Sleepy Joe Biden

Sleepy Joe Biden is the nickname given to Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., the senior United States Senator from Delaware and a former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden is also the senior ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Senator Biden is widely considered to be a fairly smart and knowledgeable person; however, he is often known for his glibness and made a reputation as an over-talker, prone to long-windedness. At times, he has even been described as "a wooden campaigner," which is also the source of his "Sleepy Joe" nickname. During the 2008 presidential campaign, President Barack Obama joked that he would have to "drag" Biden to the stage at a debate by his feet and "cut off his own arm" to ensure the candidate spoke about the issues. In the 2016 presidential election, Biden did not run, and Hillary Clinton took the presidency. However, he has been critical of President Donald Trump and the administration, saying that "the President has a responsibility to the American people to exhibit a minimum level of dignity." He has also criticized President Trump's "dangerous" behavior and called for civility and decorum.

Early life and education[edit]

Sleepy Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. As a child (from ages 14 to 19), he attended the Catholic-run Saint Dominic's Preparatory School, a Jesuit school in his hometown. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1964, where he was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He received his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968, after which he was admitted to the bar in New York. He joined the Delaware Bar Association in 1969 and served as a county council member from 1970 to 1972, while working his way up in the Wilmington law firm of Hogan & Hartson. He was elected to the Delaware General Assembly in 1972, where he served until 1978, rising to become the state's Attorney General.

Political career[edit]

Biden served one term as Delaware's governor from January 7, 1981 to January 21, 1985, becoming the youngest governor in the state's history. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Joe Carper. He was reelected in 1978, 1984, 1990 (2000 election was to fill the seat until January 20, 2007, when Biden was sworn in as Vice President), and 2008.

Vice President of the United States[edit]

Citing "poor judgment about personal relationships" as a factor in his becoming Barack Obama's running mate, Biden withdrew from the race for the Democratic nomination for president in the 2008 presidential election. Biden was announced as Obama's running mate on August 23, 2008, in Norfolk, and took office on January 20, 2009. On November 21, 2015, Biden announced his intention to run for president in the 2016 presidential election.

See also[edit]

Biden is an only child. He is the son of Dr. Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (born April 20,1923), an attorney, and Amelia Heinz (born March 24, 1929), a former teacher, lawyer, and social worker for the U.S. Congress. His father was of Irish descent, while his mother was the daughter of German immigrants. His father was of the Protestant faith, his mother was not. His younger and only sibling is his sister, Valerie Biden Owens (born September 17, 1954), a lawyer and the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland. He is also a distant relative of U.S. President Barack Obama.

References[edit]

Biden, Joseph Robinette, Jr. "Biography". Retrieved 2012-08-27.