Biden's son will not run for US Senate

Jan 26, 2010 — The Boston Globe

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jan. 26, 2010 (The Boston Globe delivered by Newstex) --

DOVER, Del. - Beau Biden, Delaware's attorney general, won't run for the US Senate seat formerly held by his father, Vice President Joe Biden, delivering another blow to the Democratic Party's prospects in the November midterm elections.

The younger Biden said yesterday that he needs to remain focused as attorney general on a high-profile criminal scandal involving a pediatrician accused of sexual assault.

Prosecutors believe Dr. Earl Bradley may have molested more than 100 children over the past decade.

Some political observers believe there was more to Biden's decision than staying true to a 2006 campaign promise to crack down on child predators.

``As always, they tell part of the truth, but not the whole truth,'' said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political analyst. ``This is going to be a very tough year for Democrats, and that would have included even Beau Biden in Delaware.''

Biden's decision was a surprise, given that his father's longtime confidant and former Senate chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, was appointed to the seat essentially to keep it warm for the son until this year's election.

Mike Castle, a longtime Republican representative, a two-term governor, and one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history, entered the Senate race in October, dramatically increasing the likelihood of a fierce contest.

Biden's decision leaves the seat his father held for 36 years vulnerable as Democrats and their leader, President Obama, respond to Republican Scott Brown's victory last week for the Senate seat long held by the late Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts.

``I don't think you can underestimate Massachusetts,'' Sabato said. ``The fact that Massachusetts happened tells you that the underlying conditions were not favorable for Democrats, even in a Democratic state like Delaware.''

With Kaufman sticking to the pledge he made when appointed that he would not campaign to serve the remaining four years of Joe Biden's Senate term, Democrats may turn to New Castle County Chief Executive Chris Coons, who said he would take time to speak with family members and others before making a decision to run or not.



Democrats try to tame

deficit with budget rules

WASHINGTON - Democrats are trying to toughen budget rules to make it more difficult to run up the deficit with new tax cuts or federal benefit programs, a move Republicans say is a recipe for tax increases.

The proposal by Senate majority leader Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, would make it harder to extend permanently some tax cuts that expire at the end of this year, renew health care subsidies for laid-off workers that expire next month, or offer more Medicaid help to states.

Some middle-class tax cuts would not be affected, and extended unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless may also be exempt.

The move is aimed at softening opposition among moderates to letting the government extend itself another $1.9 trillion into debt.

President Obama is expected to crack down on domestic agency budgets when submitting his budget next week, but tougher steps such as raising taxes and cutting benefit programs are long shots in an election year.

Reid's ``pay as you go'' plan would attempt to curb Congress free-spending ways, which are turning voters away from Obama and lawmakers in both political parties.

The plan would require spending cuts or revenue increases to pay for new spending initiatives or tax cuts.

Passing the plan would take 60 votes in the Senate, a tall order since all but a handful of Republicans are likely to oppose it.



Obama welcomes Lakers

team to White House

WASHINGTON - President Obama welcomed the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers to the White House yesterday, praising the team for its accomplishments on the basketball court as well as its service in the community.

An avid basketball fan, Obama said he gets enormous pleasure from watching excellence on the court - and nobody exemplified excellence more than the Lakers last year, as they won their 15th league title, defeating the Orlando Magic.

Obama said he was especially excited to meet Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has won 10 championships, though the president did not hesitate to point out that six of those victories were with Obama's hometown Chicago Bulls.





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