Biden and Amtrak

[WhoozOn1st]

I've been revved up for days at the prospect of Joe Biden as a veep. I think he's great. Talks too much maybe, but knows what he's talking about.

Does anybody know where he stands on Amtrak and other transportation? Nothing about it on his website.

Republicans beware. Joe Biden will tell America, chapter and verse, why Republicans suck out loud. He has a formidable arsenal of facts. John McCain hates facts, cuz he knows they can only work against him. "But I'm a war hero!" No you're not. You got shot down early in the war and sat it out in Hanoi. 361 other A-4s were downed, and you don't hear those pilots claiming that's a reason to vote for them to be president. A major crock.

And since when is being a POW a qualification for the Oval Office? Some kinda special wisdom that nobody else knows?

Come to think of it, I don't know McCain's Amtrak position either.

 

[Spokker]

http://trains4america.wordpress.com/2007/0...rtation-issues/

You are looking at Mr. Transportation,” he said in response to a question about using an electrified rail system like Europe’s. “I am the reason Amtrak keeps moving.”

It would seem that Biden is big on trains and I'm not sure that attacking McCain's POW experience is productive.

Also, Biden rides Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor regularly.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask you about another tough issue for both of you: Amtrak. The president wants...
SEN. BIDEN: It's not tough for me.

MR. RUSSERT: You take Amtrak every day back and forth to work.

SEN. BIDEN: This is absolutely bizarre that we continue to subsidize highways beyond the gasoline tax, airlines, and we don't subsidize, we don't want to subsidize a national rail system that has environmental impact. Do you know what it would take? It would take us $71 billion to be able to go and take--if you took Amtrak out of the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston, to build enough highway on 95 to go up and back. This is the ultimate being penny-wise and a pound-foolish.

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Santorum, your Republican colleague from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter, said the president's elimination of federal subsidies for Amtrak is unacceptable.

SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you share that view?

SEN. SANTORUM: I would agree with--it's not...

 

[AlanB]

Yes, if Joe get's any say in White House policy, I've no doubt that he'll push big time for Amtrak. He rides it so frequently that it's said that he knows the names of many of the crew members and will personally great them upon boarding the train. Joe Biden will most certainly be pushing for all types of mass transit funding, not just Amtrak.

The real question is, just how much influence and say will he have in the White House assuming that they are elected? And of course, what will they be able to push through Congress?

 

[the_traveler]

Personally, I think pushing it through Congress is the least of the worries. How many times has a bill been passed by Congress for $xxx and the President has stated (even before the vote ) that he would veto it, and propose a $-0- (or otherwise low $) bill for Amtrak? :huh:

 

[Guest]

Republicans beware. Joe Biden will tell America, chapter and verse, why Republicans suck out loud. He has a formidable arsenal of facts. John McCain hates facts, cuz he knows they can only work against him. "But I'm a war hero!" No you're not. You got shot down early in the war and sat it out in Hanoi. 361 other A-4s were downed, and you don't hear those pilots claiming that's a reason to vote for them to be president. A major crock.
And since when is being a POW a qualification for the Oval Office? Some kinda special wisdom that nobody else knows?

Since when is being an attorney a qualification for prez...since when is being an actor a qualification for governor..or in my case a veterinarian? That's a dumb sentiment, Whooz. You're just mad because you worked on the d*mned planes and didn't get the glory of flying them. Leaders come from all walks of life. Since when does being the husband of a ketchup and pickle queen make you a good candidate (kerry)? Let me be really politically incorrect: when does being black or a woman make you a good candidate?

None of the vocations or physical traits makes it special. Being an intelligent leader and a person of good judgment, wisdom and character does. But face the fact that the President is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces and for that both Clintons sucked and McCain would excel. Obama would have no clue. He worked out in a gym on his "photo op trip to Iraq". Any candidate faces a host of problems including our position in the world and our situations at home. One of those situations is making Americans aware that some problems are of their own making (housing and energy) and nothing can save them except making them (us) look in the mirror and accept responsibility for our own actions. There is no sugar daddy for the American people.

 

[had8ley]

I've been revved up for days at the prospect of Joe Biden as a veep. I think he's great. Talks too much maybe, but knows what he's talking about.
Does anybody know where he stands on Amtrak and other transportation? Nothing about it on his website.

Republicans beware. Joe Biden will tell America, chapter and verse, why Republicans suck out loud. He has a formidable arsenal of facts. John McCain hates facts, cuz he knows they can only work against him. "But I'm a war hero!" No you're not. You got shot down early in the war and sat it out in Hanoi. 361 other A-4s were downed, and you don't hear those pilots claiming that's a reason to vote for them to be president. A major crock.

And since when is being a POW a qualification for the Oval Office? Some kinda special wisdom that nobody else knows?

Come to think of it, I don't know McCain's Amtrak position either.

Gee Patrick~ something we agree on. I don't think Mr. McCain is any friend of Amtrak's. I rate him slightly less hostile than Ronald Reagan who would have loved to scrap Amtrak much like the Pacific Electric lines that it's now taking billions to re-build.

 

[Steve Manfred]

According to Joe Biden's wikipedia entry, his younger son Hunter actually serves on the board of directors for Amtrak.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

The Obama website has a welcome page for Senator Biden that allows you to send a welcome message I have no idea who will end up reading them if anyone but it seems like an interesting way to share your thoughts to the campaign

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/welcomejoe

who knows maybe it will make a difference but again no way to know if they ever get read

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Since when is being an attorney a qualification for prez...since when is being an actor a qualification for governor..or in my case a veterinarian?

The average attorney probably has a better understanding of what implication laws actually have than the average American. Given the impact the President has on what laws are made, that understanding probably does have some real value in improving that person's judgement and wisdom.

None of the vocations or physical traits makes it special. Being an intelligent leader and a person of good judgment, wisdom and character does.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

SEN. BIDEN: This is absolutely bizarre that we continue to subsidize highways beyond the gasoline tax, airlines, and we don't subsidize, we don't want to subsidize a national rail system that has environmental impact. Do you know what it would take? It would take us $71 billion to be able to go and take--if you took Amtrak out of the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston, to build enough highway on 95 to go up and back. This is the ultimate being penny-wise and a pound-foolish.

I don't quite understand this. Is he saying that if Priuses and gasoline grew on trees, and we decided to kill all the Amtrak NEC trains and just had to build enough new roads to carry single occupancy vehicles with the same number of people Amtrak is carrying, that we'd be spending $71 billion on those roads?

 

[GAT]

I think there are only two ways that Amtrak will become more than a minor pimple on the agenda of anybody who becomes our next president. Given all the other priorities, it will happen only if our leaders have the wisdom to recognize that Amtrak should be an indispensible element in an overall energy policy or as part of the policy for rebuilding our nation's transportaion infrastructure. Otherwise, my guess is you won't hear a peep out of the government about Amtrak in the first four years of the next administration.

And please, folks, this is an Amtrak discussion forum; can we please leave Rep/Dem shilling out of our deliberations? We get more than enough of that in all the rest of the media. B) Thanks.

 

[the_traveler]

And please, folks, this is an Amtrak discussion forum; can we please leave Rep/Dem shilling out of our deliberations? We get more than enough of that in all the rest of the media. B) Thanks.

I agree!

All I have to say is that Obama/Biden have stated something publically concerning Amtrak and/or mass transit, and McCain/??? havve said :huh:

 

[Guest]

Oh, but I disagree.

 

[transit54]

And please, folks, this is an Amtrak discussion forum; can we please leave Rep/Dem shilling out of our deliberations? We get more than enough of that in all the rest of the media. B) Thanks.

I agree!

All I have to say is that Obama/Biden have stated something publically concerning Amtrak and/or mass transit, and McCain/??? havve said :huh:

Obama's statement on transportation, which includes Amtrak, is here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/Fact...nsportation.pdf

McCain doesn't have anything visible about transportation on his site. I know that Obama has, on many occasions, spoken about the increased need for funding mass transit. The only thing I've heard from McCain is surrounding the whole fuel prices issue, but nothing about transit or trains. Doesn't mean he hasn't said anything, though. McCain is on record as being a massive Amtrak opponent, though.

As for Biden, I know he's a big Amtrak supporter but can't offer any public statements offhand. Some research indicates some very positive views, however:

http://usliberals.about.com/od/environment...mtrakBudget.htm

I also found an interesting article on his son, who sits on the Amtrak board:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2672.html

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Does anybody know where he stands on Amtrak and other transportation? Nothing about it on his website.

Here's a blog from an Acela rider that shared a seat with Biden and struck up a conversation about Amtrak.

Link

 

[Rail Freak]

I think there are only two ways that Amtrak will become more than a minor pimple on the agenda of anybody who becomes our next president. Given all the other priorities, it will happen only if our leaders have the wisdom to recognize that Amtrak should be an indispensible element in an overall energy policy or as part of the policy for rebuilding our nation's transportaion infrastructure. Otherwise, my guess is you won't hear a peep out of the government about Amtrak in the first four years of the next administration.
And please, folks, this is an Amtrak discussion forum; can we please leave Rep/Dem shilling out of our deliberations? We get more than enough of that in all the rest of the media. B) Thanks.

& I approve of that message!

 

[wayman]

Yes, if Joe get's any say in White House policy, I've no doubt that he'll push big time for Amtrak. He rides it so frequently that it's said that he knows the names of many of the crew members and will personally great them upon boarding the train. Joe Biden will most certainly be pushing for all types of mass transit funding, not just Amtrak.
The real question is, just how much influence and say will he have in the White House assuming that they are elected? And of course, what will they be able to push through Congress?

You called it, Alan: I'm watching Obama's speech right now, and Obama just called Biden "a man of character, who knows the name of every conductor on that Amtrak train to Wilmington"

And that was the third time Obama mentioned Amtrak in this introductory speech, discussing Biden's career and commitment to family.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

The Amtrak Candidate.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Gee Patrick~ something we agree on. I don't think Mr. McCain is any friend of Amtrak's. I rate him slightly less hostile than Ronald Reagan who would have loved to scrap Amtrak much like the Pacific Electric lines that it's now taking billions to re-build.

Care to start a pool on McCain's veep selection? A buck says Mitt Romney. Oops, I forgot: Jay's not a betting man.

 

[Jim In Va. Lost His ID]

Yes, if Joe get's any say in White House policy, I've no doubt that he'll push big time for Amtrak. He rides it so frequently that it's said that he knows the names of many of the crew members and will personally great them upon boarding the train. Joe Biden will most certainly be pushing for all types of mass transit funding, not just Amtrak.
The real question is, just how much influence and say will he have in the White House assuming that they are elected? And of course, what will they be able to push through Congress?

Joe is DEFINITELY Mr. Amtrak. I ride Acela between DC and NY two or three times per week, and I've seen him on board a guzzilion times. Not only does he know the crew members' names, but once a year he has a Christmas party where he hosts them. True story. He is a huge rail advocate.

Jim In Va. (though posting as a guest because I can't seem to get my ID to work...and I don't want to change my profile)

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Another Biden question: DelawarIAN, or DelawarITE? This is an old dilemma, first posed in an episode of the old sitcom "Taxi."

 

[JimInVa]

Another Biden question: DelawarIAN, or DelawarITE? This is an old dilemma, first posed in an episode of the old sitcom "Taxi."

And here I was all excited that I had an answer for your first question...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Republicans beware. Joe Biden will tell America, chapter and verse, why Republicans suck out loud. He has a formidable arsenal of facts. John McCain hates facts, cuz he knows they can only work against him. "But I'm a war hero!" No you're not. You got shot down early in the war and sat it out in Hanoi. 361 other A-4s were downed, and you don't hear those pilots claiming that's a reason to vote for them to be president. A major crock.
And since when is being a POW a qualification for the Oval Office? Some kinda special wisdom that nobody else knows?

Since when is being an attorney a qualification for prez...since when is being an actor a qualification for governor..or in my case a veterinarian? That's a dumb sentiment, Whooz. You're just mad because you worked on the d*mned planes and didn't get the glory of flying them. Leaders come from all walks of life. Since when does being the husband of a ketchup and pickle queen make you a good candidate (kerry)? Let me be really politically incorrect: when does being black or a woman make you a good candidate?

None of the vocations or physical traits makes it special. Being an intelligent leader and a person of good judgment, wisdom and character does. But face the fact that the President is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces and for that both Clintons sucked and McCain would excel. Obama would have no clue. He worked out in a gym on his "photo op trip to Iraq". Any candidate faces a host of problems including our position in the world and our situations at home. One of those situations is making Americans aware that some problems are of their own making (housing and energy) and nothing can save them except making them (us) look in the mirror and accept responsibility for our own actions. There is no sugar daddy for the American people.

Whooz will probably disagree with my arguing his point, but:

McCain makes a huge deal about his being a war hero. People consistently cite it as a reason to elect this man. He rides on it. It is no more right to suggest I am capable of running for president because I can break tooth picks with my toes (I can) then to suggest the same for being a POW. McCain has a lot of things going for him. He's honest, direct, fair, and he's certainly not dumb. Pushing Amtrak issues aside, we could do a lot worse than having John McCain be president.

I think Obama is a better man for the job at the moment. Maybe in other times, I'd have thrown more support behind McCain. I dunno. But McCain's economic policies are about as far removed from what we need as the prehensile abilities of my toes is from the necessary qualification for president.

As for discussing politics in this forum, I think we could either delete a ton of posts about politics over the course of the next 6 months, because all roads lead there at the moment, especially all railroads. Or we could give in and let people debate, so long as they don't get to name calling. Obviously which of the two is the decision of people other than me, and I don't envy them it, but were I making it, I'd opt for the second.

 

[wayman]

Another Biden question: DelawarIAN, or DelawarITE? This is an old dilemma, first posed in an episode of the old sitcom "Taxi."

Well, with regard to Biden the answer is arguably "Pennsylvanian"--even the Obama campaign has called him "Pennsylvania's third senator"

But the answer to your (and Taxi's) question is "DelawarEAN". This is called a "demonym", and here and here are two sites which give this answer (as well as the demonyms for other states and cities in the US).

 

[AlanB]

Jim In Va. (though posting as a guest because I can't seem to get my ID to work...and I don't want to change my profile)

Jim,

I've sent you an email to your Yahoo account on record. If for some reason you no longer have that account, then let me know and I'll let you know how to contact me to see if we can't fix this issue.