Biden's appearance at son's deployment not political, aides say
Sarah Palin took some heat for, in critics' eyes, injecting politics into the deployment ceremony of her eldest son Track, headed to Iraq.
Now, her Democratic counterpart Joe Biden is treading carefully not to open himself to the same questioning, the Washington Post reports.
Biden plans to speak Friday at the deployment ceremony of his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, 39, a member of the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps. He might serve as an army prosecutor in Iraq. Biden aides said that the event was not political and that he was speaking as a father and senator, not a candidate, the Post reports.
Palin raised eyebrows in particular for linking the war in Iraq with the 2001 terrorist attacks. Her 18-year-old son's unit was deployed on Sept. 11, and she said it would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans....America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001."
The theory that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein helped al Qaeda with the attacks on New York and Washington has long been discredited, but polls show that many Americans still believe there is a link. Iraq war policy is one of the biggest divides between the Republican and Democratic tickets.
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Senator Biden made me proud and all of Delaware proud as he spoke at his son's deployment ceremony. Who could imagine flying from a vice presidential debate to say goodbye to your son's unit only a few hours later? I have sent a husband off to war, but never a son. I can only imagine that anguish. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, and the entire unit.