Ed Rendell on Hillary Clinton & Joe Biden

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SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-CT), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Let's get that straight. She's a truly close personal friend. She is qualified to be president of the United States of America. She's easily qualified to be vice president of United States of America, and, quite frankly, she might have been a better pick than me.

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COLMES: Joining us now, Pennsylvania governor, Ed Rendell.

I thought that Joe Biden was being, Governor, very gracious by that comment. I wouldn't read too much into it. Would you?

RENDELL: No, I think Joe is a very gracious guy and I think he has a great deal of respect for Hillary.

Look, I think Joe's been a very good asset to the ticket. I said all along during this time period after Senator Obama became the presumptive nominee that I thought, electorally Hillary Clinton was our best choice.

COLMES: Yes.

RENDELL: But Joe's done a very good job. I had the occasion to campaign with him, Alan. And he's a fierce campaigner, and he really connects with the type of voters.

COLMES: Yes.

RENDELL: . that are up for grabs.

COLMES: I want to ask you about.

RENDELL: But Hillary would have been a good choice, too.

COLMES: Yes, I agree. I want to ask you about something you did in Pennsylvania which is come out in the issue of selling a state airplane, which has come up with Sarah Palin. Now she said she put it on eBay.

The fact is they took it off eBay because they couldn't sell it there and sold it for less than they paid for it. When they took it off eBay, you did the very same thing in terms of selling a plane, but not that way in your state.

RENDELL: Well, we used brokers, and we went out, and we were fortunately. We actually sold the plane for more than the state purchased it over a decade ago, but I don't read anything into that.

I mean, look, I think, Alan, we all ought to take a deep breath and get a grip. We ought not say the silly things about Senator McCain and Senator -- Governor Palin, and they should stop saying the things that they're saying about Barack Obama.

We should all get over this lipstick on a pig, that's incredible. Senator McCain used the exact same terminology.

COLMES: Yes.

RENDELL: . describing Hillary Clinton's health care plan just last year. How dare they attack Senator Obama for using the exact same terminology that Senator McCain did last year?

But I think we've got to take a deep breath and we've got repudiate Jim Davis when he said this campaign is not about issues. If we can't get back to issues.

COLMES: Rick Davis said that, yes.

RENDELL: And -- Jim Davis said that. With all of the changes we're facing abroad and at home, with the stress that American families are under, if we can't get back to issues and try to explain as clearly and fairly what the McCain health plan is, what the Obama health care plan is, what each candidate would do, and what they propose to do on taxes.

If we can't get down to a rational.

HANNITY: Hey, Governor.

RENDELL: . explanation of the issues, we're in trouble as a country, as a country.

HANNITY: Hey, Governor.

RENDELL: So I don't think the fact that I made a profit for Pennsylvania and Governor Palin who I know.

HANNITY: All right, here's the shot.

RENDELL: . I respect, suffered a loss, I don't think that that's a (INAUDIBLE).

HANNITY: All right, Governor, we're limited on time.

RENDELL: The thing is, she sold the plane. Good for her.

HANNITY: I got a couple of -- you don't think it's wrong -- and I like your examples of where the McCain camp has been unfair to attack Barack Obama. I know he keeps saying that they're going the make fun of his name, it's not happening. They're going to say he's a Muslim. It's not happening.

They're going to -- you know, not like the way they look. Doesn't look like the currency. It's not happening. That he's black. It's not happening. He keeps saying it. It's not happening, but Joe Biden did say that Sarah Palin is a backward step for women.

They have been comparing her to Pontius Pilot, and they did mock small Pennsylvania towns as being filled with bitter Americans being -- clinging to guns and religion, Governor.

RENDELL: Look, Sean.

HANNITY: I know Pennsylvania. I love Pennsylvania.

RENDELL: I know. Sean, you're a fair guy, too. This whole celebrity stuff, Senator Obama doesn't wear a flag pin. That's all nonsense, too. There's nonsense on both sides and let's get rid of it.

Now, you now, and I've said on this show, and I said it way back when I started coming on with you guys when I was DNC chair in 2000, I have respect for John McCain, and I've said it over and over again, and I believed him when he said he was going to run a decent and honorable campaign.

But, Sean, I want to be clear about this, and I'm not going to yell and scream, but the ads that they've been running and the things they said about the convention Senator Obama wants to raise your taxes.

HANNITY: Listen, you may.

RENDELL: That is simply not true.

HANNITY: You may not like it. He has a thin.

RENDELL: For 95.

HANNITY: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hang on a second, Governor. Hillary Clinton questioned his ability to be commander in chief. Joe Biden questioned his ability. He's hung out with radicals like Ayers and Rezko and Wright.

Wait a minute, hang on a second. He's done that. But -- you have even said that coverage in the media has been embarrassing. Those are you're words, Governor.

RENDELL: Right. But, Sean -- I know, but respond -- just for a minute. Don't be partisan for a minute. Respond to this issue because this is very important. Because it does go to the integrity of the campaign, and the candidate I've always controlled all of my campaigns.

HANNITY: We're running out of time.

RENDELL: Barack Obama has -- all right, just real quick. Barack Obama has proposed cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans, raising it for 5 percent.

HANNITY: All right, last question. Last question.

RENDELL: John McCain to say that he's.

HANNITY: I got that.

RENDELL: . raising taxes, that's dishonorable.

HANNITY: Last question. Will they replace Biden with Hillary? You got five seconds.

RENDELL: No, absolutely not. Joe Biden is here to stay. Next vice president of the United States.

HANNITY: All right. But you're right, we agree. The media coverage of Obama has been embarrassing.

Governor, you owe me a cheesesteak. Good to see you.