As Twitchy reported, earlier today, CSPAN dug up a clip of Joe Biden back in 1992 saying that President Bush, in the event of a SCOTUS vacancy,
“should not, should not name a nominee until after the November election is completed. The Senate, too, Mr. President, must consider how it would respond to a Supreme Court vacancy that would occur in the full throes of an election year. It is my view that if the president goes the way of Presidents Fillmore and Johnson and presses an election year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until ever — until after the political campaign season is over.”
Well, about that:
In 1992, I urged the Senate and White House to work together to ensure the Court functioned as our founders intended. Remains my position.
— VP Biden (Archived) (@VP44) February 23, 2016
Explaining his 1992 statement, @VP says it was about "a hypothetical vacancy on the Supreme Court."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 22, 2016
In written statement tonight, @VP says it is not accurate that he opposed filling a Supreme Court vacancy in a presidential election year.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 22, 2016
Biden says that in 1992 he urged Senate and WH "to work together to overcome partisan differences…That remains my position today."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 22, 2016
Biden says his 1992 remarks didn't prevent the Senate from fulfilling its constitutional duties, "because there was no vacancy at the time."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 22, 2016
Here’s the full statement:
BIDEN STATEMENT: 'not an accurate description of my views on the subject' pic.twitter.com/iTsPjqdM79
— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) February 22, 2016
Yeah … OK, Joe.
Gott love how he begins with "Nearly a quarter of a century ago…" https://t.co/xvkAQjwJts
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) February 22, 2016
Too bad for him, “nearly a quarter century” isn’t long enough to erase what he said. On the record.
Whoops.
— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) February 23, 2016
Riiiight…. https://t.co/TpHPTPGaaT
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) February 23, 2016
@VP damage control
— Ryan (@chasinghumility) February 23, 2016
@VP lol… you kill me… good one. He's here all week folks.
— reggie mcveggie (@reggiemcveggie) February 23, 2016
@markknoller @VP Is he telling the truth or is the video lying?
— Matthew Battle (@librab103) February 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/patrick552/status/701918296224956417
https://twitter.com/FloridaChris/status/701917620233179137
@mikedebonis @LukeRussert Pretty lame dodge on Biden's part.
— Orlando Maltravers (@RobertKYarbro) February 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/seanagnew/status/701923157536419840
So is Biden saying his own views in this video don't really represent his own views? https://t.co/sktNN7zl27https://t.co/7S17KHz9Sp
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) February 23, 2016
@mikedebonis @LukeRussert My views are not an accurate view of my views on the subject.
— bucky53 (@bucky53) February 22, 2016
***
Related:
‘Oh my God. This is gold.’ 1992 Joe Biden torpedoes Dems’ SCOTUS beef
Hillary Clinton: Leaving SCOTUS seat vacant ‘dishonors our Constitution’
White House spokesman says Senate’s duty to consider SCOTUS nominee is ‘ironclad’
‘Better call Saul’: Actor Bryan Cranston forgets how SCOTUS appointments work
Hillary Clinton: GOP threats to block SCOTUS nominee based on ‘hatred and bigotry’
Harry Reid wants voters to make GOP pay if they ‘jerk the president around’ on SCOTUS
Case closed: The GOP should follow John F. Kennedy’s lead on a lame-duck SCOTUS vacancy
Selective memory alert! DWS and DNC’s history lesson on SCOTUS leaves out some details
Join the conversation as a VIP Member