Biden Wooed Specter for Years

The veep has his uses, but staying on message ain't one

(NEWSER) - This week perfectly illustrates the yin and yang of Joe Biden, write Sam Youngman and Ian Swanson of the Hill. First, he scores a political coup by helping to convince pal Arlen Specter to defect. Then he promptly inserts foot in mouth with his advice on how to avoid the swine flu. The latter is "yet another reminder of the vice president’s glaring weakness: his mouth." More»

GOP colleagues 'stunned,' angered by senator's party switch

(NEWSER) - Newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter said he will not blindly toe the party line, Politico reports. “I will not be an automatic 60th vote,” the veteran Pennsylvania senator said, pointing out recent opposition to a unionization bill. “If the Democratic Party asks too much, I will not vote with them.” More»

(NEWSER) - Arlen Specter is jumping to the Democrats, leaving the party excruciatingly close to a filibuster-proof Senate majority, reports Politico. Sources say VP Joe Biden was key to the effort to recruit the Pennsylvania senator. “Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right,” Specter said in a statement. “I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.” More»

Busy veep takes lead on everything; what's Obama doing?

(NEWSER) - President Obama has tapped Joe Biden to try to sort out the budget mess on Capitol Hill, hoping he can work the same magic he worked in passing December’s tax cut deal, and the 2009 stimulus, the Washington Post reports. Which makes Andrew Malcolm of the LA Times wonder: “What isn’t Joe Biden in charge of these days?” Obama also recently had Biden head up discussions with Wisconsin’s embattled unions, handle Iraq’s political crisis, and more. More»

VP fights for White House in Congress, abroad

(NEWSER) - If it seems like Joe Biden was just waxing poetic about “the first mainstream" black guy who's "bright and clean," then you probably won't recognize the fierce veep who defended the boss last week, shouting at whining Dems, "There's no goddamned way I'm going to stand here and talk about the president like that!" The gaffe-prone half of 2008's odd couple has evolved into devoted right-hand man and trusted adviser, notes New York Times in a look at Biden's expanding role. The Senate veteran is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge to Congress for an insider-ish White House. More»