guys rowing and only one yelling.’"
The Jewish audience loved it, laughing loudly as Biden chuckled on stage.
“Well, that could be said about us Irish, as well,” said the Irish Catholic senator. “But the truth of the matter is, that’s what we need to be doing this election year -– we have to ignore all the malarkey, ignore all the distractions, ignore the e-mails, and get behind Barack Obama straight-up, folks.”
Eventually, Biden got to the meat of his remarks, highlighting his past support for Israel.
“I hope no one wonders where my heart is," the senator said, noting that his first trip abroad as a senator was to Israel. "I met, back in those days, with Prime Minister Golda Meir, which is one of the high points of my career. And she had sitting next to her, next to me in front of her desk, a guy named Rabin, who was her aide at the time."
Future Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Biden said.
"Since then, I’ve had a chance to meet with and get to know every Israeli prime minister, all nine," Biden said. “I’ve spent 35 years in my career dealing with issues related to Israel. My support for Israel begins in my stomach, goes to my heart and ends up in my head. And I promise you, I guarantee you, I guarantee you. I would not have joined Barack Obama’s ticket as vice president were I in any doubt, even the slightest doubt, that he shares the same commitment to Israel that I share. I guarantee it. It’s that simple. That is a fact.”
Biden urged the crowd not to believe Republican attacks on his record with Israel.
“So, folks, I hope we’re able to put to rest, put to rest some of the stuff that’s been going around, particularly, a Republican counterpart Jewish organization actually went after me, saying that I threatened to cut off aid to Israel. Things I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever did.”
Later Tuesday evening, at a fundraiser across town, Biden continued to focus on religion, accusing Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., of hating, but embracing, the religious right.
"The only place John has changed is with regard to the religious right, which he hates, but he’s embraced," Biden said to supporters at a Democratic Victory Fund event hosted by the American Association of Justice. "That’s the only change with John. The only change."
– Matthew Jaffe and Jake Tapper
Email
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
NO BAILOUT
Allow Drilling Now, use the income for that to help
Make Capitol gains tax ZERO for the next 6 -12 months to help stimulate growth
Wake up America, if the baiolout goes Paulson becomes the most powerful man in the country unfeathered by the people, he could funnel that money anywhere especially since he wants it all under wraps!
STOP the BAil oul Call you Congress!!
Posted by: spock | September 24, 2008, 10:40 am 10:40 am
Peanuts? Ah Ha! Finally the Carter connection revealed. Great investigative work, Jake. Does Jaffe owe you money? Is that why you are making sure his work gets ink? So he does not get laid off?
Posted by: ricky | September 24, 2008, 10:50 am 10:50 am
As a member of the Jake Tapper Young Fact Checkers, I must point out that Geevil did not mention 1929 TV in his latest post.
Posted by: ricky | September 24, 2008, 10:52 am 10:52 am
“My support for Israel begins in my stomach, goes to my heart and ends up in my head.”
If he’s writing his own material, I wouldn’t be suprised if he converts!
Posted by: Danny | September 24, 2008, 10:52 am 10:52 am
The New York Times writes about McCain’s and Obama’s conditions on the bailout plan. “Between them, the two men demanded that nine overlapping conditions for the bailout be met, most of them proposals they have already made. Mr. Obama went further Tuesday in outlining his conditions, calling for a payback for taxpayers if the bailout succeeds; a bipartisan board to oversee the bailout; limits on any federal money going to compensate Wall Street executives; and aid to homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages.”
==========
Once again, for those who question whether or not Obama has a plan, READ!
Posted by: beck | September 24, 2008, 10:54 am 10:54 am
I think it is unfair that Biden gets to make several statements a day while Palin can only go a day without a press conference once every 24 hours. Jake should change his Palin clock from days to hours to be fair. Unless he does he obviously favors the Dems.
Posted by: ricky | September 24, 2008, 10:56 am 10:56 am
I think if the people in the audience weren’t offended, then take a hint. Also drilling NOW won’t help anything until the year 2030 and even then it would be a couple of pennies a gallon. The better idea, imagine what the renewable resource community could do with even a fraction of the money proposed for wall st. I am not saying we shouldn’t bail them out, but just imagine, we wouldn’t even have a concern about oil. There is a startup company in Texas making bio-diesel out of algae, think of that not only is it self sustaining, it helps to draw CO2 out of the air. Or even the kid who just came up with the new solar cell that works more efficiently, he’s 12.
The point is not to reduce or stop our dependence on foreign oil, it’s to stop our dependence on Oil period.
Posted by: make it known | September 24, 2008, 10:58 am 10:58 am
McCain once famously called our current President Bush a “Pat Robertson Republican.” And not in a nice way.
Posted by: Danny | September 24, 2008, 10:58 am 10:58 am
No bailout: vote out any congressman/woman who votes for the bailout. Vote for the Presidential candidate who votes against the bailout. People this is not the time to be an ideological fool/party hack, these politicians worship and serve only the green back. Stop drinking their koolaid and let’s take our country back or future generations will curse our generation.
Posted by: julian | September 24, 2008, 11:02 am 11:02 am
Jpt – Do you only do this with Biden because you can’t post that many “Oh That McCain! (NO 10,112 in a series)”?
Posted by: Paige | September 24, 2008, 11:02 am 11:02 am
This story has been making the news lately Republican Jewish Coalition Funds Anti-Obama Push Poll Smears.
After determining the voter was Jewish, the pollster asked a series of questions that began with “Would you be more or less likely to vote for Barack Obama if you knew he …” followed by several claims, including: “was endorsed by a Hamas leader,” “was supported by Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan,” “belonged to a church that had anti-Israeli and anti-American views,” and “had closes ties to Palestinian leaders.”
This story is more serious then Biden making a joke. This Republican Jewish Coalition push poll smears are happening in key battleground states, MI, PA, OH and Fl. Clearly the misleading push poll smears deserve the medias attention? Or is it that Biden means more rating?
Posted by: Ruth | September 24, 2008, 11:02 am 11:02 am
In the very first comment way down at the bottom, Spock stated the Newt Gingricxh proposal for the bailout bill (without attribution). “Allow Drilling Now, use the income for that to help
Make Capitol gains tax ZERO for the next 6 -12 months to help stimulate growth.”
That’s a great idea. There will be no income (or oil) from offshore drilling for decades, but most capital gains for the next decade have been offset by losses in the last week.
Gingrich also proposed repeal of Sarbanes-Oxley, the accounting reforms adopted in the wake of Enron. Newt used to be satisfied shutting dowen the federal government. Now he wants to shut down the economy and prove he can, in the form of Ken Lay, resurrect the dead.
Posted by: ricky | September 24, 2008, 11:04 am 11:04 am
ricky
it may be that the rpess isn’t covering Palin
because she keeps repeating the exact same 500 words she said the first time we saw her.
and can’t answer questions
this election is a joke
Mccain palin …the worst ticket our nation has ever seen… in a time when we need the best.
Posted by: dl (the real one) | September 24, 2008, 11:04 am 11:04 am
HP Boston
we don’t use racism …
as much as we use the obvious stupidity between
voting for McCain now
just like the stupidity (that has now been proven) for Bush last time.
same people voting for Mccain that voted for Bush.
yeah that’s patriotic…not.
Posted by: dl (the real one) | September 24, 2008, 11:12 am 11:12 am
Where’s the “Oh, that Joe” moment? He told a Jewish joke to a Jewish crowd and stated a fairly well held opinion that McCain hates the religious right. With apologies to ricky, here’s a real “Oh, that Joe” moment:
“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened,’” Barack Obama’s running mate recently told the CBS Evening News.
The only problems with that statement are Herbert Hoover was president during the stock market crash of 1929 and television wasn’t invented until 1939.
Oh that Joe, keep ‘em coming! The things he has to say just to make the news!
BTW, McCain recently told a joke about drunk Irish twins at bar to a union crowd. At the very least we’re learning which groups can still be publicly offended this election season.
Posted by: Woody | September 24, 2008, 11:23 am 11:23 am
Is it me or does it seem that everything Joe Biden say is being scrutinized for a story of him making a gaffe that is out of sink with Obama?
The media and Barack Obama and the American people already know that Mr. Biden’s mouth has a bit of the runs. So why is it that ABC is making this non story a story. Biden says whatever comes to his tongue that doesnt mean that he has some maliscious intent everytime he speaks. Then go and ask him why he says the things he say maybe you will get a true story worth publishing out of the interview.
Otherwise, Give us a break already and go report on the incompetent pick McCaine made to be the Vise President.
Posted by: mal | September 24, 2008, 11:23 am 11:23 am
McCain is the sexist that is why he is hiding Sarah from the press and that is why he has treated his first wife and is treating his second wife with the different words. He believes that Sarah is a nice flower and should decorate his campaigns and nobody has to touch her at all. Everybody knows that McCain always had deep disdain for religious leaders in his party, that is the reason why he brought Sarah Evangelical Palin in the race as the VP candidate to nowhere.
Posted by: BKMC | September 24, 2008, 11:28 am 11:28 am
How is this news??? Biden is engaging and Palin is hidden away…
Posted by: jim | September 24, 2008, 11:38 am 11:38 am
mal said: “The media and Barack Obama and the American people already know that Mr. Biden’s mouth has a bit of the runs. So why is it that ABC is making this non story a story.”
Hey genius, this is a BLOG, not a news story. You probably consider Keith Olbermann to be a reporter…
Posted by: ynot4tony2 | September 24, 2008, 11:39 am 11:39 am
I like this Guy. He plays it straight and lays it straight.
He talks from his mind, fires on all Cylinders and doesn’t speak from both sides of his mouth as Politicians do.
Politicians will tell you what you wnat to hear but Biden tells you the way it is.
He has my vote.
Posted by: Dare Nigeria | September 24, 2008, 11:46 am 11:46 am
Jake – I think you are getting it all wrong. There is no doubt that Senator Biden has a tendency to sometimes say the wrong things at the wrong time. But every single “Oh that Joe” piece that I read, I see a man actually connecting with his audience and coming off as an everyday man. Some of his quotes might not look great in print, but I truly do think that overall he is making a very positive impact for Obama.
Posted by: Sunil | September 24, 2008, 11:56 am 11:56 am
Funny how the left / liberals excuse Biden’s comments & gaffes as ‘that’s just Joe’, but relish in any gaffe made by McCain and point to them as evidence he’s too old or just dumb.
As for the ‘McFannie’ references – look up who took the most money from Fannie / Freddie and you’ll see Biden & Obama at the top of the listings.
Posted by: John | September 24, 2008, 11:57 am 11:57 am
Perfect example of how ‘open’ and ‘hopeful’ the Obama / Biden campaign truly is:
“CNN asked Biden’s campaign whether it could ask the senator about his earmark requests and his votes on the Bridge to Nowhere.
In response, a staffer e-mailed, ‘You’ve interviewed Gov. Palin re: her completely made up position on the Bridge to Nowhere right?’ ”
Is that an answer? No – it’s a deflection. Must have learned that being a member of the ‘Most Ethical Congress Ever’ ala Pelosi / Reid.
Posted by: John | September 24, 2008, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
Joe Biden is right now giving a wonderful speech on MSNBC. He is sincere, eloquent, and connecting with the audience in an intelligent manner that effectively lays out the differences between Obama and McCain.
Posted by: winter99 | September 24, 2008, 12:07 pm 12:07 pm
Regardless of any unintentional gaffes by Biden, at least he is open, available, and putting his country first. Biden is speaking now on TV and building a wonderful case against John McCain. WHERE IS SARAH PALIN? As a matter of fact, WHERE ARE SARAH PALIN’S TAX RETURNS? WHERE IS SARAH PALIN IN THE ORIGINAL TROOPERGATE INVESTIGATION? If McCain wants to talk MIA, it’s clear that he is so embarrassed by Palin, he will not allow her to speak at all, thereby eliminating any opportunity for gaffes. MCCAIN IS NOT PUTTING COUNTRY FIRST!!!!
Posted by: das2 | September 24, 2008, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
das2, a few speeches on TV mean nothing. Anyone can do those. Even Little Mahmoud the crazy nut from Iran, who’s one of Biden’s new friends.
Posted by: Hell's Penguin | September 24, 2008, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
Oh, and Biden’s not saying the same thing over and over?
“Voted 90% of the time with Bush!!!”
“Failed policies of George W. Bush !!!”
“$ More Years of the Bush Administration!!!”
Talking point broken record with a bad laugh track.
Posted by: JRinLA | September 24, 2008, 12:33 pm 12:33 pm
Meant “4 More Years of the Bush Administration!!”
Gotta watch the overuse of caps.
Posted by: JRinLA | September 24, 2008, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
Is it just me or does Biden seem to confuse vouching for someone with campaigning for someone. The last several of these installments (which I love), have been Biden saying, “I promise you, Obama [always][never] [insert hot topic position du jour].” That’s meaningless. How about some cogent arguments? How about something more than a man’s word, especially when that man has spent 2/3rd of his life in Washington.
Posted by: Dan | September 24, 2008, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm
I watched one of his campaign events today and it was PAINFUL. He kept reading the same phrases twice and used the word “bluster” to describe McCain what seemed like 100 times. And they say McCain is old. This guy is practically senile. I can’t believe he really went to college or law school. Has anyone checked? Perhaps he made that up too.
Posted by: Suzy | September 24, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
ricky – Ok right now we receive nothing from drilling since we do not drill, the dems thou in there push against oil state we give 700 Billion dollars away a year to foreign countries, wee there you go,
As far as Capital gains we have the second highest tax on that the first being China, you want to know why other countries got away from it, it stops growth
How is this news??? McCain is engaging and Obama is hidden away…
Posted by: spock | September 24, 2008, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
Biden rocks. The speech he made in Cincy today was great. Turns out, nobody actually cares about the gaffes. He’s no delicate little flower, that’s for sure – not scared of those mean ol’ reporters!
Posted by: Tungsten | September 24, 2008, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
Why should not Biden go on his Network channels , Biden is one of the main stream medias bosses, they will not ask him anything.
Why is not Obama talking! Why is Obama hiding!!
Or did I wake up and the 2nd on the tickets become the first!!
Oh by the way does any one want Biden at the button?
WHERE IS Barack Hussein Obama? As a matter of fact, WHERE ARE Barack Hussein Obama’S TAX RETURNS? WHERE IS Barack Hussein Obama’s Birth Certificate? Barack Hussein Obama’s College thesis? Barack Hussein Obama’s State Senate Record? Barack Hussein Obama’s listing of what he did as a Community Organizer? Barack Hussein Obama’s listing of what he did with Bill Ayers? Barack Hussein Obama’s work with Rezko?
Anybody know??
Oh but you libs don’t care!!
You care more about whether someone can type or the second on a ticket!!
I know you fear Palin, because she is proof you do not have to be a Hippy throwback to champion Womens rights!!
Posted by: spock | September 24, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
They should get Biden a teleprompter! Hey, Bammy can lend him his – I hear he is studying hard for the debate of Friday! Lol!
Posted by: Beckie | September 24, 2008, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
While the Biden yukes just keep on rolling…
Do you seriously consider him a potential successor to a president?
Admittedly, some of the gaffes are more humorous than others, but what happens when Biden’s gaffes are made when it really counts?
In short, the guy is a habitual liar or a delusional head case.
Posted by: Captain America | September 24, 2008, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
Captain, you bet I think Biden can take up the job. And tonight’s NBC/WSJ poll will say that 64% agree with me while only 21% disagree. In contrast, 49% say Palin’s unqualified.
But go ahead and attack Biden! Really, you should. Please. People really care! Spend all of your time and energy on that!
The VP becomes a serious issue really only when people are worried that the pres. candidate might die. And only one of the candidates is 72 with much prior cancer (and no real release of health records).
Posted by: Tungsten | September 24, 2008, 2:06 pm 2:06 pm
Is there anyway the democrats can let go of Biden and get somebody else. He keeps making all these stupid and at times insulting comments. If this is how he normally acts (which everyone says is typical) then I do not want him in the White House where he could insult foreign leaders.
Posted by: Mick | September 24, 2008, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
Oh that Joe! I love these stories. He’s a reliable source for misspeaks. He’s also a well intentioned buffoon, so I don’t feel bad laughing at his antics. It’s the only funny thing about this campaign.
Posted by: Annie | September 24, 2008, 7:39 pm 7:39 pm
I don’t get it. McCain has always hated the religious right. This isn’t a secret. I’m from South Carolina – that where they create the religious right – and that’s where Lee Atwater put lies about John McCain’s kids in church bulletins.
And Spock, Once again, I challenge you to come up with some facts. There is virtually no evidence – and no prominent petroleum leader – and no economist who will say that drilling in Alaska can solve our current economic problems. WE CAN”T DRILL OUR WAY OUT OF IT. The United States has about 2% of the world’s known oil reserves. That is not a typo – that is from the petroleum industry – look it up in Oil and Gas Journal. The math just doesn’t work. I am a geologist – and I am not against drilling in ANWR. I just know how long it takes from exploration to production and the people who are claiming this as a solution are either delusional or lying. I believe Governor Palin believes herself to be an energy expert – citing that Alaska supplies 20% of US energy. Not even close. Alaska provides less than 4% of US energy – and the Prudhoe Bay reserves were decent – if extremely expensive.
Posted by: mara | September 24, 2008, 8:43 pm 8:43 pm
Ruth – I agree with you completely. The push-polls are striaght out of the Atwater playbook – something that John McCain, back when he had honor would never approve of. But the beauty of it was that the fools got some savy Jewish grandmothers in Florida who demanded their company, their names and their corporate phone numbers – after they asked “Would you vote for Obama if you knew that he gave money to the PLO.” The old ladies said that it was undemocratic and UnAmerican. Hurrah for them – and I agree – PP has positioned itself as the Jewish election monitor. So go monitor Sarah Palin and her church. In the last month, a well-known anti-semitic evangelical leader spoke there – said that the Jews were responsible for the war – and then passed a special collection basket to further his odious cause.
Posted by: mara | September 24, 2008, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm
At the Wasilla Assembly of God in May, 2005, at 1:20 in the video, the preacher says to the anti-semitic Palin who is praying during the Daily Kos video: “It’s high time that we have top Christian businessmen, businesswomen, bankers, you know, who are men and women of integrity running the economics of our nations. That’s what we are waiting for. That’s part and parcel of transformation. If you look at the — you know — if you look at the Israelites, that’s how they work. And that’s how they are, even today.”
Palin is there, we see her receive preacher Muthee’s blessing. It’s a horrible sight.
We are not supposed to ask questions, or see her in press conferences. We are supposed to delay the VP debate, so she cannot be challenged about this.
At least Joe Biden is not anti-semitic.
Posted by: sherry | September 24, 2008, 11:26 pm 11:26 pm
“WHERE ARE SARAH PALIN’S TAX RETURNS?”
They were released a while back. She has a wealth of around like $250,000 at best in stocks. Maybe you should google a bit more.
Posted by: Kaitian | September 25, 2008, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Vice President Biden may SAY he neverhe never threatened Israel with sanctions and may DENY the Republican Jewish Coalition charges but Menachem Begin’s official biographer backs the RJC up and refutes the Vice President’s denial.s
As for his “joke” about Yeshivah University’s rowing team i am Jewish and I DON”T think it’s funny at all !!!!
Posted by: Steve | June 1, 2009, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm