Obama spoke privately to Biden and later released a statement saying he did not take his colleague’s remarks personally, but objected to the way they seemed to undercut past Black presidential candidates.
“Let me tell you something, I spoke to Barack today,” Biden told Stewart.
“I bet you did,” Stewart quipped.
“I also spoke to Jesse ( Jackson) and Al Sharpton,” Biden said, referring to two past black candidates.
“And Michael Jordan and anybody you could get your hands on. The Jackson Five,” Stewart said, interrupting.
“Michael didn’t call me,” Biden said. “Look, what I was attempting to be, but not very artfully, is complimentary. This is an incredible guy. This is a phenomenon.”
It is the second presidential bid for the talkative Biden, who pursued the White House in 1988, but withdrew from the race after allegations that his speeches contained passages from speeches given by Neil Kinnock, a British political leader.
Biden was also grilled about comments he made regarding proposals offered by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.C., and John Edwards to stabilize the situation in Iraq.
A 34-year Senate veteran known for his foreign policy expertise, Biden called Clinton’s proposal – which would cap American troops and threatens to cut funding to Iraqi security forces – “nothing but disaster.” He also criticized Edwards, who has proposed immediately removing 40,000-50,000 U.S. troops from Iraq.
“I don’t think John Edwards knows what the heck he is talking about,” Biden said.
Pressed to explain, Biden reiterated his claim that his rivals’ Iraq plans were a mistake. He also said that while the Democratic field has a number of well-qualified contenders, he was the best qualified to serve as president.
“I believe I’m the best prepared of all the candidates,” he said. “That I can say someone is qualified but can’t take issue with their ideas is a strange phenomenon.”
Known for his windy oratory and habit of thinking out loud, Biden’s mouth has gotten him into trouble before. Last July, he defended his remark that “you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.” Biden said his words had been taken out of context.
Asked whether his verbosity would be a handicap on the campaign trail, Biden demurred.
“That’s for voters to decide. I don’t see it as a problem,” he said.
Biden also spoke of a number of domestic challenges he hoped to tackle as president, including health care, boosting job and retirement security, and tackling the threat of global warming.
Biden will transfer $3 million from his Senate account to his presidential campaign, and said he believed he needed to raise $20 million total to be competitive in next year’s early primaries. Analysts believe Clinton and Obama are likely to raise $100 million apiece this year. – (AP) |
