Shameless Plugs

There's a quick story in today's WSJ noting that Joe Biden will not be running for Prez in 2004.

In a prepared statement, Mr. Biden said he is "deeply concerned" the US is "heading in the wrong direction at home and abroad," but believes he can best shape public policy as a senator, rather than as a presidential candidate.

I for one, am disappointed. Now Kucinich's rug is ridiculous, but there is something about a presidential candidate that has plugs that is just downright entertaining.

You older readers may remember that Biden was drummed out of the ‘88 race in ‘87 when he was busted for plagiarizing (sound familiar?) bits from British pol Neil Kinnock:

Kinnock (original)
Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university?

Was it because our predecessors were thick? Does anybody really think that they didn't get what we had because they didn't have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment? Of course not. It was because there was no platform upon which they could stand.

Biden
I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college?

Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? . . . No, it's not because they weren't as smart. It's not because they didn't work as hard. It's because they didn't have a platform upon which to stand . . .

I raise a toast that we are free of such problems like plagiarism in the blogosphere.

And more importantly, that we don't have to look at bloggers toops and plugs.