Seventy years ago today, one of my favorite feminists was born: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. He was born in 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four siblings. After a move to Delaware, and attending Syracuse Law School, Biden became one of the youngest Senators, at age 29. The minimum age is 30, which he met by the time we was sworn in.

Unfortunately he had to be sworn in at his sons’ hospital bedside. Just weeks after winning his election, his wife, one-year old daughter and two sons were involved in a tragic car accident. His wife and daughter died, and his sons were critically injured. Proving his resilience, Biden soldiered on, commuting every day from Delaware to D.C. The things single dads do…

As we now know, Biden remarried. He married Jill Jacobs, an educator with a Ph.D, in 1977. There is a lot to say and love about our current vice president, but for me it’s his work on behalf of women. And his insatiable tendency to say exactly what he’s thinking. In a town known for talking points and spending an inordinate amount of time saying nothing at all, I find him refreshing.

Here are just a few things I love about Biden, in no particular order:

VAWA
In 1994, then-Senator Biden worked across party lines to write and pass The Violence Against Women Act, the first U.S. federal law that acknowledged domestic violence and sexual assault as crimes. It improved the criminal justice response to violence against women and ensured that victims and their families have access to the services they need to
achieve safety and rebuild their lives.

In related news, this bill needs to be reauthorized. Go here for more information.

VP Debate
If you didn’t watch this, do it now. After a lackluster performance by President Obama, the Happy Warrior delivered a serious smackdown to Rep. Paul Ryan. Some say it may have been a bit much. I say it was brilliant, and just what the campaign needed. Biden did what Biden does best, and he fired up the base. Here’s SNL’s take, but my favorite take on the debate came from Bill Maher via Twitter: “Hello 9 1 1? There’s an old man beating a child on my tv.”

Biden Meets Leslie Knope

Couldn’t agree with Leslie more. VP Biden is precious cargo. Thanks for all you do, Mr. Vice President.

*photo credit: me