Biden: leaving children out of politics is 'about common decency'
Watch Sen. Biden's comments about Gov. Palin and her family in Florida Tuesday.
DEERFIELD BEACH, Florida (CNN) - Joe Biden responded to questions on the news that GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter is pregnant by telling voters “children are off-limits,” just as running mate Barack Obama has done.
Biden was speaking at a Florida town hall meeting when an audience member asked what he really thought about the 17-year-old’s pregnancy.
Watch: 'Children are off limits,' says Biden
“With regard to the stuff that you’re talking about, I have a simple proposition: children are off limits,” he said. “We’ve all been through things with our children, and it’s about common decency. Just treat people with common decency.”
The audience, a group of retired residents of Deerfield Century Village East, met the answer with resounding applause.
Democrats have begun assailing Palin for what they call insufficient executive and foreign policy experience, but Biden refused the opportunity to bite.
“I don’t know the governor,” he said. “Everything I know about her, there’s no reason not to respect her and believe she’s qualified to be the vice president. I’m not going to make that judgment. That’s the people – for you all to make.”
He also echoed Obama’s comment that Palin is a “compelling” person, and he said he takes her “on face value.”
“She’s the governor, that’s no mean feat, and she seems to have a strong personal story,” he said.
If a female Dem were running– one who had been the chief executive of her state with an 80% approval rating who had challenged the good ol' boys corruption– and we dared to suggest that she should "stay home" with her children, the howls from the left and the media would be deafening. The hypocrisy is unbelievable.
Kids today know all about sex and condoms. What they don't hear enough about in our culture, as Sarah Palin has said, is the value of growing up and waiting. Her 17 year old daughter chose differently, and has the free choice to do so, and will now grow up very quickly. (But, I suspect, in their independent culture, it's not unusual to begin families earlier....)
Thank goodness for the demonstration of accepting consequences, embracing the life of this developing child, over a convenient but morally repugnant quickie abortion. The inner integrity shines brightly !
Yes indeed. Palin is a very compelling person. I am compelled to seriously doubt her qualifications to lead this nation in a time of crises.
I agree, children are off limits. Leave Bristol alone.
Yes, candidates kids should be off limits, but it is Palin that decided to put the spotlight on her 17 year-old pregnant daughter by choosing to run for office.