Beau Biden announced Monday that he will not seek election to the U.S. Senate seat long held by his father, Vice President Joe Biden, putting another Democratic-held Senate seat in jeopardy and dealing another blow to President Barack Obama's flailing party.
Why has he decided not to run?
The Delaware attorney general told supporters in an e-mail that he will run for re-election to his state post instead of running against GOP Rep. Mike Castle for the seat the elder Biden held for 36 years. He cited a need to focus on prosecution of a high-profile child molestation case.
"I have a duty to fulfill as attorney general, and the immediate need to focus on a case of great consequence. And that is what I must do," Biden, 40, wrote. "Therefore I cannot and will not run for the United States Senate in 2010."
If one takes him at his word, then I suppose one might consider this an admirable decision. However, I'm a wee, tiny bit skeptical. Read on:
Biden's decision was a surprise, given that his father's confidant and former Senate chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, was appointed to the seat by Delaware's governor essentially to keep it warm for the son until he was able to run.
But then Castle, a former two-term governor and one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history, entered the race, dramatically increasing the likelihood of a competitive race.
Here the Democrats are, having gone to all the trouble to find the political equivalent of one of those tuxedo-clan nobodies hired to fill seats at the Oscars when the famous people nip out to the loo, and the GOP has the nerve to make the race competitive. Why, the Democrats might have to work! To defend a seat that was once held by a really, really famous elder statesman! That's theirs by rights! The gall!
Apparently aware that his party has recently proven incredibly bad at winning elections that they assumed would be theirs by default, Biden the Younger is taking a pass. Because apparently the sentiment that the Democrats are a bunch of spineless pantywaists needed a little bit of shoring up.
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Just when you think it can't get any better...
ReplyDeleteI swear to the Random Forces of Nature, President Barack "Coattails" Obama couldn't manage his way out of a wet paper bag with a knife. Comrade Pelosi may be good at remembering who crossed her, but that's about the extent of her talent. Harry Reid is toast back home. The only party horribly incompetent enough to make the Reps look good is running Congress and the White House, heaven help us all.
Out with the bums. All the bums and their offspring. I aim to misbehave.
Right on, Charo!
ReplyDeleteLove the title, Dan, LOL!
Barbara