Joe Biden takes note of Sarah Palin's sheltering from the media

Joe Biden made news earlier today -- likely in a way that caused Democratic strategists to cringe -- when he said that the wealthier Americans who would pay more under Barack Obama's tax plan should feel "patriotic" about doing so.

At a union hall rally this afternoon in Akron, Ohio, Biden sought to make a virtue of his accessibilty -- even if it results in the occasional gaffe.

The Times' Faye Fiore is covering Biden and she relates that after he mentioned the tax question he had been asked on "Good Morning America," he said, "I’ve done a lot of press, I’ve done, I don’t know, I was told I did 68, 70 press conferences."

Then he recounted being asked by a reporter what he thought of Sarah Palin. "When she does three, I'll let you know," he quoted himself as saying.

That means the political world will have to wait for one more tete-a-tete between Palin and a journalist. Since John McCain picked her as his running mate, she's done two sets of interviews -- with ABC's Charlie Gibson that aired last week and with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity, which wraps up tonight (previews of what she has to say can be perused here and here).

Biden, as is his wont, warmed to his subject after his comment about Palin, saying: "I don’t know! I don’t have any idea! I don’t know! I don’t know!"

With his crowd rising to its feet, he broadened his riff to include McCain.

"You know, I mean, look, and it’s not, look guys, it’s not just Sarah Palin," he said. "When’s the last time John, when’s the last time John’s had a press conference? I’m serious.”

McCain, once perhaps the most accessible of national politicians to reporters, has changed that policy as the presidential campaign has progressed. The Democratic National Committee, in turn, this week started a "McCain Press Watch," which clocks ...

... the time elapsed since the Republican last took reporter questions.

By the same token, lack of accessibility to the candidate has been an ongoing complaint among those covering Obama.

Biden, continuing a rare day in which figured prominently in the political back-and-forth, stood by his "patriotic" remark during an interview with Katie Couric of CBS.

Asked about the barbs directed at him over it by Palin and McCain, noted that the latter had opposed the sweeping tax cuts President Bush pushed into law in 2001 precisely because it benefited the wealthy (McCain famously has since retreated from that position).

"Give me a break," Biden told Couric. "I remind my friend John McCain what he said. When Bush called for war and tax cuts he said, quote, 'It is immoral, immoral to take a nation to war and not have anybody pay for it.'

"I am so sick and tired of this phoniness.  The truth of the matter is that we are in trouble, and the people who do not need a new tax cut should be willing as patriotic Americans to understand the way to get this economy back up on their feet is to give middle-class taxpayers a break. We take the tax cut they're getting and we give it to the middle class."

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[TommyF]

As a Fascist who is against free press, free speech, and free enterprise, I am voting for Obama.

[Sharon]

Eric says if you vote for Obama, you've DESTROYED Hillary's chances of being president.

Eric is obviously a republican. What he didn't tell you is that if you vote for another four years of Bush/Cheney tactics, you will destroy EVERYBODY'S chance at the presidency. Fascists don't elect presidents doncha know? They simply put a moratorium on elections and then do as they like.

[wozu]

Biden's absolutely right: and indeed, everyone should feel patriotic about paying taxes. --- If they are citizens.
In a democracy: the government should represent the will of the people. If the government represents the will of the people, then the government becomes an extension of private will. Patriotic feeling is the feeling we have of this identity between the will of the government and our own will. When we pay taxes we are simply allocating resources from our private will to the public will with which we identify ourselves.
If you don't feel patriotic when you pay your taxes, this is because you don't feel that the government represents your will --- or indeed because you don't feel like you live in a democracy; because you feel like a subject and not a citizen.

[jj]

steven,
oh that mean mean Media!

imagine being tough on somebody who's running for high office!

[Sharon]

Eric says if you vote for Obama, you've DESTROYED Hillary's chances of being president.

Eric is obviously a republican. What he didn't tell you is that if you vote for another four years of Bush/Cheney tactics, you will destroy EVERYBODY'S chance at the presidency. Fascists don't elect presidents doncha know? They simply put a moratorium on elections and then do as they like.

[Mark]

Re: If you support Hillary, YOU MUST VOTE AGAINST OBAMA!!!

Eric, this makes absolutely no sense. Why vote againts a man who will raise this country back from its knees back onto its feet simply to give Hillary another chance? Hillary had her chance and she blew it. Besides, if he had offered her vp, she would have declined seeing as she wanted to be pres - they would have never gotten anything done, always arguing about who's right.

Vote for change, vote Obama

[Babcocks]

Vote for McCain to help Hillary??? Don't you realize that she will play a HUGE role in an Obama administration? If you want her policies put forth, especially on health care, vote for Obama. My bet is she'll be on the cabinet. THAT'S HOW YOU SUPPORT HER!

[David]

It's the Rove doctrine. Shelter your candidate from unscripted press encounters. It's a pity McCain is following that path.
Biden has appeared in front of the press far more than Palin, he's just not getting as much media attention because he's not as controversial in the tabloid sense of the word.

[erik]

steve rodriguez,
I guess when obama gave that O'Riely interview he was going soft on him... your right... or you just might be a fool... ether or

[sallie]

Palin is not smart or qualified, and the reason her loyal repubs are clinging to her is because they are ashamed of mccain.

Joe Biden had the integrity to say what he thinks. He does not need the notecards or rehearsing that palin does. yep, he might not always give that perfect slick sound byte--he does even better than that---he speaks from the heart and with integrity. palin is a total fake and her fans know it, but are so afraid to say it.

[Teddy]

McCains toughest interview, well that would be the View.
Palin... she dosent talk to press because they are "unfair"..
because you know the world is so fair and stuff. Your a moron go crawl in the hole you came from you cant vote for george bush 3 times...

[Scotty Zinks]

I'd have to say that the economy was on its way down even before Bush took office. Good ole Bill snuck right out of the office at then end of his term with a huge econimic storm coming. The econimic situation can't entirely be blamed on the Bush Admin, even though they are by no means completely innocent. The clintons are bad scandelous people and care for nothing more than increasing their own power and wealth. Boooo on the Clinton's.

[newsbeens]

I like that Biden called attention to Palin's absence from the media. This is something that I believe we have all come to notice. We have been following her in news out of curiosity but now the curiosity has worn off and we need to know. Now the public is wondering why Palin is being so sheltered.

What this comes down to hiding. Hiding information about Palin from the public whether it be positive or negative. The public needs to know more about her. I believe the McCain campaign will suffer in continuing to keep Palin from being able to answer questions of relevance on her own.

If anyone is tired of not getting answers from Palin, then try to find them somewhere else. Go to a reliable place that you know you can trust and find the answers you're looking for.

A great place to do just this is www.dailysource.org and www.dailysource.org/palin . You will find a wealth of information.

[kc]

"Vote for Obama and you will have DESTROYED Hillary's chance at becoming President!!"

What a relief if that's all it'll take. I was going to vote for Obama anyway.

[Steven]

"but I'm voting for Obama/Biden this year. Seriously, they are the only ones with some sound ideas to get us out of this mess we've gotten into"

Really? What are those sound Ideas...

He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans;

SO... he's gonna build What?

and hows he gonna get energy?
and how is he gonna fix our broken education system, is he actually gonna fire the teachers that need to be fired...? is he gonna stop things like the "beer can house?

What Kinda Research is he gonna pay for? We've seen alot of gov scams through research... should I mention some of the sexual ones for Pandas?

and he's gonna modify our tax code? Let me guess He's gonna cut out most of the exemptions that normal middle class people need...

Don't get me wrong...
it doesn't matter who you vote for, both parties are going to pick your pockets... its just about who's gonna pick them clean...
I'm a republican, but I'd Vote Independent this year... both choices are pathetic... even a homeless guy off the street would be better than them...

[rising middle class dad]

Sen Joe Biden's error lies in his assumption that wealthy baby boomers understand patriotism or any principle larger or more complex than their own wants. If that were the case, CEOs in the 1980s and 1990s would have flexed the "business judgment rule" to keep jobs onshore instead of out-sourcing. If that were the case, the sub-prime mortgage crisis never would have happened. Hey - if that were the case, Bubba C (the true baby-boomer president) never woulda stained that dark blue dress.

[festi]

Well said Biden.
Enough of these phony's with their "Support the troops" bumper stickers on their huge SUV's.
Let those that can, pay more tax.
More tax to pay for troops body armour.
More tax to pay for IED proof ATV's.
More tax to pay for proper hospital treatment for wounded veterans.
More tax to pay for soldiers training.
More tax to support Iraqi nation building.
More tax to pay for the war that Bush so carelessly started.

Support the troops? Put up, or shut up.

[Doc Holliday]

If you support Hillary vote against Obama???
Give me a break! That is nothing more than a hysterical rant from a sore loser. Hillary ran a great race but she lost. Obama is the democratic candidate running against the McPain ticket. If you support Hillary's ideas and philosophy then why would you try to elect a man who will destroy everything Hillary and her party have worked for? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. For God's sake, try to get back in touch with your sanity and quit trying to punish the country with 4 more years of republican fascism just because your primary candidate lost. How juvenile and counter-productive!

[David]

It's the Rove doctrine. Attack the press preemptively to make their legitimate criticism seem like smears. Shelter them from unscripted encounters.

From the moment she was named, there was plenty for the media to discuss about Palin. Every candidate needs to be scrutinized, and none of them get to decide when the scrutiny starts.

[lin]

The McCain-Pain ticket is, even according to Rove, who wrote the book on slime politics, too dirty by far. Their lies, trashy hypocricy, clear power-corrupt past, cronyism, corrupt-money-driven, lfear-mongering,obbyists-run campaign, in which McSlime steals every (rhetorical) line from Obama--Change! Enough! Washington needs to be reformed, etc--can only be bought by voters who either will never vote for a black man or who are persuaded by the sheer magnitude of the lies. Even conservatives like David Brooks, acknowledge that Palin is completely unfit to be VP and soon President, when the near-dementia 72-year-old, chronically angry, and close to psychologically disturbed militaristic McBush dies in office.

[John]

Sarah Palins refusal to talk to the Troopergate investigator and McCains backing her on that just goes to show how they think, laws and rules are only for the little people. The lies that they tell over and over are a big F You in the face of the American citizen. They should get an F you right back when it's time to vote.

[sallie]

Biden is great. He is not a fool, and is his own man. he calls it like he sees it. Yep, an occasional gaffe--but we will take that ANY DAY OVER THE FLAT OUT LIES AND B/S OF mcpalin. they just stand up there like fake dolls and yak yak yak while Joe is actually thinking for himself and for the country. He is strong but willing to THINK AND LISTEN TO IDEAS AND INFORMATION. That is smart and admirable, and we are honored to have him as our veep candidate. he inspires trust.

[Jing]

Totally agree with Eric, really make sense..I want Hilary to run in 2012. vote for McCain this time....Obama and his people will regret for not picking Hilary at his VP. I really (really) want to see Hilary as President.

[Rick Knowles]

About the economy we are in right now. I want people to look at the whole picture here. The economy as a whole is doing quite well, growing at over 3%. Check the numbers. The real problem is in the financial markets right now. The bad loans are killing the markets. In 1977 a law was created to allow everyone a chance to get home loans. In 1997 Bill Clinton signed a law allowing high risk loans to be packaged as a security to be sold. The companies buying these packaged bad loans know what they are buying, but are not required to report the expected losses on their financials for investors to see. Now, when almost all the bad loans are going into default the comanies who bought these have to show them in one big amount which then destroys the company. Hmmm....So who's at fault for allowing these companies to hide these bad debts?

[BFD]

> Vote for Obama and you will have DESTROYED Hillary's chance at becoming President!!

Unless, of course, her supporters cared more about what she stood for than who she was. Believe it or not, many of her supports care about issues like affordable health care more than they care about who actually carries the plans out.