Good News, Bad News for Beau Biden
It was a bad December in Sussex county in the last two weeks of the month, while they should have been enjoying family and friends, Sussex citizens were fretting about crimes. There was an abduction and murder of a young girl just over the state line in Maryland (her body was found on Christmas day). Ordinarily, that would dominate the news, but there is another cloud over Sussex.
There is a huge mountain of evidence building in a case of a pediatrician that may have molested at least 100 children. That mountain of evidence is being compiled by Beau Biden’s Attorney General office. Biden has been very engaged in the whole process. This is the role that an Attorney General is built for. And by all accounts, Beau’s presence has been a comfort for victims families. He is building a case for these citizens against one of the worst kinds of criminals.
From a purely political standpoint (and I am a little hesitant to even bring it up, but hear me out…) Beau is finally getting an opportunity to be what we all hoped that he would be, an AG that can make a difference in this state and not just a guy biding his time for a higher office. He can make a name for himself that is distinct from his father’s legacy and can give him a base upon which he can aspire to future office on his own merits. But the timing sucks.
This is announcement season. If I were in Beau’s position, I would have announced months ago to engage in a conversation with voters, to raise money and to prove that he has the electoral chops required to be a Senator. But his tenure in his only elective office has been diminished by his deployment to Iraq. Both are valid ways to spend your time, but he hasn’t exactly had a lot of time in the AG’s office. He can make up for that with a solid case against this doctor and quality community engagement to alleviate some of the suffering of these Sussex families.
And there’s the rub. Can Beau be a full-time AG prosecuting a major case that has garnered him respect in “enemy territory” of Sussex and be a candidate for the junior Senator from Delaware? Let me say right now that I think that Beau will come to the conclusion that the prosecution of Dr. Earl Bradley is more important that taking on Mike Castle for a partial Senate term and we will be stuck with Mike Castle for another 4 years. But we will have a grateful Sussex County that won’t forget the hard work of a fully committed Attorney General that made the worst days of their lives a little more bearable.
Tags: Beau Biden, Sussex County, US Senate, US Senate-DE
Only a Delaware Lib would be so despicably political about the horrible fate of young children at the hands of a monster. TONE DEAF MUCH? OPPORTUNIST on the backs of a horror story? The best chance for Biden to SHINE. Geek, your sense of the pulse of politics has never shown more clearly what a poor judge you are. This post is supremely inappropriate and an embarrassment and an affront to all decent Delawareans.
I am so sure that AG Biden appreciates this trash post. Christ.
Nancy, I fail to see how this is opportunistic. This is an AG’s job, and amidst complaints of an absentee AG, this will show us all what he is made of. I would love for the state to never have to deal with this horrific crime, but I would love to have never lost Ann Marie Fahey, also. But her murder launched Bill Lee into 2 Gov’s races and keeps Colm Conneley high on the list of potential Republican candidates.
Of course, nobody here knows anything at all about his positions on policy issues. He could be another LIEberman, for all anyone knows. And his record as attorney general has been dismal. But his last name is Biden, so I guess that is all that matters.
I think all readers can share Nancy’s outrage over the despicable acts alleged to have been perpetrated by Dr. Bradley and my reading is Liberal Geek shares that outrage, as do I.
My understanding of LG’s post is that one of the issues Beau Biden ran on was prosecuting child predators,so his actions in this case show he is working to live up to that campaign promise.
From his campaign website:
Joseph R. “Beau” Biden, III took office as Delaware’s Attorney General in January 2007. As Attorney General he has taken active steps to enhance protections of children, families and communities across the state. Attorney General Biden created the Delaware Department of Justice Child Predator Unit to track and prosecute child sex offenders and help pass state legislation that strengthened Delaware’s sex offender registry statute. He created a Family Division to focus law enforcement resources on fighting domestic violence, protecting Delaware’s families, and reducing juvenile crime.
http://www.bidenag.com/home.html
My reading of what Liberal Geek is saying is that by living out the values he campaigned on Beau Biden is doing good work that may also benefit him politically, since the overwhelming majority of people applaud the prosecution of child predators.
Beau Biden is the father of two young children. I don’t think anyone would claim he is so cynical as to view this prosecution solely in political terms,but it is possible to “do good and do well” at the same time.
AG “Beau” could have “proved he had the chops” by investigating the Wilm. police dept. after they tasered (7 times) and shot in the chest (3 times) Derek Hale.
http://www2.delawareonline.com/unami/_articles/pagan/pagan.htm
“Attorney General Beau Biden had already cleared Browne of violating state law in the fatal shooting of Hale on the steps of a Wilmington home Nov. 6, after the 25-year-old had been struck seven times with electric shocks from a Taser gun.”
“Biden’s report stated it was up to the police department to determine whether Browne broke department policy, or ‘with the benefit of hindsight, the officer could have proceeded differently.’ ”
Given a chance to “prove his chops”, instead, “Beau” washed his hands of his responsibility.
Do we really want a Pontius Pilate representing us in the US Senate?
delacrat, your jumps from reality to fantasy are quite amusing.
Nemski, do you know the Derek Hale story? delacrat is right on in this case. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.
Right on calling Biden, Pontius Pilate. Oh please.
That Bradley case is terrible and scary. I find it amazing that this guy was able to get away with doing this for so long. I think it shows just how difficult it is to determine whether such young children are abused. This guy taped himself!
Anyway, I think lg is right that this case could take up a lot of time and resources of the AG’s office and Biden could be in for a lot of criticism if he’s seen as not spending enough time on the case.
I also find it amazing to have gone on so long. This guy used his authority to separate parents from their children and take them outside the building to another building? I have never heard of such a thing. Not until this year did I step outside the examining room – and that was only for a few minutes at my 15 year old son’s request.
And the reason he got away with, frankly, unheard of behavior (separating parent and child) was because people defer to, and trust, their doctor. He fed on that deference and trust, and made the idea of taking children outside a “normal” operating procedure – which, I can assure you, is anything but normal.
You’re absolutely correct on your assessment Pandora. Though, even as a parent, who respects authority, I don’t know if I would have played along. We haven’t as of yet.
Also, the staff in Bradley’s office, IMHO, is culpable as they must have known something was going on. This was not appropriate behavior in a medical office.
Yes, pandora, there was an article in the paper yesterday about this very topic. I just hope other parents will take this as a warning and won’t leave their child alone during medical examinations. Doctors and nurses should also take this to heart – don’t be in this situation, always have a parent or another chaperone present when you’re dealing with children. Before I moved, I had a male gynecologist. He always gave the choice of having a nurse present during examinations.
Does anyone know how long he took these poor children outside? 5 minutes? 10? 15? And, I’m wondering about the staff, as well, although my bet is that this guy fooled a lot of people.
His profession (the carer of children) gave him cover.
The doc was investigated for over one year! Was they the AG’s waiting for Beau to return, so he could make political hay of this? How many children were victimized by this sick freak after the authorities realized he was practicing pedophile.
You could be right lg, that Beau sits this one out. However, I’m going to be mighty angry if they strike some kind of “Delaware Way” deal with Castle, that he’ll hold the seat for 4 years and then Beau can come in. If Beau doesn’t run another Democrat will run and that Democrat may very well win. Then Beau would have to wait until Carper retired, and Carper is not that old.
We shall see. Open Senate seats do not come up that often (look at how long Biden served), so he may not want to let this opportunity go by.
Everyone else in this economy has 2 jobs, if they can get them.
Never heard anything about Beau’s involvement in the DSU shooting debacle when they threw the police under the bus.
…but what’s our choice, Jane Brady again? That would be worse.
Comment by nemski on 3 January 2010 at 9:27 am:
delacrat, your jumps from reality to fantasy are quite amusing.
Comment by anon on 3 January 2010 at 10:03 am:
Nemski, do you know the Derek Hale story? delacrat is right on in this case. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.
The police tortures and murders somebody in broad daylight. The AG is AOK with that. It’s all in the public record, but to Nemski, it’s all just a “fantasy” and a “quite amusing” one at that.
Now I ask you, which of us “squirrels” is blind?
Just Kidding, are you nuts? What a disgusting accusation. Can you back it up with fact?
Ha, delacrat. Reading comprehension problems much and selective editing abounds. You left out my follow up comment. Your douchery knows no bounds.
Comment by nemski on 3 January 2010 at 10:05 am:
Right on calling Biden, Pontius Pilate. Oh please.
Look, AG Biden has botched 4 or 5 murder cases in the last year. Hopefully, he won’t botch a case where the perpetrator actually videoed himself committing the crimes. I recognize that this is a high standard to hold him to.
Sex Offender Hysteria – No subject has generated more fear and hysteria than sex crimes and sex offenders. Due to an incredibly complex social sexual neurosis, we have now created a world in which it will soon be impossible to even look at a child. A small number of genuine crimes against children ended up causing society to completely lose their minds and create the first scapegoat class of the new millennium. Because this subject hits so close to home and provokes our worst fears about protecting our kids, it was and is the ultimate media tool of control.
http://tinyurl.com/yjf8huw
complex social sexual neurosis … I think that was the debut album of a band I listen to. Because it can’t be being used dismissively about crimes against children.
Beau Biden did nothing in the Derek Hale case, which shouldn’t surprise anyone — no Delaware AG has ever taken a bold step towards anything in my memory. But to scoff at the idea that he washed his hands is plain ignorance, Nemski. Go do some research instead of laughing it off. Check other jurisdictions to see if you can find a case as badly mishandled (by police, not the AG’s office) anywhere else. Good luck.
We have never been given the full story, and never will. Beau Biden is a nice guy, but he’s done nothing so far to show he’s willing to stand up to Delaware’s bullshit, yet alone Washington’s.
The murder of Derek Hale at the hands of law enforcement officers is nothing short of a government cover-up, even after the News Journal printed article after article blasting the police for their actions. Mr. Biden doesn’t seem to have much to say about the abuse of prisoners at the Sussex Correctional Institution, either. He’s probably wise not to use his involvement in the Bradley case (a very emotional issue in Sussex at the moment) as a political springboard, but there are plenty of other opportunities for him to seize the spotlight and address injustice in the state.
UI, Senate seats come up every six years, I know what you meant, but if people really want change, they get a crack to unseat every six years!
Open Senate seats don’t come that often. Don’t pretend that incumbency is not a huge advantage.
Fuck you Nemski!I’m with delacrat and anon.A fucking x-cop [WPD?]investigated for the AG.I HAVE the report.It reeks! I’ll show ALL the stuff I have to whoever wants to see it WHENEVER they want.Hale was MURDERED and the dirty,filthy,stinking shooter was PROMOTED for Christ’s sake!The ag report mentions the Pagan MC club multiple times,but not ONE mention of his HEROIC two tours of IRAQ as a Marine winning medals and discharged as a sargeant.Talk about biased.I along with a couple of other Marines have been agitating for a civil rights investigation since day one.The ACLU didn’t want to get involved.[I bet they would have jumped at the chance were he black]I could go on and on,but I repeat:FUCK YOU,NEMSKI! Meet me MOTHERFUCKER and I’ll clean your clock you pencil-necked geek!
Nemski,Those last few lines were uncalled for.I’m really passionate about getting justice for Derek.Again,I apologize.
Skip
Boy, oh boy, all I say is Beau Biden <> Pontius Pilate.
Experts say the legal fees could cost Delaware taxpayers considerably more than the $1 million demanded in the lawsuit.
By Lee Williams
Attorney General Beau Biden chose a well-connected law firm to defend the Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC) and several DPC officials against a whistleblower lawsuit brought by the facility’s former Director of Nursing.
Biden could have assigned the case to a deputy attorney general – who are already on the state payroll – instead of using additional taxpayer dollars to pay for a team of private attorneys,
Gloria Harrison, Ph.D., filed suit against the trouble-plagued facility in June 2008, claiming former DPC Director Susan Watson Robinson and former Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Director Renata Henry retaliated against her, after she blew the whistle on patient abuse witnessed by one of her nurses.
The suit claims the retaliation violated federal and state law, including the Delaware Whistleblowers’ Protection Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which she alleges was misused as a tool to aid in her removal. She is asking for $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
*******************
“Subcontracting the Tough Ones” doesn’t sound like a winning slogan.
So I thought that the government couldn’t do anything right? That it was better to outsource to the private sector work it could do better?
More of the usual hypocrisy.
Besides, I think you missed the story on how understaffed and underfunded the AGs office is these days with all of the hiring freezes, elimination of jobs not filled and general downsizing of budgets.