North Texas
(2008-08-27)
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I'm Todd Zwillich, this is Power Breakfast from the Democratic National Convention.
It's day three at the DNC and that means it's time for Joe Biden. Tonight Biden steps to the microphone as Barack Obama's choice for VP. Biden is famous for going off script.
Here was Biden back in June when reporters speculated he could be the VP choice.
BIDEN: I'd make a great vice president, I'd make a great senator. Look guys. You and I know this is like reading the entrails of goats, y'know? Like Caesar wondering whether Hannibal's coming up over which pass of the Alps, y'know what I mean?
Most politicians demure when asked the question if they would accept the VP slot. Well when it comes to answering the question, Joe Biden isn't most politicians.
BIDEN: You have to take it! Everybody's gonna game with you, yknow? They're gonna say, aw, I'd consider it. There's not a single solitary person with Barack Obama as the presidential nominee in this most historic of races, who if you asked him I need your help to run is gonna say no. I wouldn't say no.
But can the man who politicos say has no edit button stay on script? Biden's every utterance tonight will likely be off the teleprompter. But it's a long campaign between now and November.
And some of the people who know Joe Biden best say they'll just have to roll with it. We caught up with Hanitha Shabazz on the convention floor. She's a delegate from Delaware.
SHABAZZ . I guess sometimes frankness is very cold, it's straight. So he shoots from the hip, so we know what we're getting so we have to take what we get."
One of Biden's jobs as second is to go on the attack against detractors. Democrats don't want to get swift-boated like John Kerry did in 2004. Today they get a good look at the man responsible. Texas oil man T. Boone Pickins appears at a convention energy forum.
Four years ago Pickens spent millions financing Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Today he appears alongside the likes of liberal mouthpieces like the founder of Internet blog Daily Kos and Moveon.org.
And that's Power Breakfast from Capitol News Connection at the convention in Denver.
© Copyright 2009, KERA
