The Myth of 'Middle-Class' Uncle Joe (Biden)

CNS News ^ | March 16 2012 | Michelle Malkin

[IbJensen]

This has got to be the bazooka of all Joe Biden blowhardisms. The nation's vice campaigner in chief went on the attack against Republicans this week, clad in full populist armor. "These guys don't have a sense of the average folks out there," said The Everyman. "They don't know what it means to be middle class." But who was his audience?

Nope, not blue-collar workers in Allentown, Pa. Biden was speaking to an exclusive club of $10,000-per-couple campaign donors gathered at the home of the Senate's $200 million man, Democratic Mass. Sen. John Kerry, in Georgetown, D.C.

That's smack dab in the middle of Beltway America, where they like a twist of cognitive dissonance with their aperitifs.

The White House is once again drawing on the fantastical myth of middle-class Joe to portray Republicans as out-of-touch elitists. A Washington Post headline described Biden "digging back into his roots to move Obama forward." But the administration's leading populist poster child is a wretched symbol of entrenched Washington power. And his fables are getting oldy-moldy.

At another campaign event in Ohio, Regular Joe rolled up his sleeves and pumped out the common-man colloquialisms. "It's good to have a dad in the automobile business, man," he said. Yeah, man. Preach it, man. Oh, hey, weren't you the man who savaged average-guy Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher in Ohio four years ago by lying about his income and mocking his American dream to own a small business? Man.

While Biden's family came from humble beginnings, the wheeler-dealer politician and his family (including two lobbyist sons) have reaped the benefits of public office for nearly a half-century. The entrenched senior senator from Delaware amassed wealthy donors and crooked cronies over six Senate terms. These are some of the stories, reported in my book "Culture of Corruption," that have been whitewashed out of the loquacious veep's campaign folklore:

—Biden's custom-built house in Delaware's ritziest Chateau Country neighborhood, assessed at $2.5 million four years ago, is the Bidens' most valuable asset. He secured the estate with the help of a corporate executive who worked for Biden's top campaign donor, credit card giant MBNA.

In 1996, Biden sold his previous mansion to MBNA Vice Chairman John Cochran. The asking price was $1.2 million. Cochran forked over the full sum. Biden then paid $350,000 in cash to real estate developer Keith Stoltz for a 4.2-acre lakefront lot. Stoltz had paid that same amount five years earlier for the undeveloped property.

—Among Pal Joey's dearest old pals: campaign finance "rainmaker" William Oldaker, who showered generous benefits on both the elder Biden and his lobbyist son, Hunter; Baltimore-based Peter Angelos, whose law firm gave Biden $156,250; Wilmington-based Young Conaway Stargatt and Taylor, which kicked in $127, 979; and Pachulski Stang Zielhl and Jones, which donated $145,625, according to The American Lawyer.

—Disgraced trial lawyer Richard Scruggs donated $11,500 to Biden in 2008. After Scruggs was convicted of attempting to bribe a federal judge, Biden tried to show his ethical bona fides by donating the money to a worthy charity. But Biden couldn't steer clear of nepotism. The money ended up with the National Prostate Cancer Coalition — a charity where, The American Lawyer pointed out, Biden's son Hunter sits on the board of directors.

—Another Biden family pal in the trial lawyers' community: Jeff Cooper. With his partner, John Simmons, the 39-year-old Cooper built one of the biggest asbestos litigation firms in the country. SimmonsCooper, based in Madison County, Ill., has donated a whopping $196,050 to Biden's campaigns since 2003, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C. In that same time frame, the firm poured $6.5 million into lobbying against a key tort reform bill — which Sen. Biden worked hard to defeat.

Without a hint of irony, Cooper extolled Biden's anti-tort reform stance: "He understands the plight of the little guy and is against huge corporate interest." But what Biden did was help fuel lucrative business for the tort bar. When courts in SimmonsCooper's home base in Illinois finally started cracking down on what had become "America's No. 1 judicial hellhole" for filing out-of-control tort claims, the firm turned East. And in Joe Biden's Delaware, they created a new sanctuary.

Back on Obama 2012 Fantasy Island, Biden insists on marketing himself as the humble "son of an automobile man." Give him this: He spins like a used-car salesman. His lot's full of lemons. And "bamboozle" is his middle name.

[IbJensen]

This administration is truly campaigning on misinformation and counting on the stupefaction of the Zombie electorate.

"Light" is a good disinfectant for vermin. The "vote" in November would be an even better one.

[Jerrybob]

That this "person" is actually the vice president of the United States is so staggering. I'm certain Rome, during its epic decline had its share of idiots in office, but I daresay none could have held a candle to this raging motor-mouth.

And the list of liberal idiots (sorry, but no other word will do...) just goes on and on....

John Kerry -- almost became president; Al Gore -- almost became president; Harry Reid, Chuckie Schumer, Charlie Rangel -- just to name a few.

Not only are these people idiots, they are SUCH idiots they don't even know when to keep their mouths shut.

My dad always said "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt".

[abclily]

Why no mention of Beau Biden? He was THE major player in getting his dad the VP slot in the first place!

[Pearls Before Swine]

That this "person" is actually the vice president of the United States is so staggering.

Give the man a break. After all, he's had brain surgery, and clearly suffers from a lack of impulse control. And, he wasn't too bright to begin with. Yes, give him a break--but don't put him in a position of responsibility and power!

[demkicker]

And I keep remembering how the press tried their best to influence and convince people that Dan Quayle was an idiot because he put an “e” at the end of potato.

Every time Biden opens his mouth, he ABSOLUTELY PROOVES 100% OF THE TIME THAT HE IS A REAL BONA FIDE IDIOT!!!

[Liz]

"Hi there, Americans. Obama put me in charge of the trillion dollar stimulus. My son and brother are gonna help me disperse the money. "

================================

Offshore Fraudster had links to offshore fund run by VP Biden's relatives
Reuters on Yahoo | 2/23/09 | BY Ajay Kamalakaran

(Reuters) – A fund of offshore hedge funds run by two members of VP Joe Biden's family was marketed exclusively by offshore firms controlled by Texas financier Allen Stanford, charged by regulators with an $8 billion fraud, the Wall Street Journal said.

The Bidens $50 million fund was jointly branded between the Bidens' Paradigm Global Advisors LLC and the offshore Stanford Financial Group entity headquartered in Antigua, and was known as the Paradigm Stanford Capital Management Core Alternative Fund, the paper said. Stanford-related offshore companies marketed the Biden fund to investors and also invested about $2.7 million of their own money in the fund, the paper said, citing a lawyer for Paradigm.

Paradigm Global Advisors is owned through a holding company by the vice president Biden's son, Hunter, and Joe Biden's brother, James, according to the WSJ. Paradigm's attorney, Marc LoPresti, who represents Hunter Biden and James Biden, as well as Paradigm, told the paper he did not know which Stanford entity invested the roughly $2.7 million. (Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

NOTE A lawyer for Hunter Biden and James Biden told reporters the Bidens NEVER met or communicated with Stanford. (/snicker)

[Liz]

Every time Biden opens his mouth, he PROVES HE IS A REAL BONA FIDE IDIOT...

As Confuscious say: "tis far better to appear to be
a stupid idiot than admit to committing criminal acts."

[ErnBatavia]

Ahem....

[IbJensen]

Being an idiot, he’s in fine company.

Why is it that the majority of congressrats are embarrassingly stupid?

[al baby]

When Joe Biden heard that the lead Monkee had died, he ran down the hall of the White House yelling,

“I’m the frickin’ President!”

[trebb]

This administration is truly campaigning on misinformation and counting on the stupefaction of the Zombie electorate.

I have a couple coworkers who are rabidly Dim because of the Left's backing of unions. Both have belonged, but neither actually benefited, so I really don't understand the way they can use this single issue to stay stupid on politics. More proof that leaning left is a mental illness.