Biden overcame tragedy, became an expert on world affairs

[PatSeg]

WASHINGTON --
Under cover of night, Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. drove up to a yellowed stucco mansion in Belgrade where Yugoslavian leader Slobodan Milosevic was waiting. It was April 1993, about a year after Serbian forces and paramilitary gangs armed by Milosevic had unleashed a murderous campaign against Bosnia's Croats and Muslims.

Biden had been calling for sanctions and NATO air strikes against the Serbs and lifting a weapons ban on the Bosnians. All that would happen later, but at the time he was getting nowhere. Milosevic was paying attention, though. He invited Biden to his palace for a private chat.

As Biden tells the story in his memoir "Promises to Keep," the Serbian leader argued that the Serbs weren't persecutors but victims. Biden responded with accusations of Serbian atrocities. Milosevic denied them.

Finally, Biden recalled, "Milosevic could tell I had just about had it with his lies, and at one point he looked up from the maps and said, without any emotion, `What do you think of me?'"

"I think you're a damn war criminal, and you should be tried as one."

snip

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said that Biden as president would be "very good at bringing people together and sitting down and working through problems. He'd know how to get the business done."

Colleagues say Biden is a hard worker who puts in a lot of time learning from experts. He speaks publicly in a conversational way -- not flowery, not flat -- and usually not brief, either. In fact, his tendency to talk at length is well known.

Kerry remembers one Senate Democrats' retreat, when Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy's dogs were in the room and Biden was getting more and more heated talking about Iraq, "and the dogs went nuts."

Everybody laughed, Biden included.

http://www.bnd.com/news/politics/story/184194.html

[Frustratedlady]

1. That's a good article. I'm glad to see they are bringing out more about him.

I'm still keeping him at the top of the list for January 3rd.

[1corona4u]

3. Me too.....n/t

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

5. .

[jillan]

2. I love the story about the dogs!

I think Biden should take those dogs with him everywhere he goes :P

[1corona4u]

4. That's hysterical....

I can't help but wonder if that is on the internet somewhere....in video..