Beau Says No

[Lunar]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/11/beau_biden_will_not_accept_app.html

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden will not accept an appointment to the Senate to replace his father, according to knowledgeable state sources, a decision that scrambles the race to to replace the vice president-elect in the Senate next year.

Beau Biden, the eldest son of Joe Biden, removed himself from consideration even as he prepares to deploy for a year-long tour of duty in Iraq. (Biden is a member of the Delaware National Guard and is currently training in Texas before being deployed to the Middle East.)

What Beau Biden's decision means for the Delaware political landscape is still anyone's guess. Given his military commitment, there seemed to be no way that he could be appointed to the seat in early 2009 anyway, and his decision to pro-actively remove himself from consideration simply affirms that reality.

Biden's decision does not rule out the possibility that he would run for the remaining four years on his father's Senate term in a 2010 special election. And, the specter of Biden -- the son of the vice president returning from his military service to assume the Senate seat -- complicates the decision that will be made by either outgoing Gov. Ruth Ann Minner or incoming Gov. Jack Markell (both Democrats) about who to appoint to the two-year vacancy.

If Biden resigns before Markell is sworn-in as Delaware's next governor on Jan. 20, then Minner, who is term limited out of office on that same day, would likely make the appointment. If Biden waits to resign until Markell's official swearing-in (or if the swearing-in is moved up to accommodate Delawareans who want to attend both ceremonies) then it would be Markell who would make the appointment. (ABC News laid out all of the potential scenarios in a piece penned the day after the election.)

Which governor picks could make a big difference in the identity of the next senator from Delaware and whether or not the door will be open to Beau Biden in 2010.

Minner is personally close to Lt. Gov. John Carney; she endorsed him in his unsuccessful primary fight against Markell. Carney has seemed to indicate he would be interested in the Senate appointment but, at 52 years old and with no obvious next step in politics, it's not at all clear that Carney would want to keep the seat warm for Beau Biden in two years time.

Among the other names mentioned are: Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron Steele.

For Republicans, the strongest 2010 candidate would be Rep. Mike Castle who, after spending eight years as Delaware's governor in the 1980s and early 1990s, was elected to the state's at-large House seat in 1992. Castle has long been interested in the Senate seat but passed on a primary challenge to then Sen. Bill Roth (R) in 2000. It's not clear whether Castle, at age 69 and with some history of health problems, would want to undertake such a bruising statewide race, however.

[BM]

Yeah, he'll be back to reclaim the throne.

[Verily]

I read an article somewhere that Biden's likely replacement was a woman in Minner's cabinet, can't remember her name, who was very old and likely to step aside for Beau Biden in 2010.

[Lunar]

Why isn't Joe resigning at the same time as Obama?

Could it be that Minner is being uncooperative?

Idle thoughts.

[Mr.Phips]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/11/beau_biden_will_not_accept_app.html

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden will not accept an appointment to the Senate to replace his father, according to knowledgeable state sources, a decision that scrambles the race to to replace the vice president-elect in the Senate next year.

Beau Biden, the eldest son of Joe Biden, removed himself from consideration even as he prepares to deploy for a year-long tour of duty in Iraq. (Biden is a member of the Delaware National Guard and is currently training in Texas before being deployed to the Middle East.)

What Beau Biden's decision means for the Delaware political landscape is still anyone's guess. Given his military commitment, there seemed to be no way that he could be appointed to the seat in early 2009 anyway, and his decision to pro-actively remove himself from consideration simply affirms that reality.

Biden's decision does not rule out the possibility that he would run for the remaining four years on his father's Senate term in a 2010 special election. And, the specter of Biden -- the son of the vice president returning from his military service to assume the Senate seat -- complicates the decision that will be made by either outgoing Gov. Ruth Ann Minner or incoming Gov. Jack Markell (both Democrats) about who to appoint to the two-year vacancy.

If Biden resigns before Markell is sworn-in as Delaware's next governor on Jan. 20, then Minner, who is term limited out of office on that same day, would likely make the appointment. If Biden waits to resign until Markell's official swearing-in (or if the swearing-in is moved up to accommodate Delawareans who want to attend both ceremonies) then it would be Markell who would make the appointment. (ABC News laid out all of the potential scenarios in a piece penned the day after the election.)

Which governor picks could make a big difference in the identity of the next senator from Delaware and whether or not the door will be open to Beau Biden in 2010.

Minner is personally close to Lt. Gov. John Carney; she endorsed him in his unsuccessful primary fight against Markell. Carney has seemed to indicate he would be interested in the Senate appointment but, at 52 years old and with no obvious next step in politics, it's not at all clear that Carney would want to keep the seat warm for Beau Biden in two years time.

Among the other names mentioned are: Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron Steele.

For Republicans, the strongest 2010 candidate would be Rep. Mike Castle who, after spending eight years as Delaware's governor in the 1980s and early 1990s, was elected to the state's at-large House seat in 1992. Castle has long been interested in the Senate seat but passed on a primary challenge to then Sen. Bill Roth (R) in 2000. It's not clear whether Castle, at age 69 and with some history of health problems, would want to undertake such a bruising statewide race, however.

Castle running for the Senate seat would all but ensure that his House seat goes Dem. 

[Keystone Phil]

Senator Carney

[© tweed]

David Plouffe?

[Lunar]

Mr. Phips: Castle has consistently been my pick for that exact reason.  Plus Castle is very moderate, loved by Delawareans, and would buy Obama some bipartisan love.

[Nixon in '80]

Beau gets the seat in 2010, no matter who is appointed.

[Lunar]

Beau gets the seat in 2010, no matter who is appointed.

The primary would be tough against Carney.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Mr. Phips: Castle has consistently been my pick for that exact reason.  Plus Castle is very moderate, loved by Delawareans, and would buy Obama some bipartisan love.

Why do the Democrats need to be bipartisan when "Democrats" include crazies like Lieberman? The last thing the Democrats should do is start pandering more to the far right than the left. The Democrats need to crush the Republicans. You don't give them more ammunition to  block the Democrat's centrist agenda.

[Lunar]

Because the Democrats care about 2010 and 2012 and 2014 and 2016 and 2018.

They don't want to be the victors that rape and pillage -- it doesn't matter what the Republicans did or would do.  The Republicans are out of power right now largely due to their own excess.

[??????????]

LOL, he named his son Beau.

[Хahar 🤔]

LOL, he named his son Beau.

Actually, he named him Joe III. Buut, yeah, LOL at calling his son that.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Castle running for the Senate seat would all but ensure that his House seat goes Dem. 

And simultaneously all but ensure that the Senate seat goes Republican.