A Year in Iowa

Biden's give (mostly)-and-take

May 7, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Joe Biden came to see us this morning.

By us, I mean the Cedar Rapids Gazette. He spent an hour and 10 minutes giving very long answers to very short questions from the editor, the vice president/general manager, the political writer, and the newsside columnist, who also has a role in the paper's editorial department. Oh, and there was me, the dilettante.

"My only shot is you guys grilling me and making conclusions if I should be hanging around," Biden said, "because it sure won't be the money."

Meaning, the Democrat U.S. Senator from Delware who is running for president isn't playing in the Clinton-Obama league when it comes to fundraising.

So he, like most of the presidential candidates seeking to attract as much possible attention in Iowa, Biden pays visits to local television and newspaper people in Iowa when the opportunities arise. The most obvious benefit: He'll get a story and a photograph in tomorrow's Gazette, and the same on Gazetteonline.com and its Iowacaucus.com site. In turn, the newspaper can say it hosted Biden, asked him direct questions on the public's behalf, looked him in the eye. 

Mike Deupree, the aforementioned columnist, challenged Biden on a couple of his remarks, one being a comment he made last week to a citizen at a South Carolina political event. It was later broadcast on C-SPAN.

Asked by a voter what Congress will do if President Bush vetoes the Democrat-backed Iraq funding bill as expected, Biden said he would move immediately to secure money for armored vehicles with raised, V-shaped hulls that deflect the force of homemade bomb blasts.

"The idea that we're not building new Humvees with the V-shaped things is just crap. Kids are dying that don't have to die," Biden said, adding "Second thing is, we're going to shove it down (Bush's) throat."

Biden told us the proper context of the "shove it down his throat" remark wasn't conveyed on the broadcast. The clip can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB2tcKt-Pgk

Deupree did what good journalists do. He asked a legitimate question about a serious matter. Though he vigorously defended and explained his remark, Biden didn't seem offended by the question.

A free press met someone running for president who was willing to be questioned by it. Few others among the busy people in the Gazette's downtown offices were even aware Biden was in their building. But in one the newspaper's conference rooms, the democratic process was in session.

 

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