Skip to comments.
Biden scolds GOP on treaty: 'Get out of the way'
The Hill ^
| 12/16/10 07:00 AM ET
| Michael O'Brien
Posted on 12/16/2010 6:29:19 AM PST by 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."
TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: biden; dadt; dream; lameduck; start
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-32 next last
1
posted on
12/16/2010 6:29:20 AM PST
by
Red Steel
To: Red Steel
Rimshot Joe Biden. The Gabby Hayes of DemocRAT politicians.
2
posted on
12/16/2010 6:30:52 AM PST
by
FlingWingFlyer
(Merry Christmas to all of my FReeper FRiends!)
To: Red Steel
I won. You can sit in the back. Get out of the way.
Nice bunch.
3
posted on
12/16/2010 6:33:20 AM PST
by
fullchroma
(Please go!)
To: Red Steel
How many senators have read the treaty, do you think?
4
posted on
12/16/2010 6:33:51 AM PST
by
RexBeach
To: Red Steel
There's too much at stake for America's national security," Biden saidYeah, America must hurry up and disarm before the bad guys arrive to rape, pillage and plunder our society.
5
posted on
12/16/2010 6:33:54 AM PST
by
broken_arrow1
(I regret that I have but one life to give for my country - Nathan Hale "Patriot")
To: Red Steel
F U Joe and your piehole.....
6
posted on
12/16/2010 6:34:38 AM PST
by
BilLies
(no)
To: FlingWingFlyer
The real news is the Republicans are folding in the face of this Zombie Congress and it’s cram it down our throat agenda.
7
posted on
12/16/2010 6:34:41 AM PST
by
saganite
(What happens to taglines? Is there a termination date?)
To: Red Steel
"And don't tell me about Christmas; I understand Christmas," said Biden, a devout Roman Catholic Bah! HUMBUG!.................
8
posted on
12/16/2010 6:38:42 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Whenever these vermin call you an “idiot”, you can be sure that you are doing to something right.)
To: Red Steel
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.
To: Red Steel
"And don't tell me about Christmas; I understand Christmas," said Biden, a devout Roman Catholic.The author must mean devout like Ted Kennedy.
10
posted on
12/16/2010 6:39:37 AM PST
by
TheThinker
(Communists: taking over the world one kooky doomsday scenario at a time.)
To: Red Steel
"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!
To: Red Steel
Does not idiotBiden’s motorcade have more accidents to get involved in? /s =.=
12
posted on
12/16/2010 6:43:21 AM PST
by
cranked
To: Red Steel
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.
To: TheThinker
14
posted on
12/16/2010 6:45:53 AM PST
by
maggief
To: Red Steel
Glad to see DeMint backed off his threat to read the bill aloud. He really showed the Defeatocrats who's the boss.
15
posted on
12/16/2010 6:50:29 AM PST
by
snowrip
(Liberal? You are a socialist idiot with no rational argument.)
To: RexBeach
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.
16
posted on
12/16/2010 6:52:49 AM PST
by
mewzilla
(Hey, Schumer, how's that Lockerbie bomber deal investigation coming along?)
To: Red Steel
Joe you need to go back to the sanitarium and take your meds..Wonder who left the door open..
17
posted on
12/16/2010 6:54:16 AM PST
by
PLD
To: Red Badger
Joe Biden knows about Christmas.
He would have voted to allow Mary to abort the Baby Jesus.
18
posted on
12/16/2010 6:54:51 AM PST
by
Venturer
To: Red Steel
America to Biden: Bite me.
To: Red Steel
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.
20
posted on
12/16/2010 7:04:27 AM PST
by
FrankR
(The Evil Are Powerless If The Good Are Unafraid! - R. Reagan)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-32 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson