Can you tell something about a politician by the way he treats the little people? Sometimes. And in the case of Joe Biden, I think so. He arrived in the Senate just a year after I began working as a "court" reporter for their committees, sitting just below the dais at hearings or alongside the senators at their business sessions, traveling with them to field hearings.
Still, senators talking to me directly was a rare occurrence, and in their defense, their schedules are crazy and these meetings aren’t exactly social events. (Traveling offers much more contact, of course, like the time I was introduced to a Wisconsin senator in his living room, him standing there in his bathrobe, then barnstormed across the state in a tiny plane with him and 2 staffers.) Occasionally someone would ask me about a book I was reading, and Dale Bumpers always did that, and he clearly enjoyed book talk. Others would comment on what I was reading with undisguised surprise that it was more challenging reading than a Danielle Steele paperback.
And the mean old racist warrior Jesse Helms surprised the hell out of me with his courtly jumping up to pull out my chair, every single time. I’d rather have equal rights anytime, but it’s cool seeing a politician pay a little attention when there’s no political gain in doing so, right?
My Worst Behavior Toward the Help Award goes not to any senator but to the young staffers handling the details of committee hearings – the self-important but well-dressed keepers of the realm that I had to interact with the most. Ugh. And through my 30+ years working for Senate and House committees, as a group the most courteous people and winning my Best Behavior Award are members of the military – all branches, all levels, from the Joint Chiefs on down.
But what about Joe Biden, Obama’s pick for Veep? His committee assignments and mine always seemed in sync, so I’ve seen a whole lot of him in action, and he was my top choice among the many Democratic contenders this year – because of his impressive performance as a lawmaker. That’s what my head tells me; my gut remembers him as the least imperious, friendliest politician I’ve ever had the pleasure to chat with. And those bagels he was giving out to the media throngs outside his house all week? They reminded me of the time he and I were chatting, waiting for his subcommittee hearing to start, when he pulled his lunch out of a brown bag and offered me half. I’ve always been a sucker for people who feed me.
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Yay! Look out White House, decency is on its way!
Hopeful in Canada,
Very encouraging to know these things about him Susan! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hopefully they’ll be able to win over those passionate Hilary supporters, as they’re going to need them.
What a great commentary! You can certainly tell a lot by how people treat others when 1) no one else is looking and 2) there is nothing to be gained. I didn’t know this about Biden, but your comment about military people doesn’t surprise me a bit. Having married a military man, now retired (thank God), I can tell you that the courtesy and respect he showed me was the very first thing that caught my attention.
You fellers out there hear that?
Robin Wedewer
Gardening Examiner
Thank you so much for that very valuable insight! I vaguely thought Biden was “okay”, but hearing your personal experience helps me feel even better about him.
He wasn’t so nice to Clarence Thomas in his hearings for Supreme Court Justice. Thomas cites him in his biography as the leader of a “high tech lynching” and far worse than the Klu Klux Clansman that he grew up with as a child in the Deep South.
Way back when all the Democratic hopefuls were still in the primary season, Joe Biden was my top pick for prez. Now I am not a political junky. I don’t know all of his record by any means. I just know that when I would see him on TV, he was the most intelligent, most informed and well spoken. He made sense when he talked and didn’t spew talking points and blather.
I am thrilled that there is the great possibility that intelligent life will return to the White House with Obama and Biden.
I’m fascinated by this bit of information on Biden. In fact, I read it aloud to my husband. Speaking as an office manager, it’s immediately obvious what kind of a person a VIP is the moment they walk in the room. Do they introduce themselves to the admin, shake hands, etc.? You’d be surprised by how many job candidates these days do not and probably not surprised to learn that they don’t get the job after I report that to the hiring manager. Biden would be more likely to get my vote after reading your post, however, I’ve yet to find any reason to vote for Obama, and can’t bring myself to vote for McCain, so I probably won’t vote at all. Sad, isn’t it? I haven’t skipped my turn in the voting booth since I turned 18.
Thanks for this insider look, Susan. Listening to all the talking heads this morning and all the nonsense already out there, I find myself wishing they’d called you instead.
Hey Susan, one of my best friend in Boise is from Delaware and worked in Biden’s office and she just flat out adored him. said the same thing about his kindness. I am thrilled to see him on the ticket.
Dear Susan,
I’ve been spreading the word about your endorsement — better than David Brooks’! Thanks for the deep background. J.
Absolutely amazing. Hillary Clinton gets 48% of the delegates and Biden gets zero. No one liked him in the primary and when Obama picks him for vice-president and doesn’t even put Hillary on the short list or vet her, Joe Biden suddenly becomes the nicest guy on the planet. Excuse me if I don’t buy into the partisan nonsense.
“No one liked him…” I don’t believe that was the case. They just liked Obama and Hillary more. I hope the right candidates are out there, and hope that Obama is smart enough to use Hillary in some other capacity.
Time to introduce Jon to readers of this blog. He’s a familiar commenter on GardenRant. Every time we mention global warming he shows up to deny it, once even citing the laughable Senator Inhofe as an authority.
So Jon, maybe you’re not technically spouting “partisan nonsense” yourself, just speaking up consistently for the ultra right wing point of view.
Thanks for sharing this story. It confirms my impression of him. He was my top pick for VP too. I couldn’t be more pleased!
Great to hear you take. This reinforces what’s being reported in the press, that Bidden is a normal, nice guy.
If the Obama/ Bidden ticket wins, America’s gardening advocates might have a better chance of convincing the new crop of leaders to sign off on sustainable living projects.
Start with the White House Lawn– historical precedent is on our side. Alice Waters tried to convince Bill Clinton to allow part of the White House lawn to be transformed into a vegetable garden. She got nowhere then, but this is a different time. Alice speaking about the project said; “There are an army of people who would love to help America nutritionally. It’s very important to set a good example at the White House table. And I want a garden on the White House lawn! It’s a very different thing to showcase a garden with a connection to the kitchen and the compost, something that demonstrates to people the importance of nurturing that relationship and knowing where their food comes from. It harks back to Jefferson, [who] grew his own food. Roosevelt had a victory garden at the White House. It’s time for another one.”
I’m MA Newcomer’s friend who worked for Joe Biden 24 years ago in the DC Office. It’s true..he was great with the office staff. Played softball with us, had us to his house for Christmas parties, always asked us about our parent’s back home! What a great first boss to have right out of college! His wife, Jill is a wonderful person too!
Susan, Good to be remembered. I have to tell you that I looked very closely at Obama as to whether I would vote for him or not. Frankly I am fed up with both sides. They have all made corruption legal.
Given the choice of someone who wants to raise corporate taxes, institute a excess profit tax that I will have to pay on oil, promises to repeal the Bush tax cuts, will institute a 15% carbon tax on all energy. Will spend trillions on wind and solar energy that require 100% back-up from fossil fuels as they are between 60 and 75% inefficient. Please explain to me why since we need 100% back-up, why don’t we just build the required back-up and save the 5 time premium that wind requires (solar is worse). Please tell me how that makes sense.
Also be aware that the temperature has dropped consistently for eighteen months despite this being described as being impossible by the IPCC which is the authority on man-made warming. The temperatures have dropped over .75 degrees. A 1.0 degree rise over 100 yaers was deemed a reason to change our lifestyle and cripple our economy. the earth had a fever, the North Pole was melting, Polar Bears were drowning, New York and Miami were going to be flooded. Now we have had the greatest drop in temperature in instrument recorded history and it is now refered to as “climate change” or weather. Instead of your condesending smirkiness why don’t you try and explain how all this can happen. One’s brain would have to be peanut butter to believe that nonsense.
I understand that Biden personally is a nice guy which is not the personality he displays. The question I would ask Obama would be the same one I would ask a neighbor if they brought home a pit bull from the pound, “What were you thinking of?”
I wanted Joe Biden to be our nominee for President because he is extremely knowledgeable and articulate. It’s nice to read that he is as decent as his image would lead you to believe.
As for Clarence Thomas, the worst Supreme in my lifetime, Joe Biden was right about him. He was unqualified and has whined every since winning the nomination.
Very nicely written, Susan. I loved your story.
Very nicely written, Susan! I enjoyed the whole story very much indeed.
Thank You! So happy to hear nice things about a man I have admired for years but have never had a chance to meet personally.
I found you through the Time Goes By blog newsletter, and am a fan of yours from now on … and not just from this article on Biden, but also because of my interest in sustainable gardening and the preservation of a sustainable planet.
I appreciate the inside scoop! When I’m trying to discern someone’s character — a key criteria for me regarding who I “buy in” to — I always examine the the way s/he “treats the little people.” That tells me what someone is really all about!
Joe Biden has 35 years of experience in the Senate. He voted against the first Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait. He voted for the current war. He voted against the surge and in April of this year declared it a failure.
30 years ago Joe Biden opposed the surge of oil that would be forthcoming from development of the North Slope. This area today supplies 25% of our domestic oil. Joe Biden today is against offshore oil which today supplies 25% of our oil supplies and has the potential for many times more. Today Joe Biden is against is against 6 to 16 billion barrels of oil in ANWAR. He is against 2.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Destin Dome. 34 trillion cubic feet in ANWAR. 430 trillion cubic feet offshore. 100 billion barrels in the Baken oil fields. 159 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Green River Formation. He is against 2 trillion barrels of oil in shale oil in the Rockies. He is against countless trillions of barrels in coal to oil. He is against the cleanest most economical form of electricity; nuclear.
Instead he is for trillions of dollars in taxes for biofuels for which there is not enough food supply in the world to meet our needs. …and wind and solar solar which do not save a drop of oil and cost five times more and cannot supply to our needs.
Give me the inexperience of Plain who quit her job as on an ethics council to blow the whistle on corruption within the panel, beat the governor that refused to support her in the fight against corruption. As her first act as governor fired the cook in the governor’s mansion and said she couuld make her own kids sandwiches and as a second act sold the governor’s private jet on E-Bay. She took on the oil companies and enforced the state law giving royalties on all oil to the people which gives each Alaskan citizen an extra $1500 a year. She is a tireless crusader against waste and corruption and it is said the Alaskan landscape is strewn with the bodies of those who have crossed Palin. She has an 80% approval rating while Biden and friends have a less than 20% approval rating.
Also there are his remarks about not being able to go into a 7/11 store in New Jersey without having an Indian accent and that Obama is the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy and his latest remark when asked for his comments about Palin said “She’s good looking.”
Please, please, please give me inexperience.
It’s nice to hear that a politician has good manners and is friendly to others. But it is especially nice to hear about someone whose politics you like also.
Also it is interesting to hear about about your former career. I only knew of you as an expert in gardening.
Mention of this post in the GWA blogging session piqued my curiosity–it’s great to read that Biden is a decent (and normal) fellow.
I think Biden is a great pick for Veep. Lots of great stories. What fascinated me about this post was the peek into your non-gardening life. I had no idea.
Joe Biden really is a decent guy. He can joke around and make fun of himself, and knows how to make everyone feel at ease. And he’s easy to look at — that helps!
its all Heathers fault..she didnt vote
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