I have a lot of differences with Biden’s views, but it’s ridiculous to portray him as “rich.” 165K is a squarely middle-class income in an expensive city like Washington. Don’t forget also that Biden, like most members of Congress, maintains two homes, one in DC and one in his home state.
Biden is conspicuous for having not enriched himself while in office.
Regardless of explanations, Senator Biden still is in the top 5% of wage earners. Not bad for a “lunch bucket” Democrat.
HaHa....except his lavish meals out are paid for by lobbyists, his sons are making beaucoup bucks (and probably feeding it back to Dad) via Biden's earmarks/pork/senate contacts, etc......sorry....I don't buy the "not enriched himself while in office.....and, oh, does his wife work? Just curious.
Let’s see his financial disclosure statement....
He’s also got benefits, an expense account and a pension to die for—plus his major property in the family, not in his own name.
I do not believe that is true. It is such a tradition that it is nearly an unwritten law that Delaware's Congresscritters commute to and from DC back to Delaware the majority of the time.
I don't like Biden anymore than anyone else here, probably less than some even, but this is a rather ridiculous way to go after him.
Joe Biden Spent His Fortune on Amtrak Ticketshttp://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OWEwMjY5ODhkNWJmNmFmMDA0NDVhZWJkMDg0NGVjYWY=Over on Culture11.com, they calculate that by taking Amtrak, salt-of-the-earth, working-class Joe Biden spends $222 on commuting every day that the Senate is in session.
Looking at Amtrak's page, the rate for a train from Wilmington, Del. to Washington D.C.'s Union Station ranges, from $42 to $125 one way. So if he bought the cheap seats — and anecdotal evidence suggests that is not the case — he spends $84 per day; two one-way peak tickets on Acela (presumably Biden doesn't always know when the Senate will finish its work for the day) costs $250 per day.
Not that Biden has been in attendance every day, but the Senate has been in session 129 days so far this year. So his commuting cost range, had he gone to Washington every day that the Senate was in session, would range from $10,836 to $32,250, just from January to August.
As they note, if Biden worked five days a week fifty weeks a year like most Americans, his train expenses would exceed the median household income in the nation. If Biden is, as he once claimed, "the poorest man in the Senate", some of it may have to do with how he spends his money.
UPDATE: Some readers note that if Biden gets a monthly pass, he’s spending $1,062 per month – so $12,744 per year.
However, according to Amtrak, "Northeast monthly ticket holders may upgrade to certain off-peak Acela Express trains for an additional charge. This may only be done at staffed Amtrak stations within 30 minutes of departure." Anecdotal evidence suggests Biden takes Acela regularly.