On Saturday, it was announced that Democratic Pary presidential candidate Barack Obama chose Senator Joe Biden to be his vice president. The Grand Rapids Press headline for Sunday, August 24 states, "Obama goes with status Joe." The Associated Press article supports its position that Biden is the status quo choice by saying, "The Biden selection is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative - a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens it run counter to his image."

The rest of the AP story adds to this notion that Biden was chosen to off set the liberal position of Obama, even though these claims are never substantiated. The only sources in the story are Democrats who comment on why Biden was a good choice. However, there is no hard information on Biden's background or his three decades in Washington. The Press did run a separate story titled, "Biden words can inspire, draw ire," but the article is just a series of quotes from Biden without the context necessary to evaluate them. If readers were hoping to find information on the voting record or public positions that Biden has taken over the years, the Grand Rapids Press had very little to offer.

Biden is the Senate Foreign Relation Committee chair and voted in 2002 to give President Bush full support for the US invasion of Iraq. Biden has been critical of how Bush has handled Iraq and claims that Iraq was a mistake, yet he has voted for nearly every bill that provides funding for the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Biden has also been a consistent supporter of the state of Israel, which is reflected in how much money the Israel lobby has provided to him over the years. One positive foreign policy position that Biden has taken during the Bush administration is calling for the closing of the prisoner camps in Guantanamo. However, Biden has also supported the Bush administration's larger anti-Islam policies when he responded to a Bush speech in 2005 by saying:

"Today, in his speech to the National Endowment for Democracy, President Bush gave a vivid and, I believe, compelling description of the threat to America and to freedom from radical Islamic fundamentalism. He made, in my view, a powerful case for what is at stake for every American. Simply put, the radical fundamentalists seek to kill our citizens in great numbers, to disrupt our economy, and to reshape the international order. They would take the world backwards, replacing freedom with fear and hope with hatred. If they were to acquire a nuclear weapon, the threat they would pose to America would be literally existential. The President said it well. The President is right that we cannot and will not retreat. We will defend ourselves and defeat the enemies of freedom and progress."

Several Democrats have already expressed their support for Biden stating that her has "been a friend to labor." However, Biden's voting record on trade issues--important to much of organized labor--has been a mixed one. He did vote against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in 2005 and the trade agreement with Chile in 2003. However, Biden voted for NAFTA in 1992, voted for the Andean trade agreement in 2002 and voted for permanent trade relations with China in 2000.

Lastly, the Center for Responsive Politics has released an initial analysis of Biden's financial support while in the Senate. His largest financial backers have been lawyers, the real estate sector and retirees. He has also received significant funding from some financial sectors, particularly the credit card giant MBNA Corp.

These are a few initial items that Mediamouse.org feels are important to include in any discussion on Biden's selction. In the weeks leading up to the election, we'll continue to provide more on Biden's background and voting record.