Biden on Gay Marriage: 'Absolutely Comfortable With Men Marrying Men, Women Marrying Women'
Vice President Joe Biden is not convinced the economic recovery has flatlined, doesn't think Mitt Romney has a jobs plan and is "absolutely comfortable" with gay marriage.
During a wide-ranging interview with David Gregory on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday, Biden weighed in on a wide range of topics--the economy, foreign policy, gay marriage, blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangjang, Mitt Romney and Osama bin Laden--six months ahead of the general election.
Biden said "it's not a concern" that job growth appears to have stagnated because "there is no stagnation."
"There were four million jobs lost in the six months or so before we came to office," Biden said. "Before I lowered my right hand on Jan. 20 [2009], we lost 700,000 jobs that month. And before we got out first major economic initiative passed, we lost another 3.5 million jobs. Since that point, it's been steady growth, not enough. There's still a lot of people in trouble. But there's no stagnation.
"I come from a household where whenever there was a massive recession, somebody around that table was gonna lose their job," Biden continued. "Here's the deal. What is Romney proposing? He's proposing, as to quote Bill Clinton, 'going back to the last policy of the last administration on steroids.' I mean, what is [Romney] talking about? He talks about another $2 trillion in tax cuts for the very wealthy. Is that how he's gonna do it? Is he gonna create jobs by continuing to undercut getting people to college and helping them get there by undercutting education? Is he gonna continue to create jobs by eliminating investments in research and development? I mean, what, what's the plan? We've seen this movie before."
While Biden wouldn't say if the Obama administration would support gay-marriage legislation in a second term, he expressed his personal views on the topic:
DAVID GREGORY: And you're comfortable with same-sex marriage now?VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: I-- I-- look, I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction-- beyond that.
DAVID GREGORY: In a second term, will this administration come out behind same-sex marriage, the institution of marriage?
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:
,
Well, I-- I-- I can't speak to that. I-- I-- I-- I don't know the answer to that.DAVID GREGORY: You questioned Romney's bona fides on foreign policy in a wide area. But in this particular area, you said, "Bin Laden is dead, GM is alive. Could you say that slogan in reverse for Governor Romney?" And it's striking, Mr. Vice President, given that at the H-hour of D-day for this operation, you told this president, "Don't do it. Don't do it now," is what you said. And yet you're saying Governor Romney should be questioned? When that was your judgment at the time?
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:
That-- that's a valid point. I don't know what Governor-- I didn't say he wouldn't.
But Biden hinted the country would be less safe in a Romney presidency. "Based on what [he] has said, for example, him saying our archenemy, I'm paraphrasing, is Russia. Oh, he called it the Soviets. If that's his prism through which he views our national security interest, I would say it would not be as strong."
He also addressed bin Laden's apparent criticism of his ability to step in as president in a letter--released last week--in which the terror leader concluded " Biden is totally unprepared for that post."
"Osama bin Laden's been wrong about a lot of things," he said on Sunday. "I hope he was wrong about that."
Biden added that he wasn't sure if he'd be interested in running in 2016, with or without Hillary Clinton. But he's locked into the 2012 ticket.
"There's no way out," he said. "I mean, they've already printed Obama-Biden."
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VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: I-- I-- look, I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction-- beyond that.
DAVID GREGORY: In a second term, will this administration come out behind same-sex marriage, the institution of marriage?
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:
Well, I-- I-- I can't speak to that. I-- I-- I-- I don't know the answer to that.
Later in the interview, Biden conceded his public criticism of Romney regarding Osama bin Laden was hypocritical.
DAVID GREGORY: You questioned Romney's bona fides on foreign policy in a wide area. But in this particular area, you said, "Bin Laden is dead, GM is alive. Could you say that slogan in reverse for Governor Romney?" And it's striking, Mr. Vice President, given that at the H-hour of D-day for this operation, you told this president, "Don't do it. Don't do it now," is what you said. And yet you're saying Governor Romney should be questioned? When that was your judgment at the time?
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:
That-- that's a valid point. I don't know what Governor-- I didn't say he wouldn't.
But Biden hinted the country would be less safe in a Romney presidency. "Based on what [he] has said, for example, him saying our archenemy, I'm paraphrasing, is Russia. Oh, he called it the Soviets. If that's his prism through which he views our national security interest, I would say it would not be as strong."
He also addressed bin Laden's apparent criticism of his ability to step in as president in a letter--released last week--in which the terror leader concluded " Biden is totally unprepared for that post."
"Osama bin Laden's been wrong about a lot of things," he said on Sunday. "I hope he was wrong about that."
Biden added that he wasn't sure if he'd be interested in running in 2016, with or without Hillary Clinton. But he's locked into the 2012 ticket.
"There's no way out," he said. "I mean, they've already printed Obama-Biden."
More popular Yahoo! News stories:
• Bin Laden letter: Kill Obama, leave 'totally unprepared' Biden alone
• Obama's Cinco de Mayo wish: Signing the Dream Act
• Romney's VP pick should be Santorum or Rubio, followed by Bush or Christie, poll says
Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or add us on Tumblr. Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.
"There's no way out," he said. "I mean, they've already printed Obama-Biden."
More popular Yahoo! News stories:
• Bin Laden letter: Kill Obama, leave 'totally unprepared' Biden alone
• Obama's Cinco de Mayo wish: Signing the Dream Act
• Romney's VP pick should be Santorum or Rubio, followed by Bush or Christie, poll says
Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or add us on Tumblr. Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.