BIDEN'S ATTACK BACKTRACK

Why Is Sen. Joe Biden Attempting To Refine Obama's Empty Record On Afghanistan After Attacking Him On The Issue In The Primary?______________________________________________________________________
As Chairman Of The Foreign Relations Subcommittee On European Affairs, Obama Has Not Held A Single Hearing On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan:

Obama Has Served As Chairman Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs From 2007 - 2008. (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Website, www.senate.gov, Accessed 2/15/08)

The Subcommittee On European Affairs Has Jurisdiction Over The Countries Of Europe As Well As NATO Activities. "Jurisdiction: The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries on the continent of Europe ... and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe." (U.S. Senate Committee On Foreign Relations Website, foreign.senate.gov, Accessed 2/27/08)

However, Obama Has Held Zero Hearings As Chairman Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs.

"Doubts about Barack Obama's presidential credentials have crystallized during the past two weeks over his stewardship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on European Affairs, which has convened no policy hearings since he took over as its chairman last January." (Joe Conason, "Obama's European Problem," Salon.com,
www.salon.com, 12/29/07)

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Defended Obama's Record And Claimed NATO's Mission Had Been Investigated In Full Committee Hearings:

Sen. DeMint (R-SC), Ranking Member Of The Subcommittee On European Affairs, Wrote A Letter To Obama, Asking Him To Hold A Hearing On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan. Sen. DeMint: "However, despite these successes, I am concerned our Subcommittee has not held any hearings on these issues over the last two years. With oversight of NATO relations and its role in Afghanistan, I believe it is time for us to focus closely on these issues. As Ranking Member of your Subcommittee on European Affairs, I would welcome a chance to hold a hearing on NATO's mission in Afghanistan upon your return." (Sen. Jim DeMint, Letter To Sen. Barack Obama, 7/15/08)

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Responded To Sen. Jim DeMint's Letter Citing Three Foreign Relations Full Committee Hearings On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan And Defending Obama's Record. Sen. Biden: "On the particular issue of NATO's mission in Afghanistan. ... We have held three Full Committee hearings in the last 22 months: one under Senator Lugar's chairmanship (September 21, 2006: "From Coalition to ISAF Command in Afghanistan: The Purpose and Impact of the Transition"), and two undermine (March 8, 2007: "Afghanistan: Time for a New Strategy?" and January 21, 2008: "Afghanistan: A Plan to Turn the Tide?"). At all three of these hearings, we were fortunate enough to have the expert testimony--in addition to other witnesses, both in and out of government-- of former NATO commander and Supreme Allied Commander-Europe, Gen. James R. Jones (USMC, ret.). At my request, Senator Obama chaired the confirmation hearing for our next ambassador to NATO, which he focused on NATO's mission in Afghanistan." (Z. Byron Wolf, "Biden Hits Back - More On Obama's Committee," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 7/17/08)

But Obama Missed 2 Of 3 Full Committee Hearings On The NATO Mission In Afghanistan, And Biden Previously Attacked Him As A "Johnny Come Lately" For His Failure To Show Leadership On The Issue:

Since Obama Joined The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The Committee Held Three Full Committee Policy Hearings On The War In Afghanistan. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/31/08, Obama Not Present; Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 3/8/07, Obama Present; Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/21/06, Obama Not Present)

On January 31, 2008, Obama Did Not Attend The Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On A New Strategy In Afghanistan. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/31/08, Obama Not Present)

On March 8, 2007, Obama Attended The Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On A New Strategy In Afghanistan In Which He Asked Only One Question. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 3/8/07, Obama Present)

Last Year, Sen. Biden Attacked Obama For Asking Only One Question Unrelated To The Taliban Or Afghanistan. Biden Campaign:


"Similarly on March 8th, Sen. Biden convened a hearing on a new strategy for Afghanistan ... At this hearing, Sen. Obama asked one question that was unrelated to Taliban or Afghanistan." (Sen. Joe Biden, "Biden Campaign Congratulates Sen. Obama For Johnny-Come-Lately Position," Press Release, 8/1/07)

On September 21, 2006, Obama Did Not Attend The Foreign Relations Committee Hearing On The Coalition To ISAF Command In Afghanistan. (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/21/06, Obama Not Present)

Sen. Biden Criticized Sen. Obama's "Johnny-Come-Lately Position" On Afghanistan. "The Biden for President Campaign today congratulated Sen. Barack Obama for arriving at a number of Sen. Biden's long-held views on combating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Much of what Senator Obama has proposed Senator Biden has already initiated or accomplished." (Sen. Joe Biden, "Biden Campaign Congratulates Sen. Obama For Johnny-Come-Lately Position," Pre ss Release, 8/1/07)

Obama Has Also Never Been To Afghanistan, And Skipped The Opportunity To Visit:

The Obama Campaign Pointed To His Trip To Iraq In Response To Criticism For Not Holding Any Oversight Hearings On Afghanistan. CNN's Jessica Yellin: "Obama's campaign points out the senator has visited Iraq..." (CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," 2/27/08)

"Obama's Second Trip Abroad As A U.S. Senator Starts In Qatar And, In Addition To Iraq, Will Include Stops In Kuwait, Jordan, Israel And The Palestinian Territories, According To A Statement From His Washington Office." ("Obama To Visit Middle East, Including Iraq," The Associated Press, 1/4/06)

"[Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)] Is Traveling With U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Sen. Christopher 'Kit' Bond, R-Mo., And Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn. Their Weeklong Trip Including A Stop In Israel For Meetings With Israeli And Palestinian Officials. Other Stops Included Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan And Pakistan." (Rick Callahan, "Bayh: Next Six Months Crucial To Iraq's Future," The Associated Press, 1/7/06)

"After A Two-Day Iraq Tour, Obama Is To Travel To Jordan And Israel On His Own." (Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Making 1st Visit To Iraq," Chic ago Tribune, 1/5/06)


PDF Format