BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad Thursday, where he will underscore Washington's commitment to a drawdown of American forces there, the White House said.

Biden is to meet with Iraqi and U.S. military officials and will also speak with troops. He is expected to deliver a speech to troops on Saturday, the Fourth of July, and may visit another city.

The trip comes a couple of days after U.S. combat troops withdrew from urban centers in the country, and left security duties in cities like Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and other communities to Iraqi security forces.

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Vice President Biden addressed his former Senate colleagues at an event Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Joe Biden returned to his old stomping grounds Wednesday wearing three hats: vice president, historian, and comedian.

Biden delivered the keynote address at the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee's Green Jobs Summit.

The vice president needled his former colleagues. "I just want to remind you guys I hope you remember me. I used to work here. So easily how they forget," he said.

Biden served in the Senate for 36 years before being elected vice president.

The summit was held in the caucus room of the Russell Senate office building, which inspired Biden to discuss the room's history.

"It's good to be home in this room. This is — business folks and labor leaders probably know — but this is one of the most historic rooms in the United States Senate," said Biden.

"John Kennedy announced his run for the presidency here. This was the room in which the Bork hearing took place. And this is the room in which the Clarence Thomas hearing took place. Over which I presided on both of them and I am so glad to be here not talking about the Supreme Court. Umm… laugh a little bit, guys. Come on — you're a stiff audience here, man."

–CNN's Virginia Nicolaidis contributed to this report.

Vice President Biden said Sunday that the Obama administration opposes taxing employer-provided health care benefits but would not say the president would reject legislation that included such a new tax.

(CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday that the Obama administration opposes taxing the medical benefits employers provide workers to pay for health care reform, but he refused to rule it out entirely.

"We do not think that is the way to go; we think that is the wrong way to finance this legislation," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. Pressed on whether President Barack Obama would veto a bill from Congress containing such a mechanism, Biden said Obama would consider the measure in total before making a decision.

Obama has outlined a series of steps to lower current costs and raise taxes to pay for an overhaul of the health care system, including creation of a government-funded "public" option for the nation's 46 million uninsured. He will speak Monday to the American Medical Association, which questions how a public option can work.

On Saturday, the president proposed $313 billion in cuts and new savings over the next decade, with some of the funds coming from expected increases in efficiency, reductions in excessive hospital payments and drug cost savings from individuals enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.

Biden noted that the administration also seeks to raise $300 billion in taxes by limiting the deductions of high-income Americans.

Republican leaders join Obama and Democrats in calling for health care reform, but oppose a public option as a potential boondoggle that would be unfair to private insurers.
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Vice President Biden said Sunday that President Obama has kept up his end of the bargain the two men made about working together in the White House.

(CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday that President Barack Obama consults him on all major issues as promised, and that the job is what he hoped it would be.

"There's not a single decision made that he hasn't asked me my view," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

Biden has said he accepted the chance to be vice president on condition that he would be an important consultant and confidante to Obama.

"He's kept his end of the bargain," Biden said of Obama, describing himself as "one of the last people who has the opportunity to make my case to him."

"I think he respects my opinion," the vice president said.

Biden cited a tangible benefit of his role, saying: "I used to react to nominees to the Supreme Court; now I got to help select a Supreme Court nominee," in reference to Obama's nomination of U.S. Appellate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the high court.

(CNN) – The United States will enforce the latest U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea, which calls for stopping arms shipments if necessary, Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday.

"We're going to enforce the U.N. resolution," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "This is a matter of us now keeping the pressure on."

The resolution, passed by a 15-0 vote, expands and tightens sanctions on North Korea after the nation's recent nuclear test, firing of test rockets and threats to U.S. and South Korean ships near its territorial waters.

North Korea has said that any interdiction of its ships would be an act of war, the latest threat from a regime known for inflammatory rhetoric.

Biden said the resolution represented joint action by the Security Council members "like never before," noting that longtime North Korean ally China signed on. He called possible North Korean use or spread of nuclear weapons "a serious threat to the world, and particularly in East Asia."

Vice President Joe Biden weighed in Sunday on the election results in Iran.

(CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden expressed doubts Sunday about the validity of Iran's presidential election, but said it will take more time to analyze the results.

"I have doubts, but withhold comment," Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

The Iranian government announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won Friday's election with 62.63 percent of the vote. The result sparked protests by supporters of his main rival, Mir Hossein Moussavi, who claim the vote was rigged.

Biden said the Iranian government has suppressed crowds and limited free speech by shutting down social networking sites such as Facebook, which he said raised questions. He also called the strong showing by Ahmadinejad "unlikely," based on pre-election analysis.

"Is this the response, is this the accurate response, is this the wish of the Iranian people?" Biden said.

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Vice President Joe Biden calls Friday's unemployment report 'tough.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden calls Friday's unemployment report "tough" — but says there are also "some signs of hope today."

Friday's numbers released by the Labor Department show the nation's unemployment rate rising to 9.4 percent in May, the highest level in 25 years. But the report also finds that employers cut 345,000 jobs from their payrolls last month, down from the revised 504,000 job decline in April.

The total is the fewest jobs lost in a month since last September. It's also lower than originally-predicted loss of more than half a million jobs in May.

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(CNN) — Joe Biden couldn't help but take a dig at his boss Wednesday when one of the vice president's teleprompter screens fell down during his commencement speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"What am I gonna tell the president?" Biden said as a gust of wind knocked down his left teleprompter. "I'm gonna tell him his teleprompter is broken. What will he do then?"

The off-handed quip immediately drew laughter and some the loudest cheers of day from the graduates.

Obama has long been criticized from Republicans for at times appearing over reliant on a teleprompter, even during short and informal speeches. During the White House Correspondents Association dinner earlier this month, the president himself poked fun at his penchant for using a teleprompter.

"You know I had an entire speech prepared for this wonderful occasion, but now that I am here, I am going to try something a little different — I am going to speak from the heart," Obama said jokingly as his teleprompter rose from the floor.

(CNN) — Joe Biden couldn't help but take a dig at his boss Wednesday when one of the vice president's teleprompter screens fell down during his commencement speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"What am I gonna tell the president?" Biden said as a gust of wind knocked down his left teleprompter. "I'm gonna tell him his teleprompter is broken. What will he do then?"

The off-handed quip immediately drew laughter and some the loudest cheers of day from the graduates.

Obama has long been criticized from Republicans for at times appearing over reliant on a teleprompter, even during short and informal speeches. During the White House Correspondents Association dinner earlier this month, the president himself poked fun at his penchant for using a teleprompter.

"You know I had an entire speech prepared for this wonderful occasion, but now that I am here, I am going to try something a little different — I am going to speak from the heart," Obama said jokingly as his teleprompter rose from the floor.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Leading the White House's effort to get Judge Sonia Sotomayor confirmed is Cynthia Hogan, the chief counsel to Vice President Biden, an administration official confirms to CNN.

The Vice President, a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Ron Klain, a veteran of previous confirmation fights, are also expected to be heavily involved, the official says. Biden will be talking to his former Senate colleagues and relaying what he is hearing, and will serve the role of internal counselor. Another key person for the White House as it works to shape its message will be Stephanie Cutter, who will be overseeing the communications aspect of the effort.

Unlike the previous administration, this White House is not expected to be appointing a formal "sherpa" — a Washington veteran who helps shepherd the nominee through the Senate process, giving advice about how to conduct courtesy calls with senators and how to avoid possible pitfalls. Instead, besides the White House officials involved, the senior senator from Sotomayor's home state will also be a key person in helping guide her through the process.

"Sen. Schumer is going to play a role in doing that, as somebody who obviously has been around a number of court confirmations," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters tuesday.

Vice President Joe Biden arrives Friday at the presidential palace outside Beirut, Lebanon.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) – The United States backs Lebanon's democratic process, but U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden warned Friday the United States will reconsider its assistance to the country if its next government strays from certain "fundamental principles."

He spoke shortly after arriving in Beirut, a visit that comes two weeks before a key vote there that could usher in a Hezbollah-dominated government.

"I do not come here to back any political party or any particular person," Biden said at a joint news conference with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.

"The shape and composition of Lebanon's government is for the Lebanese people to decide, to state the obvious."

However, the United States "will evaluate the shape of our assistance programs based on the composition of the new government and the policies it advocates," Biden said.

Biden urged those Lebanese "who would think about standing with the spoilers of peace not to miss this opportunity to walk away from the spoilers."

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Joe Biden wrote a campaign e-mail urging his supporters to stand behind Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. Arlen Specter continues to feel the love from the White House, with Vice President Joe Biden penning a campaign e-mail Thursday for the Republican-turned-Democrat.

"Over the years, we've certainly had our disagreements," Biden writes in the note that was sent to 500,000 Pennsylvanians on the Democratic National Committee/Organizing for America e-mail list. "During that time, however, Arlen has been my friend, my confidant, and my partner in enacting many pieces of significant legislation."

The e-mail includes hyperlinks that direct people to a page dedicated to Specter on the DNC Web site.

President Obama and national Democrats pledged to support Specter in his 2010 re-election run after he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat last month. For now, Specter does not have a primary opponent, but Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak has not ruled out a bid for the party's Senate nomination.

The Specter Web site is the only candidate presence on the DNC Web site, a spokesman told CNN.

"It provides a place for folks who want to learn more about Senator Specter's record of integrity and service, and when they visit we are sure they will see why the President and Vice President see Senator Specter as a key ally in helping to advance an agenda for change on major issues including reforming America's health care system," DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan told CNN.

Another one of the three bullet points highlighted by the DNC is "Judiciary Confirmations: Senator Specter has played an important role in nine different Supreme Court nominations since 1981."

What the DNC doesn't mention is that Specter voted for Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito to join the U.S. Supreme Court, and for then-Justice William Rehnquist to be chief justice. None of the men were exactly Democrats' most beloved justices on the Court.

Full text of Biden's e-mail after the jump

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Joe Biden wrote a campaign e-mail urging his supporters to stand behind Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. Arlen Specter continues to feel the love from the White House, with Vice President Joe Biden penning a campaign e-mail Thursday for the Republican-turned-Democrat.

"Over the years, we've certainly had our disagreements," Biden writes in the note that was sent to 500,000 Pennsylvanians on the Democratic National Committee/Organizing for America e-mail list. "During that time, however, Arlen has been my friend, my confidant, and my partner in enacting many pieces of significant legislation."

The e-mail includes hyperlinks that direct people to a page dedicated to Specter on the DNC Web site.

President Obama and national Democrats pledged to support Specter in his 2010 re-election run after he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat last month. For now, Specter does not have a primary opponent, but Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak has not ruled out a bid for the party's Senate nomination.

The Specter Web site is the only candidate presence on the DNC Web site, a spokesman told CNN.

"It provides a place for folks who want to learn more about Senator Specter's record of integrity and service, and when they visit we are sure they will see why the President and Vice President see Senator Specter as a key ally in helping to advance an agenda for change on major issues including reforming America's health care system," DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan told CNN.

Another one of the three bullet points highlighted by the DNC is "Judiciary Confirmations: Senator Specter has played an important role in nine different Supreme Court nominations since 1981."

What the DNC doesn't mention is that Specter voted for Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito to join the U.S. Supreme Court, and for then-Justice William Rehnquist to be chief justice. None of the men were exactly Democrats' most beloved justices on the Court.

Full text of Biden's e-mail after the jump

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Joe Biden will travel to Lebanon on Friday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Beirut, Lebanon on Friday and meet with local officials during his visit, the White House confirmed Thursday.

Biden will meet with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, and Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri on Friday. The vice president will also talk with Defense Minister Elias Murrmake and make an announcement on military assistance to Lebanon's armed forces.

The president met Tuesday at the White House with some of the nation's top cops. (Photo Credit: Shawna Shepherd/CNN)

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Obama promised $2 billion in additional funding to help police officers keep their jobs at a ceremony honoring some of the nation's top cops in the Rose Garden on Tuesday.

Obama presented an award from the National Association of Police Organizations to a number of top cops from around the country who he said have "literally walked through fire" to help their communities.

"You've reacted quickly in crises to protect the innocent," Obama said. "You've reacted with compassion for those that were in need and you've literally walked through the fire to help your neighbors escape disaster. Now, that's what police officers do. You step into harm's way to form, officer by officer, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, the line between safety and violence, calm and chaos, home and despair."

The president said $2 billion in additional grants will be made available to help make progress towards his goal of boosting the number of police officers nationwide by 50,000. He called Vice President Joe Biden "the sheriff" and said he would make sure the money is spent as intended.

"The president and I recognize the bravery you display simply by putting on that badge every day," Biden said. "The officers honored here today have been singled out for going above and beyond the call of duty. And we commend you all."

Vice President Biden spoke Sunday at Syracuse University's graduation ceremony.

Syracuse, NY (CNN ) — Vice President Joe Biden delivered the commencement address to the class of 2009 at Syracuse University Sunday, telling students to remain optimistic despite the challenges the country faces.

Biden compared today's challenges, such as the weak job market the 3,400 graduating students are facing, to those his generation dealt with — such as
the Vietnam War, race riots and political upheaval.

He noted that just three days after he graduated on the same field where he was speaking, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Biden is a 1968 graduate of Syracuse College of Law.

He called on the students to embrace the challenging times as an opportunity to make real change in the world.

"Throughout the span of history, only a handful of us ever get a chance to actually shape the course of history," he said.

Biden's remarks were well received by the crowd of nearly 20,000 people.

"He was really passionate talking about how this is the time to make a change, and we are the kids who are actually going to do it," said Adam Teitelbaum, a finance and entrepreneurship major.

The university presented Biden with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Biden also wished all of the mothers in the crowd a Happy Mother's Day and offered the graduates one of his favorite lines:

"If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mom told you."

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Democrat Al Franken and his wife dropped by the White House Wednesday to update Vice President Biden on the state of Minnesota's hotly-contested Senate seat.

Franken discussed the Obama administration's agenda and how it would impact the people of Minnesota, according to a statement from Franken's office.

"Minnesotans are eager to see Congress make progress on the administration's agenda – and I'm eager to do my part in that effort," Franken said. "From investments in alternative energy to the expansion of high-speed rail to the Twin Cities, we have a lot to do to help Minnesota's working families, and I was pleased to discuss these important issues with the vice president."

The vice president maintained it's time for the state to have a second senator, insisting that Minnesota's election and recount process was transparent and organized, and applauding the "meticulous" work of Minnesota officials.

"Minnesotans deserve their full representation," Biden said in a statement following the meeting. "Once the Minnesota Supreme Court has issued its final ruling in this case, the president and I look forward to working with Mr. Franken on building an economy for the 21st century.

The two made an unscheduled lunch stop Tuesday at independent burger joint Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia.

Crowds filled the parking lot and lined the streets as the leaders ordered inside.

Biden took the lead ordering a swiss cheese burger with jalapeños and a root beer.

Obama opted for a basic cheddar cheese burger, with mustard, hold the ketchup, and a bottle of water. Disappointed at first when told that the restaurant didn't carry French fries, Obama decided to go with an order of the restaurant's special cheese and tater puffs.

Before settling his tab Obama made sure that the press did not go hungry. "Who wants a burger?" Obama asked.

The cashier offered lunch on the house, but the president declined saying, "We're paying, or these people [the press] are gonna write about how we're free-loading."

Vice President Joe Biden said Friday he holds summer parties at his home for Amtrak train conductors.

(CNN) - Joe Biden didn't heed his own advice.

On Friday, just one day after he warned his family to avoid "confined places" like subways and aircrafts, the vice president took the train from Washington, DC to Wilmington, Delaware. Now he plans to ride the train back to the District Monday evening.

Biden, a long-time Amtrak supporter and veteran rider, attended the kickoff of a $32 million renovation and restoration of Wilmington train station in Delaware Monday morning, telling onlookers, "The people who work at the Wilmington train station, the conductors, the ticket collectors — they are a part of my family. And, for our family, this station is home."

"I am so proud to see Recovery Act funds taking care of critical needs here at the station and putting people to work," the vice president told the crowd.

During his long tenure in the US Senate, Biden was a daily train commuter, traveling to and from his home in Delaware to Washington.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden, a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, would serve as an adviser to President Obama on the Supreme Court vetting process, but he would not "lead" the vetting team, a White House aide told CNN.

"If there were to become a vacancy, the vice president's role would be as an advisor to the president," the aide said. "As a former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he brings a lot of experience and knowledge of how this process works on the Hill – but reports he's leading or would be leading a 'vetting team' etc aren't true."

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