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10.03.07

            As an acting Senator from Delaware Joe Biden continues to divide his time campaigning for president and keeping busy on the senate floor. Last Wednesday Sen. Biden’s Iraq federalism plan was passed in the U.S. Senate. Biden’s amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill includes a detailed plan promoting a political solution to the conflict in Iraq, leading to the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

            Biden’s most public moment of the week came Wednesday evening at the New Hampshire Democratic Debate at Dartmouth College where he referred to his Iraq plan being passed earlier that day. When asked by Tim Russert if he would make a commitment to have all troops out of Iraq by 2013, Biden said that if there is no political reconciliation possible when he comes into office he would commit to having them out by the end of his first term. Biden however believes strongly in his ability to reach a political solution with his plan, a plan that was passed with more than 75 percent of the Senate vote. 

            During the debate, on the topic of immigration, Biden said he would not allow cities to ignore federal immigration laws but offered criticism to the federal government citing an inability to enforce immigration laws because of an absence of federal funding.

            On Saturday Sept. 29^th Biden attended the Congressional Black Caucus ALC 2007 Awards Dinner in Washington D.C.

            Biden started the month of October in South Carolina’s York County Democratic Headquarters followed by a press conference in Columbia, South Carolina. In the town of Rock Hills Biden said that he could sway up to six states that had recently showed their overall support going towards the GOP. At the state capital Biden accepted the support of several state representatives and senators expressing his confidence in maintaining South Carolina’s overall support throughout the rest of his campaign. Biden told the crowd that he appreciates the support from the several outspoken legislatures including South Carolina State Representative Jim Battle and Vida Miller.

10.10.07

            Off the heels of last week democratic debate in New Hampshire, Sen. Joe Biden has been spending a lot of time in Iowa. Issues have focused on our military’s presence in the Middle East and education in the states.

            On Thursday the 4^th Biden talked with students and educators at Des Moines’s East High School. Biden proposed his plan to give every child the opportunity to have 16 years of public education, with two years of pre-school and at least two years of higher education. In Des Moines Biden said, “Every child must graduate from high school, every qualified student should get a minimum of an associates degree. Also on Thursday Biden issued a response to a New York Times Article revealing that the Bush Administration authorized US personal to torture detainees. Biden said, this is an outrage and an embarrassment to the nation.

            The Biden family was making stops throughout eastern Iowa this weekend. On Friday and Saturday Sen. Biden’s two sons Beau and Hunter made stops at public events in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, Muscatine and Waterloo.

            On Sunday Sen. Biden made appearances in Muscatine and Sabula. Biden spoke at an Octoberfest Fundraiser for state representative Nate Reichert in Muscatine. Biden had dinner with the Jackson County Democratic at a private residence in Sabula.

            On Monday he stopped in five Iowa towns. Biden had “meet and greets” in Monticello, Vinton, Marengo, Tipton and Clinton.

            On Tuesday Biden announced he would not participate in the Michigan State Democratic Primary. On October 4^th Michigan’s governor Jennifer Granholm signed a senate bill to move her state’s presidential primary to January 15^th, 2008, surpassing New Hampshire’s January 19^th primary.

10.17.07

            Other than spending Tuesday the 16^th in Massachusetts Biden has devoted much of last week and this current week to Iowa voters. Beginning last Wednesday Biden has campaigned heavily in Des Moines and Eastern Iowa.

            On the 11^th Biden was at Iowa’s capital receiving an endorsement from State Representative McKinley Bailey an Iraq war veteran.

            The following day Biden released a statement regarding democratic candidate Bill Richardson. Biden said Richardson holds an irresponsible position on Iraq and has failed to stay consistent on how to remove troops from the Middle East if the New Mexico governor becomes president.

            Also on Friday the 12^th, Biden joined candidate Chris Dodd for a democratic forum in Waterloo, Iowa. Among other issues Biden was quoted saying that U.S. armed forces does need to increase in size and the key to more Americans enlisting is good foreign policy.

            Biden did began this week in New England but returns to Iowa on Wednesday for his forth trip to the Hawkeye State in October. Beginning Wednesday in Des Moines, Biden has 21 scheduled appearances over seven days.

10.24.07

            Last week Sen Biden became the first candidate, Democrat or Republican to receive a campaign endorsement for a state newspaper. The Storm Lake Times, in Storm Lake Iowa, said about Biden, “nobody, including the president, has a firmer grasp on international affairs,” On the 21st Biden was a guest on ABC’s Sunday morning show hosted by George Stephanopoulus.  During the program Biden said that GOP candidate and former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, knows virtually nothing about foreign policy.  The only GOP candidate that Biden said is competent when it comes to foreign affairs is Sen. John McCain. On Tuesday Biden was in Des Moines, Iowa talking about health care.  Biden will be back in the district of Columbia this Thursday.    

10.31.07

            Another week meant another democratic debate; this one was at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Tuesday, October 30^th. Two days prior, on the 28^th, Biden applauded Iowa for moving both the Democratic and Republican Caucuses to Jan. 3^rd, reaffirming the Hawkeye’s, First in the Nation status. Iowa State Director Danny O’Brien said, “From the day he announced his candidacy, Sen. Biden made it clear that Iowa would be at the center of his campaign strategy.

            This week Biden was also speaking out on Iran, warning the President and criticizing Sen. Clinton for designating the Iran Revolutionary Guard as a Terrorist state.

11.07.07

            US Senator Joe Biden is campaigning in Iowa this week. On Monday the senator from Delaware was at a house party in Ames.  While in Iowa Biden received yet another endorsement form an Iowa legislator, this week it was Iowa State Senator Herman C. Quirmbach. Sen. Quirmbach is an Associate Professor of Economics at Iowa State University.

            Instead of endorsements, last week the Biden campaign was responding to critical remarks made by former New York mayor, Rudolph Giuliani.  The Biden and Guiliani campaigns have been sharing sentiments throughout this race but comments of each have grown increasingly critical since Biden’s appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, several weeks ago. The Giuliani campaign most recently questioning Biden’s strength in foreign policy, a notable strong point for the senator from Delaware who is currently  the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

            Biden is in New Hampshire this Thursday and returns to Iowa on Saturday.

11.14.07

            The Senator from Delaware continues to bounce back and forth form the East Coast to the Mid West but this past week Biden’s focus has been on Pakistan. The democratic nation has been under President Musharaff’s emergency rule since November 3^rd. Musharaff has suspended the county’s constitution causing raised concern in the US. In a speech to students and faculty at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire Sen. Biden outlined a new approach to Pakistan paying close attention to its nuclear prowess. The Muslim nation is a democratic one but also a nuclear one. Biden stated,”It is hard to imagine a greater nightmare for America than the world’s second-largest Muslim nation becoming a failed state in fundamentalist hands.” Amidst all the concern, Sen. Biden also stated that the current crisis in Pakistan is an opportunity to build a new strengthened relationship that both country’s can be proud of.

            Sen. Biden spent Veterans Day in Iowa. On Sunday the Biden Campaign was in Onawa, Iowa and made a pledge to reform the Veterans Administration and see that it is more responsive to the needs of veterans. Biden continued his visit to Iowa into Monday but will be in Nevada by Thursday for a Democratic debate hosted by the University of Nevada and CNN.

11.21.07

No report was filed for this week.

11.28.07

            US Senator Joe Biden is busy in Iowa this week talking about his “Apollo Project.” The senator from Delaware isn’t setting America’s sights on the moon but says that his proposed $60,000,000,000 energy project bearing the same name of the historic moon missions is comparable.

            The “Apollo Project” addresses energy security and climate change in the scope of an eight point plan. At his Iowa headquarters in Clive Biden proposed this plan that pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990’s level and do this by 2050.

            Biden’s energy project also calls for increased fuel efficiency in cars and raising fuel economy standards one mile per gallon each year.

            Biden began this week with meet and greets in Humboldt, Iowa and while in Clarion, Iowa Biden denounced comments made by several republican candidates supporting the surge in Iraq. Biden says that security in Iraq has gotten better but there is no evidence of the surge meeting any of its stated objectives.

            Biden will remain in Iowa until Wednesday when he travels to New Hampshire.

12.05.07

            The Biden Campaign is saying their poll numbers are going up, now surpassing Gov. Bill Richardson. A new ARP poll this week shows Biden registering 8% of voters, up from 5% three weeks ago.

            Biden returned to Iowa this Monday. In the past week the campaign has made campus visits to Wartburg College, in Waverly, the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, The University of Iowa at Iowa City and Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

            In Iowa City Biden talked about Iran’s nuclear capabilities. It’s been less than a week since a National Intelligence Estimate reported that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Sen. Biden said that diplomatic engagement and economic pressure can work to help deter the Middle Eastern country from continuing uranium enrichment and resuming nuclear weapons production.