Campaigns and Elections
10-12-07
Biden, Brownback Grab Unprecedented Joint Spotlight
By - Justin Schardin
A gimmick designed to get press attention, or an unprecedented show of bipartisanship? Who says it couldn't have been both?
"We're delighted to give you a preview of the general election," joked U.S. Sen.
Joe Biden, D-Del., as he opened his remarks to the Greater Des Moines
Committee on Foreign Relations. He and U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., the other member of this unlikely couple, spoke together to discuss their vision for the next phase of the future of Iraq.
Brownback and Biden
The joint appearance of a Democratic and a Republican presidential contender at the same event presented an interesting storyline, and it certainly drew heavy media attention for the two second-tier candidates, who traditionally aren't in the spotlight.
Biden said that one thing he's learned about foreign relations is that "there are only permanent interests, not permanent friends." It was an apt metaphor for the day. Biden and Brownback agree on little, but it was clearly in their mutual interest to capitalize today on perhaps the only significant, successful recent piece of Iraq legislation.
The Biden-Brownback amendment, which calls for devolving power from the central government in Iraq, passed the Senate by a vote of 75-23 in September.
Brownback called the plan a "political surge" to accompany the recent military surge in that country.
Longtime caucus watcher Steffen Schmidt, an Iowa State University professor, couldn't recall such a bipartisan press conference taking place. But he guessed the event would not have much effect on Iowa voters. "When people are desperate they'll do almost anything," he said. "Maybe I'm just too much of a cynic."
Schmidt said voters generally see each party's race as between two or three candidates, and don't concentrate much on events outside that. Such is the eternal frustration of the underdog campaign.
As if to emphasize their tenuous patch of ground on which they agree, the two men generally deflected questions that did not deal with Iraq. But both repeatedly

emphasized the importance of bipartisanship, with Biden going so far as to guarantee he would appoint Republicans to his cabinet.
Biden and Brownback
Any boost will be important for both men.
Biden has made small progress in Iowa, garnering five percent, up from one percent in May, in Sunday's Des Moines Register poll of likely Democratic caucus-goers. He has spent much time in the state like most Democratic candidates, and it appears the caucuses will make or break his campaign.
Biden after the event said he's confident because his poll numbers were where those of U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., were in 2003. He added the numbers for
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., are roughly where 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean's were just prior to the 2004 caucuses. Dean ended up finishing a distant third place in January.
Brownback similarly outpaced all Republican candidates before the Ames Straw
Poll in Iowa events, but like many in the GOP has since scaled back. He said this week he would withdraw his candidacy should he finish out of the top three in the caucuses. Given his polling generally shows him in the two percent range, that presently seems likely.
Brownback said Iowa was chosen for today's event because both men came to the state often. He said in talking with Iowa Republicans he gets the feeling they
"don't want to lose the war in Iraq, but aren't confident we're on the right track to win."
"We're offering a bi-partisan track to win," said Brownback.
The event drew around 100 people from the CFR's membership and the general public.