Biography of the next US Vice President Joe Biden

Biography of the next US Vice President Joe Biden
Obama-Biden has a nice sound to it. Joe Biden brings 36 years of Senate foreign policy experience and a record of independent thinking to the Obama ticket. Here is some more information about him. -T Joseph R. Biden, Jr.




Joe Biden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is the senior United States senator from Delaware, and the presumptive Democratic Party vice presidential nominee in the 2008 presidential election, as running mate of presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama.[1] He is a member of the Democratic Party. Currently in his sixth term, Biden has served for the sixth-longest period among current senators (fourth among Democrats) and is Delaware's longest-serving senator. He is the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the 110th Congress. Biden has served in that position in the past, and he has served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

He was a candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2008 presidential election, but dropped out after the caucuses in Iowa on January 3, 2008. Senator Obama announced Biden as his running mate via a text message and an email to supporters on August 23, 2008. If elected he will be the first Roman Catholic vice president and the first vice president from Delaware.

Contents
[hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early life and family
2 United States Senator
2.1 110th Congress
2.2 Judiciary Committee
2.3 Foreign Relations Committee
3 Presidential campaigns
3.1 1988
3.2 2008
3.3 2008 Democratic vice-presidential nomination
4 Political positions 5 Almanac
5.1 Electoral history
6 Works 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links


Biography

Early life and family
Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph R. Biden, Sr. and Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan.[2][3] He was the first of four siblings[3] and is of Irish Catholic heritage. He has two brothers, James Brian Biden and Francis W. Biden, and a sister, Valerie (Biden) Owens.[4] The Biden family moved to Claymont, Delaware when Biden was 10 years old,[3] and he grew up in suburban New Castle County, Delaware, where his father was a car salesman. In 1961, Biden graduated from Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware[3] and, in 1965, from the University of Delaware in Newark,[5] where he double majored in history and political science.[3] He then attended Syracuse University College of Law, graduated in 1968, and was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1969.[5][6]

In 1966, while in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter. They had three children, Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi. His wife and infant daughter died in a car accident shortly after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. His two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured in the accident, but both eventually made full recoveries. Biden was sworn into office from their bedside. Persuaded not to resign in order to care for them, Biden began the practice of commuting an hour and a half each day on the train from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, DC, which he continues to do.

In 1977, Biden married Jill Tracy Jacobs. They have one daughter, Ashley, and are members of the Roman Catholic Church. In February 1988, Biden was hospitalized for two brain aneurysms which kept him from the Senate for seven months.

Biden's elder son, Beau, was a partner in the Wilmington law firm of Bifferato, Gentilotti, Biden & Balick, LLC and was elected Attorney General of Delaware in 2006. He is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, where he serves in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. He is set to be deployed to Iraq in October, 2008.[7] Biden's younger son, Hunter, works as a lawyer in Washington, DC, serves on the board of directors of Amtrak, and previously worked in the Commerce Department.

Since 1991, Biden has also served as an adjunct professor at the Widener University School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on constitutional law.


United States Senator
In 1969, Biden began practicing law in Wilmington, Delaware, and was soon elected to the New Castle County, County Council, where he served from 1970 to 1972.[5]

The 1972 U.S. Senate election presented Biden with a unique opportunity. Popular Republican incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs was considering retirement, which would likely have left U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell, Jr. in a divisive primary fight. To avoid that, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon was invited to a meeting to convince Boggs to run again with full Republican support. Boggs ran, but Biden eventually won.[8]

Biden took office on January 3, 1973, at age 30, becoming the fifth-youngest U.S. Senator in United States history. At age 30, Biden was at the minimum age to become a U.S. Senator. He has since won additional terms easily, defeating James H. Baxter, Jr. in 1978, John M. Burris in 1984, M. Jane Brady in 1990, and Raymond J. Clatworthy in 1996 and 2002, usually with about 60% of the vote. He is now the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Delaware history. He was running for re-election as senator in 2008.

In 1974 freshman Senator Biden was named one of the 200 Faces for the Future by TIME magazine.[9]


110th Congress
Biden serves on the following committees in the 110th U.S. Congress[10]

Committee on Foreign Relations (Chairman)
As Chairman of the full committee Biden is an ex officio member of each subcommittee.
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, (Chairman)
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law
Subcommittee on Immigration Border Security and Citizenship
Subcommittee on Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security
Caucus on International Narcotics Control (Co-Chairman)
For a comprehensive accounting of Biden's voting record see Project Vote Smart[11] and other material noted in the Reference section.


Judiciary Committee
Biden on Meet the Press
Biden is a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In this capacity, he dealt with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. While chairman, Biden presided over two of the most contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings: Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.[12]

Biden has been involved in crafting many federal crime laws over the last decade, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law. He also authored the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA), which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the section of VAWA allowing a federal civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence exceeded Congress' authority and therefore was unconstitutional.[13] Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000 and 2005.[14][15] In March 2004, Biden enlisted major American technology companies in diagnosing the problems of the Austin, Texas-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and to donate equipment and expertise to it.[16][12]

As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the nation's "Drug Czar," who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, also known as the RAVE Act. He continues to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as Rohypnol, and drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine. In 2004 he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids like androstenedione, the drug used by many baseball players.[12]

Biden's legislation to promote college aid and loan programs allows families to deduct on their annual income tax returns up to $10,000 per year in higher education expenses. His "Kids 2000" legislation established a public/private partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet access, and technical training to young people, particularly to low-income and at-risk youth.[17]


Foreign Relations Committee
Biden gives his opening statement and questions to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and General David H. Petraeus at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Iraq; September 11, 2007
Biden is also a long-time member and current chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1997, he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee from June 2001 through 2003. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections, Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007. His efforts to combat hostilities in the Balkans in the 1990s brought national attention and influenced presidential policy: traveling repeatedly to the region, he made one meeting famous by calling Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a "war criminal." He consistently argued for lifting the arms embargo, training Bosnian Muslims, investigating war crimes and administering NATO air strikes. Biden's subsequent "lift and strike" resolution was instrumental in convincing President Bill Clinton to use military force in the face of systematic human rights violations.[18] Biden has also called on Libya to release political prisoner Fathi Eljahmi.[19]

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Biden was supportive of the Bush administration's efforts, calling for additional ground troops in Afghanistan and agreeing that Saddam Hussein was a threat that needed to be dealt with. The Bush administration rejected an effort Biden undertook with Senator Richard Lugar to pass a resolution authorizing military action only after the exhaustion of diplomatic efforts. In October 2002, Biden voted for the final resolution to support the war in Iraq. He has long supported the appropriations to pay for the occupation, but has argued repeatedly that more soldiers are needed, the war should be internationalized, and the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about the cost and length of the conflict.[20]

In November 2006, Biden and Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan calls for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions.[21]


Presidential campaigns
Biden has twice run for the Democratic nomination for President, first in 1988, and again in 2008. Both times he was unsuccessful.

In 2003, Biden considered joining the Democratic field of candidates for the 2004 presidential race but decided otherwise, saying he did not have enough time to cultivate a sufficient fundraising base. Some thought Biden a possible running mate for presidential candidate John Kerry, but Biden urged Kerry to select Republican Senator John McCain instead.[22] Biden also had been widely discussed as a possible U.S. Secretary of State in a Democratic administration.[23]


1988
Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign, 1988
In 1987, Joe Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate, formally declaring his candidacy at the Wilmington train station on June 9, 1987. In his speech, he challenged Americans to step beyond the materialism of the Reagan years. When the campaign began, Biden was considered a potentially strong candidate because of his moderate image, his supposed appeal to Baby Boomers, his fundraising appeal[24] (Biden's $1.7 million raised in the first quarter of 1987 was more than any other candidate, including the then front-runner, Gary Hart), his high profile position as chair of the Senate Judiciary committee during the Robert Bork confirmation hearings, and, perhaps above all, his soaring oratory. Biden often seemed to try to inspire the same hope and idealism associated with 1960s liberals such as Robert Kennedy, especially as related to civil rights. He received considerable attention in the summer of 1986 when he excoriated Secretary of State George Shultz at a Senate Hearing because of the Reagan administration's support of South Africa, which continued to support a system of Apartheid. By August 1987, however, Biden's campaign had already begun to lag behind those of Michael Dukakis and Richard Gephardt.[24]

Then in September 1987, the campaign ran into serious trouble when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party.[25] Though Biden had correctly credited the original author in all speeches but one, the one where he failed to make mention of the originator was caught on video.[26] Within days, it was also discovered that, while a first year law student at Syracuse Law School, Biden had plagiarized a law review article in a class paper he wrote. Though the then-dean of the law school, as well as Biden's former professor, played down the incident of plagiarism, they did find that Biden drew "chunks of heavy legal prose directly from" the article in question. Biden said the act was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and Biden was permitted to retake the course after receiving a grade of F, which was subsequently dropped from his record.[27] Biden also released his undergraduate grades, which were unexceptional.[27] Further, when questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school Biden had claimed falsely to have graduated in the "top half" of his class, (when he actually graduated 76th in a class of 85) that he had attended on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees.[28] In fact he had received two majors, History and Political Science, and a single B.A., as well as a half scholarship based on financial need.[28]

Faced with these revelations, Biden withdrew from the nomination race on September 23, 1987, saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his mistakes.[29] After Biden withdrew from the race it was learned that the Dukakis campaign had secretly made a video showcasing the Biden/Kinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets. Dukakis fired John Sasso, his campaign manager and long-time Chief of Staff.[30][31]


2008
Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2008
2008 campaign logo
Biden declared his candidacy for president on January 31, 2007, although he had discussed running for months prior.[32] In January 2006, Delaware newspaper columnist Harry F. Themal wrote that Biden "occupies the sensible center of the Democratic Party."[33] Themal concludes that this is the position Biden desires, and that in a campaign "he plans to stress the dangers to the security of the average American, not just from the terrorist threat, but from the lack of health assistance, crime, and energy dependence on unstable parts of the world."[33] He goes on to quote Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen as saying that Biden's candidacy might be endangered by his "manic-obsessive running of the mouth."[33] This foreshadowed Biden's January 31 remark on fellow Democratic candidate and Senator Barack Obama, frequently transcribed as, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that's a storybook, man."[34] However, several linguists and political analysts stated that the correct transcription includes a comma after the word "African-American", which "would significantly change the meaning (and the degree of offensiveness) of Biden's comment".[35] Still, his comments took second place on Time magazine's list of Top 10 Campaign Gaffes for 2007.[36]

It had been speculated that Biden would accept the position of Secretary of State because of his foreign policy experience and credentials.[37] However, Biden has rejected the notion outright, saying "Under no administration will I accept the job of Secretary of State" and claimed to be focused only on the presidency. At a 2007 campaign event, Biden said, "I know a lot of my opponents out there say I'd be a great Secretary of State. Seriously, every one of them. Do you watch any of the debates? 'Joe's right, Joe's right, Joe's right.'"[38] Other candidates commenting that "Joe is right" in the Democratic debates was converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad.[39]

Biden was noted for his one-liners on the campaign trail, saying of then-Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani at the October 30, 2007, debate in Philadelphia, "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11."[40]

On January 3, 2008, during the Iowa caucuses, Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the presidential race when over half of the precincts were tallied in which he only captured 1% of Iowa's delegates behind Barack Obama, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Richardson. He was running instead for a seventh Senate term when, in late August, he was picked by Obama to be his running mate.


2008 Democratic vice-presidential nomination
This article contains information about one or more candidates in an upcoming or ongoing election.
Content may change as the election approaches.

Main articles: Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008 and Democratic Party (United States) vice presidential candidates, 2008
Wikinews has related news: Biden's Georgia visit raises speculation about VP nod
In a June 22, 2008, interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Biden confirmed that he would accept the vice presidential nomination if offered.[41] The Associated Press reported on August 22, 2008 that Biden had been chosen by Barack Obama to be his running mate, citing anonymous Democratic Party sources. The choice was announced via text message and Obama's official campaign website.[42]


Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Joe Biden
Biden is considered moderate liberal, with a 77.5 percent liberal voting record in 2006 and lifetime score of 76.8 percent, according to a Washington Post analysis.[43]


Almanac
Public Offices
Office Type Location Elected Term began Term ends notes
County Council Legislature Wilmington 1970 January 4, 1971 January 3, 1973 4th District
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington 1972 January 3, 1973 January 3, 1979
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington 1978 January 3, 1979 January 3, 1985
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington 1984 January 3, 1985 January 3, 1991
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington 1990 January 3, 1991 January 3, 1997
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington 1996 January 3, 1997 January 3, 2003
U.S. Senator Legislature Washington 2002 January 3, 2003 January 3, 2009




United States Congressional service
Dates Congress Chamber Majority President Committees Class/District
1973–1975 93rd U.S. Senator Democratic Richard M. Nixon
Gerald R. Ford Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1975–1977 94th U.S. Senator Democratic Gerald R. Ford Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1977–1979 95th U.S. Senator Democratic James E. Carter, Jr. Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1979–1981 96th U.S. Senator Democratic James E. Carter, Jr. Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1981–1983 97th U.S. Senator Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1983–1985 98th U.S. Senator Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1985–1987 99th U.S. Senator Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1987–1989 100th U.S. Senator Democratic Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1989–1991 101st U.S. Senator Democratic George H. W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1991–1993 102nd U.S. Senator Democratic George H. W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1993–1995 103rd U.S. Senator Democratic William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1995–1997 104th U.S. Senator Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1997–1999 105th U.S. Senator Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
1999–2001 106th U.S. Senator Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2001–2003 107th U.S. Senator Republican
Democratic George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2003–2005 108th U.S. Senator Republican George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2005–2007 109th U.S. Senator Republican George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2
2007–2009 110th U.S. Senator Democratic George W. Bush Judiciary, Foreign Relations class 2


Electoral history
Main article: Electoral history of Joe Biden
Election results
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
1970 County Councilman General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 10,573 55% Lawrence T. Messick Republican 8,192 43%
1972 U.S. Senator General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 116,006 50% J. Caleb Boggs Republican 112,844 49%
1978 U.S. Senator General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 93,930 58% James H. Baxter, Jr. Republican 66,479 41%
1984 U.S. Senator General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 147,831 60% John M. Burris Republican 98,101 40%
1990 U.S. Senator General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 112,918 63% M. Jane Brady Republican 64,554 36%
1996 U.S. Senator General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 165,465 60% Raymond J. Clatworthy Republican 105,088 38%
2002 U.S. Senator General Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Democratic 135,253 58% Raymond J. Clatworthy Republican 94,793 41%


Works
Administration's Missile Defense Program and the ABM Treaty: Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, December 2004) ISBN 0-7567-1959- 3
Examining The Theft Of American Intellectual Property At Home And Abroad: Hearing before the Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, May 2004) ISBN 0-7567-4177- 7
Hearings to Examine Threats, Responses, and Regional Considerations Surrounding Iraq: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, November 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2823- 1
Strategies for Homeland Defense: A Compilation by the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, September 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2623- 9
Putin Administration's Policies toward Non-Russian Regions of the Russian Federation: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, September 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2624- 7
Threat of Bioterrorism and the Spread of Infectious Diseases: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, September 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2625- 5
How Do We Promote Democratization, Poverty Alleviation, and Human Rights to Build a More Secure Future: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, June 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2478- 3
Political Future of Afghanistan: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, January 2003) ISBN 0-7567-3039- 2
International Campaign Against Terrorism: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, January 2003) ISBN 0-7567-3041- 4
Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS: Future Efforts in the U.S. Bilateral & Multilateral Response: Hearings before the Comm. on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate edited by Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, 2002) ISBN 0-7567-3454- 1
Hague Convention On International Child Abduction: Applicable Law And Institutional Framework Within Certain Convention Countries Report To The Senate by Jesse Helms, Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Diane Publishing, April 2000) ISBN 0-7567-2250- 0
Homeland security law and policy edited by William C. Nicholson with a foreword by Joseph Biden (C. C Thomas, c2005)

Notes
^ BarackObama. com (2008). Barack Obama campaign site announcing his selection. Retrieved 23 August, 2008.
^ "Ancestry of Joe Biden". wargs.com.
^ a b c d e "Joe Biden Timeline". United States Senate. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Joe Biden biography". Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
^ a b c "Biden, Joseph Robinette, Jr.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
^ Delaware's Senators [1] See also: Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, p. 376.
^ Cooper, Christopher (August 20, 2008). "Biden's Foreign Policy Background Carries Growing Cachet", Wall Street Journal, p. A4. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, DE: Grapevine Publishing, 199.
^ "200 Faces for the Future". TIME (Monday, Jul. 15, 1974). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Senator Joe Biden — Senator for Delaware: Committees".
^ "Project Vote Smart - Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. - Voting Record".
^ a b c Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, p. 377.
^ United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000). Full text, courtesy of Cornell University.
^ Bash, Dana. Senate votes to allow compensation for terror victims, re-authorizes Violence Against Women Act. CNN. October 11, 2000.
^ Deal Reached on Violence Against Women Act. Fox News. December 16, 2005.
^ "History of the Violence Against Women Act". End Abuse. Retrieved on 2008-08-23. See also: "Making connections to end Domestic Violence". Microsoft. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Kids 2000 Program". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Democratic Presidential Candidates". The Iowa Caucus. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Biden Renews Call for Release of Libyan Political Prisoner". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23.
^ Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, p. 378.
^ "Biden: Iraqi Progress on Oil is Important Step, But More Needs to be Done". Biden's senate website. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ McCain urged to join Kerry ticket, Reuters MSNBC (May 16, 2004) [2].
^ Times Online [3]
^ a b Toner, Robin (August 31, 1987). "Biden, Once the Field's Hot Democrat, Is Being Overtaken by Cooler Rivals", The New York Times.
^ Dowd, Maureen (September 12, 1987). "Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo From Abroad", The New York Times.
^ In the video Biden is filmed repeating a stump speech by Kinnock, with only minor modifications. "Why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go a university? Why is it that my wife ... is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? ... Is it because they didn't work hard? My ancestors who worked in the coal mines of northeast Pennsylvania and would come after 12 hours and play football for four hours? It's because they didn't have a platform on which to stand."
^ a b Dionne Jr., E. J. (September 18, 1987). "Biden Admits Plagiarism in School But Says It Was Not 'Malevolent'", The New York Times.
^ a b Dionne Jr., E. J. (September 22, 1987). "Biden Admits Errors and Criticizes Latest Report", The New York Times.
^ Dionne Jr., E. J. (September 24, 1987). "Biden Withdraws Bid for President in Wake of Furor", The New York Times.
^ "Offers Briton His Talks `Without Attribution' Biden Meets Kinnock, but He's Not Speechless", Los Angeles Times January 12, 1988.
^ "Joseph Biden's Plagiarism; Michael Dukakis's 'Attack Video' – 1988", The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
^ "Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate". Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ a b c Harry F. Themal (January 23, 2006). "unknown", The News Journal.
^ "Biden Unbound: Lays Into Clinton, Obama, Edwards - observer.com".
^ "Language Log: Biden's Comma".
^ Christine Lim and M.J. Stephey. "Top 10 Campaign Gaffes". Time. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
^ "A Candidate For Secretary Of State". The New York Observer (June 12, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Biden Won't Serve As Secretary of State". FOX News (Thursday, November 29, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Joe is Right". YouTube. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ Joelle Farrell. "Concord Monitor - 'A noun, a verb and 9/11'". Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Biden: I'd say yes to being VP". CNN. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ "Joe Biden!". Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
^ Chris Cillizza (March 1, 2007). "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall - Who's the Most Liberal of Them All?". blog.washingtonpost .com. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.


References
Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005). Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal Group. ISBN 0892341122.
Boyer, William W. (2000). Governing Delaware. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-721- 7.
Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, DE: Grapevine Publishing. ISBN B0006S3PP8.
Peirce, Neil R.; Michael Barone (1977). Mid-Atlantic States of America. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0393055418.

External links
Find more about Joe Biden on Wikipedia's sister projects:
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Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
Delaware's Official Senate campaign website
Official Senate website
Works by or about Joe Biden in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
More:http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Joe_Biden

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