Monday, September 15, 2008

Biden's Charity

In a new article by National Review's Byron York, the charitable giving of Senator and vice presidential candidate Joe Biden is the issue. I have a couple of problems with the article.

The column details Senator and Mrs. Biden's charitable giving as recorded on their tax returns along with their gross adjusted income. The amounts claimed as charitable contributions are admittedly small, compared to the overall income for each year. And if Biden and his wife were worth the millions upon millions of dollars that most other senators are worth, then an issue could certainly be made, as Mr. York does, when he quotes Arthur Brooks, a Syracuse University scholar: 'My only point is that his values are not typical American values when it comes to charitable giving. Americans in general are very generous.'

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Joe Biden, D-Delaware. But as York himself points out, Biden is the least wealthy of all of the current U.S. senators, making a combined income with his wife of just over $200k-300k/year. York also points out that the Biden's spokesman David Wade makes the case that the Bidens, like many other Americans, does not claim all of their charitable contributions on their IRS tax forms. The Bidens do numerous other charitable works, such as driving aid to hurricane victims, and Jill Biden's work with military families.

Yes, in 2007 the Bidens earned $319,853 and only 'claimed' to have given $995 to charities (not counting church tithing, again according to Mr. Wade). But the Senator has to have a place to stay in Washington, maintain his residence in Delaware, provide for his family, and an aging parent who now lives with him, plus pay for the expenses incurred in traveling back and forth, which he has for years in the past to make sure he was home for his kids most nights.

Joe Biden isn't likely to ever get my vote for anything, and we disagree on most issues politically, but this is not how I would go after a man who seems to be genuine and honorable. Attack his political positions, those are fair game. But his charitable contributions? I don't think so.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTZiY2EyNjllZmI3MjBiODdiM2ViNjc5ZmYxNjI1Zjg=

No comments: