Biden's top 2020 Democratic rivals avoid rush to defend him

[left-of-center2012]

Democratic presidential candidates are united in condemning President Donald Trump for seeking a foreign country’s help to trash a domestic political rival. But when it comes to defending the president’s target, former Vice President Joe Biden, it’s more complicated.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggested she’d consider barring her vice president’s children from serving on the boards of foreign companies, the very kind of business arrangement Trump has used in unfounded attacks accusing Biden and his son Hunter of corruption.

When asked whether Trump’s attacks reflect on Biden’s “campaign or his character,” California Sen. Kamala Harris said, “I’ll leave that up to the pundits. I don’t have a comment on that.” And Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who in 2016 defended Hillary Clinton against attacks over her use of a private email server as secretary of state, sidestepped a question about whether the Biden controversy makes him a weaker candidate.

--- snip ---

For his part, Biden isn’t changing his campaign script. From the beginning, he’s centered his candidacy on the idea that Trump is a uniquely existential threat to the nation’s identity — a contention that has grown in the wake of this week’s revelations. “We’ve never seen his likes before holding public office,” Biden told donors Thursday at a fundraiser outside Los Angeles, where he read portions of the whistleblower report made public earlier in the day. “This isn’t about me,” Biden said. “It’s a tactic that’s used by this president to try to hijack an election, so we do not focus on the issues that matter in our lives.”

https://www.apnews.com/68f19fffdbdf4638ab94117b83f5c8f1

[LincolnRossiter]

1. Booker defended him strongly on Don Lemon last night. Kamala has defended him several times this

week. I thought someone said Mayor Pete did as well.

No love from his peers in the top three, though (Bernie and Warren). They're probably eager to throw him under the bus. The lower tier candidates may see an opportunity to get some VP point. Or they may just be doing the right thing.

[Indykatie]

2. I expected Bernie to be MIA in Defending Biden But I expected Better from Warren. eom

[ritapria]

4. Bernie and Joe are good friends

Bernie has been very gentle on Joe …..

[BlueMississippi]

24. I know

EW actually made it worse by her proclamation that she would prohibit her VP's children from serving on foreign boards which is ridiculous. It makes it Obama's fault that Hunter served on the board of a foreign company because he was not prohibited by Obama!!

I didn't expect BS to defend any Democrat - so no shock there.

[MustLoveBeagles]

38. I'm surprised she said that

That just plays right into the Republican's hands.

[wiley]

26. Profoundly disappointed with Warren.

Even Castro defended him! Warren used to be a Republican. She still harbors a serious grudge against Biden and Obama. Bullock, Booker, Beto, Buttigieg all get it. Is we don't support Biden publicly we will pay dearly. We can't let an attack on one candidate go unchallenged. Warren's comments about her VP's children is beyond offensive. It's the same exact Republican talking point that Fox is trying to use against Biden. She should know better. Ambition sucks.

[emmaverybo]

37. If only for the sake of her own ambition, her response was unwise. She is basking in a great deal

of adulation and stronger polls, which may have caused her to forget that Biden is still widely respected and even loved among democrats. It is not a good look that she did not immediately
defend him against Trump’s attack. Biden’s quite numerous supporters are bound to wonder at her neglecting to mention him in her condemnation of Trump, and then this?

[BeyondGeography]

3. Warren ratcheted up her first-to-market call for impeachment as soon as this story broke

Fighting corruption has been the centerpiece of her campaign from the start. How, why or whether it was good optics for Hunter Biden to get a cushy gig in Ukraine is not a hill she should or would ever fight on as President, so of course she is keeping her distance.

[LincolnRossiter]

5. Whatever you say.

NT.

[OilemFirchen]

6. Well, he/she thinks the country is "the" Ukraine.

So there's a grain of salt for starters.

[LincolnRossiter]

9. Well he/she may be "beyondgeography," but perhaps not beyond geopolitics.

For anyone who still uses "the Ukraine" and is curious as to why it's no longer appropriate practice, it was "the Ukraine" when it was dominated by the Russian Empire and came to be the Ukrainian part of the and Soviet Union. Since its independence, "Ukraine" is the appropriate nomenclature.

Though most make the mistake innocently, it's obviously a pretty sensitive subject given the current state of affairs.

[BeyondGeography]

10. Anything to avoid the point

Incisive new take on Hunter Biden just posted at The Atlantic btw.

[LincolnRossiter]

11. What point? That I don't care about Hunter Biden unless you can (1) establish that he committed

criminal or unethical acts and (not or) (2) link them to his father. I honestly think the guy is kind of a shitbag. That has nothing to do with me supporting or not supporting Biden.

[Cha]

21. What is your point, BG?

[OilemFirchen]

29. Many who know the proper name of the country use the old Soviet name intentionally.

But you're right. Probably an innocent mistake.

[Cha]

18. Not really.

[Cha]

16. This is about trump, BG... Hunter and Joe Biden did

not violate anything.. in spite of innuendoes and attempts to smear them.

This is good - Bullock on CNN: "an attack on Biden is an attack on all Democratic candidates"....

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=294467

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Tom Steyer backs rival Joe Biden around impeachment inquiry, says he 'should be left out of this'

“This is an attempted smear by the Trump campaign. Just the way he tried to smear Hillary Clinton,” Steyer said in an interview with Yahoo News Thursday, defending his political rival. “I think that Mr. Biden should be left out of this. I don’t think he’s done anything wrong. I think a bunch of newspapers looked at it and decided he hadn’t done anything wrong.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=294531

“I think it’s very clear that the president is very afraid of Joe,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). “And so he’s going after Joe and his family for political purposes and I’ll stand with Joe against any president who acts that way.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287293997

**BREAKING ** Former Ukraine prosecutor says Hunter Biden 'did not violate anything'

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287293616

[George II]

22. What does Hunter Biden's "cushy gig" have to do with anything? In case you missed it....

....the corruption that was being investigated over there took place between 2010-2012, two years before Hunter Biden got his "cushy gig".

Whose side are you on?

[Cha]

25. Thank you, Geoge.. Good question!

[BeyondGeography]

35. Re-read the OP

Warren’s statement that she might not want her VP’s child to serve on the board of a foreign company is cited as proof that she isn’t rushing to defend Biden. She thinks Trump should be impeached because of what he tried to do to Biden. Not good enough? She needs to say her White House would take the same approach to this particular question or she’s not defending Biden? You think you have an issue here...that’s funny. See Andrew Yang’s answer below on how his White House would function. Are you going to ask what side he’s on, too?

[George II]

36. No mention of a "cushy job" anywhere.

[wiley]

27. Making a statement about it cannot be construed as keeping her distance

Cheap. Tacky. Aggressive. Stupid. Disgusting. Never expected to hear the same words coming out of a Democratic candidate's mouth as came out of Trump's mouth many times. She's making it impossible for people to vote for her while helping the GOP.

[BeyondGeography]

33. Lol

Link to tweet

[OilemFirchen]

39. Fuck Ron Paul. (n/t)

[BeyondGeography]

50. Michael Bennet agrees with Yang: "It'd be better not to have that kind of arrangement."

Yet Biden faced some criticism from fellow Democrats, namely from 2020 rival Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who is trying to attract the same moderate voters as Biden. When asked about Hunter Biden’s business dealings, Bennet told POLITICO, “it’d be better not to have that kind of arrangement.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/26/democrats-rally-around-biden-after-trump-attacks-1515407

Are Yang, Warren and Bennet failing some kind of purity test because they support impeaching Trump for blackmailing Ukraine to get dirt on Biden but, when asked, say they would prefer not to have the children of their VP serve on the board of a foreign company?

[George II]

8. As Democrats, they should have already spoken out about this, and expressed support for Biden.

[Cha]

19. Yes, like Biden.. and they all stood up for

Kamala against trump's racist attacks.

This is serious, too.. trump attempted extortion against a foreign country for leverage against his political opponent.. it could happen to them, too..

[emmaverybo]

12. In light of her strong defense of Biden earlier, I am surprised Harris did not reiterate it when

questioned about character and candidacy. As to Warren and Sanders, I am not surprised. They are
both singularly focused on their own political fates and their bold, new, big ideas. Sanders, through
surrogates, has worked to undermine Biden from before he announced.

[Skya Rhen]

13. Video: Warren seeming unsure as to whether she would bar her VP's children from serving on foreign

boards.

Link to tweet

[treestar]

32. I doubt the Presidency carries with it a right to

control the lives of other adults. What about her own children? The President's children?

[MustLoveBeagles]

41. A rare stumble for Senator Warren

I didn't expect that from her.

[boomer_wv]

44. Will be less rare.

That's what happens when the press gets you in their sights and starts hitting you with questions and putting on the pressure. That's fine, and it's part of testing a candidate. She's not seen that kind of pressure yet, and the one time that she was under fire her answer was to take that stupid geneology test.

I don't understand why people think she is going to keep cruising when the attention on her become markedly less glowing.

[George II]

14. This is good - Bullock on CNN: "an attack on Biden is an attack on all Democratic candidates"....

I like that.

[peggysue2]

15. Thank you, Governor Bullock!

I've been saying this all along: an attack on one is an attack on all.

[Cha]

17. Thank you! I added it to my list of

reasons Dems should stand together not try to smear with innuendoes.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=294717

[FloridaBlues]

31. Yes that statement of support should be the statement every candidate should say

This is about trump and his dirty game.

[emmaverybo]

42. And it is. Good on Bullock. Those hanging back may be those next on the hit list.

[Cha]

46. Yeah, and it may come back

to bite them.

I'm a little surprised.. it's hard to wrap my head around.. they should know this is about trump and his extortion.. Not. A. Damn. Thing. To. Do. With. Biden. Or. Hunter.

It's about Democracy as opposed to trump "taking over the United States".

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Dem4Life1102]

20. They all need to put truth and facts

above politics and personal gain

[emmaverybo]

43. You said it!

[Cha]

48. Cheers to that!

[mcar]

23. This story is incorrect

Kamala Harris has defended Joe Biden WRT Ukraine and Trump.

This article is just trying to stir up sh!t.

[Andy823]

40. Exactly!

Last edited Sat Sep 28, 2019, 09:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Seems like a whole lot of shit stirring going on lately.

[PunkinPi]

53. Yep. nt

[delisen]

30. Trump took Ivanka to China-she got deals

I am opposed to the family members of our elected officials doing this. I do not care if they are Democrats or Republicans.

It is what is done in corrupt countries and the world knows it.

[UniteFightBack]

34. Pete stood up for him. Nobody is looking for their comments anyway since it's sucking up all the

oxygen ...rumps scandal, not Joe Biden's.

[Cha]

49. Yes, it's "trump's scandal" ... be

great if all Dems would remember that.

Thank you!

[boomer_wv]

45. barred?

In what world does either Warren of Yang believe that they as President have any authority of power to dictate what job a private citizen can take? Parents, even the Vice President of the United States, don't get final say in the choices that their adult children make.

There is nothing that Obama or Joe Biden could have done to prevent Hunter Biden from sitting on that board. Also, they didn't need to prevent it because neither of them ever acted with the interests of either Hunter or his company ahead of the interests of the United States. As a matter of fact, the choice to pressure Ukraine to fire that prosecutor led to better prosecutor actually taking on the investigation.

[still_one]

56. Exactly, but perhaps facts don't matter to some. I wonder how many here remember Jimmy Carter's

brother, and his relationship with Libya?

[Cha]

47. Bookmarking! Anyone who doesn't stand with Biden on this

against trump.. Isn't really helping themselves.. it could very well come back to bite them.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[liberal N proud]

51. Says more about them than about Biden

They would love to see him knocked down

[Cha]

52. "This is trump's scandal Not Biden's".. no matter

how many innuendoes some are alluding to.

I give trump no quarter.. Dems would do well not to help trump in his quest to make this about a Joe Biden/Hunter scandal thinking it will help them. Hint.. it won't.

[Skidmore]

54. And that is a mistake.

I have a real problem with Democrats who help feed the RW smear grinder. We have watched whole families of our leaders be not discredited on the merits, but smeared based by lies and innuendo with tepid defense from our side and being all too willing to help knife them. This is not how you stand up to the right. You don't help them destroy your leaders.

[Cha]

55. So Well Stated, Skidmore..

Thank you!

[emmaverybo]

57. Absolutely. THIS! Not how we stand up to the right. Not by helping RW destroy ANY Democratic

leader, current or former.