Biden will continue to offer war de-authorization vote even if it fails

HENNIKER, N.H. – Delaware Senator Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate, says if his plan to de-authorize force in Iraq doesn’t get the necessary votes he would “do it again.”

Yesterday, Biden told The Associated Press that his plan – which essentially revokes the 2002 vote authorizing force – would probably not get 60 votes in the Senate in order to head off a Republican filibuster.

In an interview with the Globe, Biden said that doesn’t mean he will stop pushing the idea.

“It is not like we are going to stop,” said Biden. "What you do is awaken public awareness to reasonable alternatives and then you hope it puts pressure on our Republican colleagues so we can change course.”

At a town hall meeting attended mainly by college students, Biden asked rhetorically why he was the only candidate to offer a comprehensive plan on Iraq.

“Why am I the only candidate in either party to stand up and give a very detailed plan?” asked the crowd of about 100 at New England College. “I was told by a lot of people that it is politically dangerous to do it, but I want to win or lose this race on my own terms.”

Many of Biden’s rivals for the Democratic nomination have offered broad positions, but none has laid out a plan in such detail.