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Posted: October 11, 2007 6:53 PM
Biden Hopes Success of Iraq Measure Ramps Up Campaign Momentum
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Presidential hopeful Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., is still enjoying his recent success in backing a vote in the Senate on a proposed resolution that supports dividing Iraq into three semi-autonomous regions. The measure passed by 75 votes (26 of which were Republican) and the resolution has been positively received by Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talibani.

Biden touted his plan to divide Iraq in a recent article in The Washington Post, which he co-authored with Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. “We want to set the record straight. If the United States can’t put this federalism idea on track, we will have no chance for a political settlement in Iraq and, without that, no chance for leaving Iraq without leaving chaos behind,” the article says.

In an effort to demonstrate bipartisan support for the Iraq proposal, Biden has teamed up with Republican presidential candidate Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. Last Tuesday, at the GOP debate in Michigan, Brownback explained his reasoning for lending Biden his support on the measure: “Joe and I don’t agree on hardly anything, but this is what we need to do to get to the political equation.” The pair will address Iowa’s Greater Des Moines Committee on Foreign Relations on Oct. 12 .

Although Biden’s legislative achievement has been widely celebrated throughout his campaign, the aftershock has not influenced his standing in the polls. Mainstream media outlets have devoted little attention to what Biden’s campaign considers a major turning point in his bid for the nomination.

An experienced lawmaker and campaigner, Biden has been surprised with the modest press to date: “I thought you guys would be out here a lot sooner,” he told a reporter from the New York Times.

Biden entered the presidential race last January to a barrage of media attention over his remarks about Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., describing him as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” The comments generated pundit commentary on media outlets and earned Biden sharp criticism .

Biden continues to tout his successful Iraq proposal and is determined to make up ground in Iowa. Thursday afternoon his campaign announced the support of Iowa State Rep. McKinley Bailey, a returning Iraq veteran. The news is being heralded a “significant endorsement” from Biden staffers.

“McKinely is one of Iowa’s most promising political leaders and I am proud that he has pledged to support my campaign. I am in awe of all that he has already accomplished including his exemplarary work on behalf of his fellow veterans,” Biden said of McKinley’s endorsement.

He intends to spend the majority of the fall appealing to voters in Des Moines and throughout Iowa. The senator hopes to highlight his ability to unite Democrats and Republicans, a quality he deems essential for the 2008 White House race.

However, the starts and stops of Biden’s campaign were perhaps best summarized by a resident of Fort Madison, Iowa, during a recent breakfast gathering for the senator: “This is what’s nice about Iowa being the first-in-the-nation caucus: you can sit in a room this size with; what, 14 people, and hear him. The problem, with Obama and Hillary and even Edwards now, is that the crowds are getting too big.”