While being interviewed by PBS, Vice-President Joe Biden, who has served in that capacity under President Barack Obama for the past eight years, told President-elect Donald Trump to "grow up." Biden's comments to Trump, who some people suspect of being nothing more than a "puppet" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, were made in response to complaints from Trump about the way in which the Obama Administration has been handling the transition of power from Obama to Trump. When confronted with Trump's complaints during the PBS interview, Biden told Trump to "grow up" and then added, "It's time to be an adult!," (ABC News, 1-6-17).
Biden's impressive political career
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1942. Biden began his career as an attorney in 1969. He soon got into politics and was elected to the New Castle County Council in Delaware in 1970. In 1972, Biden was elected to the United States Senate from Delaware and was elected to six consecutive terms in the Senate. As a Senator, Biden opposed the Gulf War in 1991. Biden strongly advocated for NATO and supported American and NATO intervention in Bosnia in 1994 and 1995. Although Biden voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, he objected to increased American troop involvement in that war in 2007. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden advocated for greater control of violent crime, including violent crimes against women.
Biden sat as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the much-publicized Supreme Court hearings for Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.
Biden unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1998 and 2008. He dropped out of the race both times; however, he was nominated as Obama's running mate in 2008.
Biden was elected Vice-President in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Some of the issues for which Biden has been a stalwart advocate include: the Affordable Care Act, (Obama Care), reinstating infrastructure spending, tax relief, continuing unemployment insurance for those who need it, and job creation. In 2015, after the untimely death of his son Beau from cancer, Biden chose not to run for the Democratic Party nomination for President in 2016.
No nonsense Biden
Joe Biden has always been a "no nonsense" type of politician. He has always been the kind of guy who says what he means and follows through on what he says he is going to do. In light of this, it is not difficult to understand why he would address Trump's complaints about the transition process with a simple, blunt statement like, "Grow up," and "It's time to be an adult!"
Sanders' display of Trump's tweet
Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders decided this week to confront Trump with his own words. Sanders, who is concerned that Trump appears to be waning on his promise to protect both Social Security and Medicare, displayed a huge poster on which was printed one of Trump's tweets from the 2016 Presidential campaign.
In that tweet, Trump promised not to cut Social Security and Medicare. Sanders, who describes himself as a Socialist, has been a lifelong advocate of the rights of workers, the elderly, the handicapped and the financially challenged. To date, Trump has addressed the needs of this demographic of Americans by promising to protect them and siding with GOP Congressional leaders who are trying to slash Social Security and Medicare rights of that same demographic. Observers on both sides of the aisle are watching, recording and reporting Trump's every move.
