In digging into Joe Biden, Barack Obama’s chosen VP, I have found some rather interesting history.
About two years ago, now, (June, 2006) [1]Joe Biden did a Meet The Press. On that program, Biden said the following: (As quoted by a CNN article [2] of that Sunday afteroon:
RUSSERT: Let me ask you a last question on Iraq about Haditha and some of the other alleged atrocities. The fact is, our government knew about that for some time. How high up the chain, based on your information, do you think this goes?
SEN. BIDEN: The secretary of defense.
MR. RUSSERT: And what should be done?
SEN. BIDEN: He should be gone. He shouldn’t be in his office tomorrow morning. But I’m so tired of saying this on your show. I’ve been saying this for two years.
MR. RUSSERT: Well, the president knew about it in March.
SEN. BIDEN: Well, we can’t get rid of the president. He’s there for two and a half more years. There is a system of accountability. The system of accountability is, it used to be a gentlemanly thing, as they say, when you make serious mistakes, you step forward and you acknowledge them and you walk away. Presidents can’t and shouldn’t do that. Secretaries of defense can and should.
Well, OK. So, Biden is assuming… as did Murtha, by the way… that the Marines were guilty. They have, one by one all been exonerated in the matter. [3]
But since we’ve not seen any apology to the Marines, any apology to Don Rumsfeld, any apology to The President from Biden on this point, should we be expecting one from him in the near future?
There is, after all a system of accountability, here. Or does that only work when you’re accusing Republicans and our military?
And should we expect anyone in the press to question Biden in these matters?
Update: (Bit) I see Michelle [4] noting the same angle, apparently inspired by someone named David Harsanyi. [5]
Glad to see someone else besides me noting it, actually. Means it stands a slightly higher chance of actually being presented to Biden at some point.