Obama-Biden

Just watched Obama and Biden make their first appearance together... they're an awesome combination. And seeing Biden trot across stage to join Obama at the podium, I couldn't help but grin. Biden is thrilled to be there and eager to get to work.

During Obama's introduction of Biden, he recounted the tragic accident that killed Biden's wife and young daughter shortly after his being elected to the Senate for the first time. Biden was sworn in not at the Capitol but at the hospital where his sons were still recovering. It was at that point that Biden began taking the train back to Delaware every night after his work in the Senate was done. He raised his sons for five years as a single dad before remarrying.

What occurred to me was the contrast with McCain, who ditched his first wife after she suffered a disfiguring accident. Nice.

Biden used this quote from Lincoln:

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

-- Abraham Lincoln

While looking up that one, I also found this:

Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure.

-- Abraham Lincoln