Letter: Biden doesn’t bolster Obama ticket
 |
| Advocate Columnists |
 |
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
The Aug. 24 Advocate’s front-page lead story headline said “Biden bolsters, balances” the Barack Obama ticket.
I can’t argue with the wording of the headline, which says, in substance, exactly what the Associated Press story implies. I do argue that Sen. Joe Biden does not bolster the ticket in the field of foreign policy.
In April 1978, Joe Biden was one of the senators who voted to give away our Panama Canal.
Nearly every admiral and general who was free to speak advised against the giveaway. Those opposed included four men who had served as chief of naval operations, over all naval forces of our country.
And more, two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized me to name them as saying that in war, we need the canal. They are four-star Gen. John Vessey and the late Adm. Thomas Moorer.
Knowing the above, one should not be surprised to learn that, on Oct. 13, 1999, Biden voted for the nuclear test ban weapon treaty. This was despite the CIA’s warning that compliance of other countries could not be verified.
It is fortunate that, in that case, wiser heads prevailed and the treaty was rejected by the Senate. What is unfortunate is that the above votes are typical of Biden’s record in foreign policy.
Barack Obama’s choice of Biden does not bolster the ticket. Rather, Obama’s choice bolsters a suspicion: the suspicion that Obama himself does not yet have the mature judgment he needs to be president.
Jim Ware
retired businessman
Baton Rouge
I can’t argue with the wording of the headline, which says, in substance, exactly what the Associated Press story implies. I do argue that Sen. Joe Biden does not bolster the ticket in the field of foreign policy.
In April 1978, Joe Biden was one of the senators who voted to give away our Panama Canal.
Nearly every admiral and general who was free to speak advised against the giveaway. Those opposed included four men who had served as chief of naval operations, over all naval forces of our country.
And more, two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized me to name them as saying that in war, we need the canal. They are four-star Gen. John Vessey and the late Adm. Thomas Moorer.
Knowing the above, one should not be surprised to learn that, on Oct. 13, 1999, Biden voted for the nuclear test ban weapon treaty. This was despite the CIA’s warning that compliance of other countries could not be verified.
It is fortunate that, in that case, wiser heads prevailed and the treaty was rejected by the Senate. What is unfortunate is that the above votes are typical of Biden’s record in foreign policy.
Barack Obama’s choice of Biden does not bolster the ticket. Rather, Obama’s choice bolsters a suspicion: the suspicion that Obama himself does not yet have the mature judgment he needs to be president.
Jim Ware
retired businessman
Baton Rouge
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
