Biden scolds GOP on treaty: 'Get out of the way'

The Hill ^ | 12/16/10 07:00 AM ET | Michael O'Brien

[Red Steel]

Vice President Biden issued a stern warning to Senate Republicans to "get out of the way" of Democrats trying to ratify a nuclear arms treaty.

The vice president sharply criticized Senate Republicans who have opposed ratification of the New START treaty during the lame-duck session of Congress.

"Get out of the way. There's too much at stake for America's national security," Biden said in an interview with NBC News that will air tomorrow in its entirety on MSNBC.

Biden's warning to Republicans come after a day of high-stakes wrangling over the nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia, which President Obama has made known is his top foreign policy priority at the moment.

The Senate voted to begin debate, set for Thursday, on the treaty, but only after Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) backed off a threat earlier on Thursday to force a delay in debating the treaty by forcing a ceremonial reading of its entire text.

66 senators voted to begin debate, and 67 votes are needed for ratification. (Two senators, Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), missed the vote.) But while the procedural vote on Wednesday bolstered hopes of ratification, the fate of the treaty is still very much in the air.

"Do not stand in the way of the nation's best interests. Let the Senate vote," Biden said to Senate Republicans in his interview.

The Senate's ability to cut through the New START agreement affects its ability to handle a number of unfinished items still left on the agenda. The Senate still has to address a repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell," a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill, the DREAM Act and a defense authorization bill, and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans work throughout the weekend and next week to address those items.

Biden drew on his own experience as a longtime senator to chastise GOP members who've complained about whether or not it's proper for Congress to rush through all of those issues before the Christmas holiday.

"And don't tell me about Christmas; I understand Christmas," said Biden, a devout Roman Catholic. "There's 10 days between now and Christmas. I hope I don't get in the way of your Christmas shopping, but this is the nation's business."

[FlingWingFlyer]

Rimshot Joe Biden. The Gabby Hayes of DemocRAT politicians.

[fullchroma]

I won. You can sit in the back. Get out of the way.

Nice bunch.

[RexBeach]

How many senators have read the treaty, do you think?

[broken_arrow1]

There's too much at stake for America's national security," Biden said

Yeah, America must hurry up and disarm before the bad guys arrive to rape, pillage and plunder our society.

[BilLies]

F U Joe and your piehole.....

[saganite]

The real news is the Republicans are folding in the face of this Zombie Congress and it’s cram it down our throat agenda.

[Red Badger]

"And don't tell me about Christmas; I understand Christmas," said Biden, a devout Roman Catholic

Bah! HUMBUG!.................

[pieceofthepuzzle]

If this legislation is so clearly in the best interests of the US there would be no hurry by the dems to pass it in a lame duck session.

[TheThinker]

"And don't tell me about Christmas; I understand Christmas," said Biden, a devout Roman Catholic.

The author must mean devout like Ted Kennedy.

[VRWCmember]

"Get out of the way. There's too much at stake for America's national security," Biden said

THAT is EXACTLY why we should stop this treaty dead in its tracks and send it back to the pits of hell from whence it came, Joe you ignorant steaming pile of pig excrement!

[cranked]

Does not idiotBiden’s motorcade have more accidents to get involved in? /s =.=

[backwoods-engineer]

This treaty has to be stopped, patriots. It robs us of the ability to defend ourselves against ICBMs. If it is important for national security, why would Obama and Biden want it?

Once this treaty is ratified by the Senate, it will become law and just as binding as the Constitution.

This treaty may be something worth going Lexington Green for.

[maggief]

Devout my @ss!

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/09/why_does_joe_biden_lie_about_a.html

[snowrip]

Glad to see DeMint backed off his threat to read the bill aloud. He really showed the Defeatocrats who's the boss.

[mewzilla]

How many senators have read the treaty, do you think?

According to Jim DeMint on FNC last night, the Senate hasn't even been allowed to see the negotiating records.

Who the heck knows what's been agreed to.

[PLD]

Joe you need to go back to the sanitarium and take your meds..Wonder who left the door open..

[Venturer]

Joe Biden knows about Christmas.

He would have voted to allow Mary to abort the Baby Jesus.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

America to Biden: Bite me.

[FrankR]

Ol' Joe...he's always good for a laugh...always good for a gaffe. That's why the media loves him...he says stupid things that get both sides of the aisle riled up...and in today media of limited capabilities that makes NEWS.

The caveman simplicity of the press is astounding..."UGH, EDDYTOR SEZ GIT NEWZ, I GIT NEWZ"

The scary part is, will this new crop of GOP'ers jump to obey him like they seem to be doing with the rest of the democrats?

The poor Republicans...they win so seldom, they have no idea of how to take charge and lead. If they don't buckle down in January, I'm afraid they'll just hand it back over to the dems in 2012.

I urge everyone to find that novelty gift website and order a set of those plastic testicles you hang on your rearview mirror, and everytime the GOP caves, send a set to those that caved. Oh..and "cc" the media on it.

Ridicule...it works.