Biden Will Be A Contender

The imminent entrance of Delaware Senator Joe Biden into the 2008 presidential race certainly sets up an interesting struggle for Irish American support between himself and Hillary Clinton, who has long courted Irish votes.

Biden is no slouch when it comes to Irish issues. He is of direct Irish extraction on his mother’s side. His ancestors, the Finnegans from Derry, came to Delaware in the 1800s as part of the wave of immigrants from that area who came over to work for the DuPont family.

Biden grew up in Fishtown, one of the largest Irish neighborhoods in the state, and he has been a long time advocate on Irish issues, often taking the same path as his close friend Senator Ted Kennedy on issues.

Biden, of course, has run for the White House before, and was forced to withdraw in 1988 because he allegedly directly lifted a speech that then British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock made about his working class roots. However, that was a long time ago and hardly seems to be an issue now.

Biden impresses everyone who meets him with his no nonsense, hard-hitting approach to politics. He is no Senator John Kerry, waffling all over the place; indeed, he was one of those who tried desperately to get Kerry to sharpen his message. At one point, he was even talked about as a possible running mate for Kerry.

Biden has a compelling personal story too, losing his first wife in a tragic car accident and making a new life with his present one. He makes a very interesting contender and were Hillary to decide for some reason not to run, Biden would become the likely frontrunner.

Edwards On the Outs

Speaking of the 2008 race — and no, it doesn’t seem too early —insiders say that John Edwards is fast falling out of contention because of his lack of a national office.

Edwards gave up his North Carolina Senate seat to run for the Oval Office on the Kerry ticket, but without that bully pulpit he has begun to slip from sight.

Currently he runs an anti-poverty center at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, but associates say he misses the limelight and the cut and thrust of the Senate.

Meanwhile, a spate of much more high profile figures such as Biden are getting their operations in gear. Ironically, Edwards might have been better off if he hadn’t been chosen as Kerry’s running mate in terms of his political future.

Crowley as Queens Boss?

Crain’s Business Week reports that Queens honcho Tom Manton, who runs the Democratic political machine in the borough with a fist of iron, may shortly be standing down and that his replacement could well be Congressman Joe Crowley.

It would certainly make for a huge new power base for the ambitious Crowley, who is a rising star in Congress and is also said to have his eye on running for mayor of New York City some day.

Manton was Crowley’s predecessor in Congress, but his real power lay in his role as head of the fabled Queens political machine. Manton is now in his seventies and close to retirement, and Crowley seems the obvious successor.

It would certainly give Crowley an incredibly important favor bank and political big stick if he takes over. There is not an elected Democratic official in New York or wannabe contender who does not covet the Queens County nod when they seek office. With Crowley at the helm that is hardly likely to change.

King Bush’s Big Defender

Interesting to note that a recent New York Times article on the falling fortunes of President Bush quoted Long Island Congressman Peter King as his strongest defender.

King has certainly enjoyed a warm relationship with Bush despite a chilly start because King originally backed John McCain for the Republican nomination in 2000. Of course, King famously voted against the Clinton impeachment too which did not endear him to Republican hard-liners.

In recent months, however, as Bush’s fortunes have flagged, King has become an outspoken defender of the former Texas governor, something, no doubt, deeply appreciated in the White House as many Republicans begin to keep their distance from him on issues such as Iraq and Social Security.

There was a nice reward for King recently when he brought his first grandchild to meet Bush. The child talked so incessantly that Bush said he definitely reminded him of his grandfather!

FBI Still Seek IRA

Gary Bald, the executive assistant director of the FBI, was recently questioned as to why no agents with Middle East expertise and knowledge of Arabic have been promoted in recent times at the bureau, despite public assurances to the contrary.

Bald said a terrorist was a terrorist and any agent they promoted would be able to identify such a person, and did not need any specialist background.

Bald was backed up by Pat D’Amuro, one of the FBI’s most experienced counter terrorism managers. D’Amuro agreed with Bald and stated that Middle East and terrorism experience was helpful but not mandatory.

He noted that the FBI also must deal with terrorism from domestic sources and “the Irish Republican Army.”

Yes, that’s right, the Irish Republican Army, the group that has been on ceasefire for 10 years. Any wonder we are constantly worried about another terrorist attack?