NYT: Biden says he would comply with a subpoena, reversing course.

[pnwmom]

Good. His original statement was a mistake. Democrats, unlike Republicans, are for the rule of law.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/us/politics/biden-subpoena-democrats.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage

FAIRFIELD, Iowa — Joseph R. Biden Jr. backtracked on Saturday from his stated position that he would not comply with a subpoena to testify in President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate. Instead, he declared that he would abide by “any subpoena that was sent to me” even as he insisted there was no justification for calling him as a witness.

A day after reaffirming that he would not comply with a subpoena, Mr. Biden tried twice on Saturday to clarify his remarks, asserting that there would be no “legal basis” for such a subpoena but left it unclear, for much of the day, if he would ultimately comply with one. Then, questioned by a voter about the issue of compliance with subpoenas, Mr. Biden answered unequivocally.

“I would obey any subpoena that was sent to me,” he said at a town hall-style event in Fairfield.

Mr. Biden’s 180-degree turn on whether he would comply with a subpoena was one of the starkest and swiftest reversals by a candidate in the Democratic primary campaign, and came after he faced questions and criticism about whether his initial stand would run counter to the rule of law.

[mahina]

1. Jesus. Finally.

Oops.

[evertonfc]

2. Joe

reverses course or apologizes daily. As a supporter im.fucking sick of it. There is no added advantage to playing nice in 2020. Man, I miss Beto.

[stopdiggin]

11. but there is an added advantage to following the law

for me at least. (and I suspect a lot of others)

[Lexee]

22. I am kind of into our elected officials following the law, also. A quirk of mine.

[LakeArenal]

13. You are a "supporter" of what or whom?

[gulliver]

3. Yep, he's a mensch.

I believe this belongs in GD (also). It pertains to impeachment and the general election, not the primary. Joe was Vice President under Obama, and Trump rightly fears him. That makes this a GE issue and a GD issue.

[elleng]

6. No doubt, and he's in Fairfield Iowa, home of

Maharishi University of Management (formerly Maharishi International University) since 1974 and has been referred to as "the world's largest training center" for practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation technique.[9] The city includes the $6 million Fairfield Arts & Convention Center (FACC), built in 2007. In 2010, it was named one of six Iowa Great Places. It was named by Smithsonian magazine as one of "The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2013".[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfield,_Iowa

(My brother and family live there.)

[Comatose Sphagetti]

31. MIU grad.

Class of '91.

[elleng]

32. HI!

My brother's on the legal staff.

[Comatose Sphagetti]

33. Good school.

[pnwmom]

17. I know what you mean, but the few times I've tried to post what I thought

was an unrelated-to-primaries article, I've been told to move it.

[Hortensis]

4. I doubt he would ever have refused to comply with a subpoena,

even one issued by Republicans conducting a corrupt tribunal. That's contrary to who he is. It'd have to have been a blatant frame-up a sensible person just couldn't walk into.

[Towlie]

8. Then why did he say that???

[enough]

12. That is the question. NT

[Turbineguy]

9. He could do a Perry Mason:

"The question is incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial!"

[pnwmom]

24. Unfortunately, that's what he first said. Fortunately, he's issued a clear correction now. n/t

[Towlie]

5. Too bad he didn't say that in the first place. Now he's done irreversable damage to his image.

[Demsrule86]

10. More wishful thinking...I doubt Biden will be called anyway...but those who have losing candidates

are so hopeful...soon to have their hopes dashed.

[Champion Jack]

14. Bingo

It was a real dumb move

[John Fante]

16. Irreversible? This will be forgotten about in... what were we talking about again?

[Lexee]

23. Yes, it will be. I agree.

[Cha]

19. Please get a grip already.. Joe Biden has done no

such thing. That's not even a good try.

[Ferrets are Cool]

7. Seems as though this happens alot.

[Champion Jack]

15. yeah it does...

...But, it's endearing...right?

[John Fante]

18. There isn't a single valid reason to call Biden as a witness.

He didn't need to say anything more than that.

[aikoaiko]

20. Yeah, Joe was responding weirdly at first.

[Blue_true]

28. He initially answered that he didn't know what he could add to

a trial of Donald Trump. But then he started riffing and lost the potency of his initial statement.

[Lexee]

21. Correct move, correct statement. Supporters cheering Biden on not complying with subpoena

were wrong.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

25. Disqualifying.

[Blue_true]

29. Not at all. nt

[tritsofme]

26. Some Biden supporters sure looked foolish yesterday

Groupthink is not just a thing on the right.

I’ve never understood why it is so hard for some folks to admit their candidate made a mistake, Joe certainly can, and he corrected his position accordingly. Non-controversy over.

[Blue_true]

30. I cringed when I read him say that he might not respond to a summons from the Senate trial.

He initially said that he didn't know what he could add to the matter being considered, Trump's removal from office. He should have stayed with his initial statement.

[Blue_true]

27. I too felt that his statement that he would not answer a summons was wrong-footed.

He should have said that if McConnell and republicans do an honest job of calling witnesses, he would have no issue sharing what he knows.

[Aaron Pereira]

34. Mitch McConnell is celebrating.

In all likelihood Pelosi will not forward the articles of impeachment to the Senate now in order to protect Biden.

In the event the articles do move forward, Biden is going to be forced into countless hours of testimony during a critical point of the primary campaign.

I wish he'd stuck to his original position.

[pnwmom]

35. His first position was wrong. He is not above the law, and he couldn't just ignore

a lawful subpoena.

With regard to giving testimony, he won't be any more handicapped than the Senate Democrats who are also running for President, and will have to leave the campaign trail for the length of an impeachment trial.