Q+A: Joe Biden

Michael J. Mishak

Friday, March 23, 2007 | 6:54 a.m.

Joe Biden is not the kind of guy to dodge the public stage.

So it was with good reason that Biden, the senior senator from Delaware and one of seven Democratic presidential contenders, canceled a trip to Nevada on Wednesday.

Biden was scheduled to speak to labor leaders and party activists at two events in Carson City, but he said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid requested that he stay in Washington for budget votes. Family commitments will keep him away from Saturday's presidential health care forum at UNLV.

Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke with the Sun by telephone about Nevada issues.

Q: How do you think you will do in Nevada?

Nevada is good for me. I have a natural constituency with the people likely to participate in the caucuses: organized labor. I have a 34-year record with labor that can't be surpassed by anybody in either party this time out. Whether I get the endorsements or not, I'm confident that I'll do well with labor voters.

Have you put down any roots here yet?

We've hired people, but we're waiting a few weeks so that we can roll out everything as a complete package, headquarters and all.

Danny O'Brien, my national political director, is a big help. He's got a lot of experience with Nevada campaigns and knows a lot of people. But it's not the same as having Harry Reid's son. (Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid is working on Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign.)

What's your understanding of Western issues?

I've been deeply involved with Yucca Mountain over the years. I'm aware of the water issues - how rapid development is sucking up all the resources. There's also what we call the sagebrush rebellion issues - federal lands, guns and open space.

But right now there's no distinction between the questions I'm asked in Jackson, Miss., and the ones I'm asked in Carson City, Nev. Everyone is consumed with the knowledge that we've been dug into a pretty deep hole, and they're looking for someone with a depth and breadth of national security experience, not just to deal with Iraq but with what's going to be a dangerous decade ahead.

Given Southern Nevada's explosive growth, should the Colorado River Compact be reformed?

We've had similar distribution issues with the Delaware River in my home state, but it's a much bigger problem for Nevada. In order to get a fundamental change and the federal government engaged, it needs to start with state negotiations.

How would you deal with the nation's health care crisis?

I would move immediately to insure all children under age 18, modernize medical records and provide catastrophic health insurance to lift the burden on the 46 million people who can't afford coverage.

I would also encourage states to move toward total health care coverage, and I'd have the federal government give them much more leeway in underwriting the cost. The way to get a national consensus for a major health care policy is to cherry pick the best ideas from the dozens of states doing their own.

Are you a gambling man?

No. I play nickel, dime and quarter poker games with my old buddies. I've found that I usually gamble with my future rather than gamble with my money. I like Las Vegas for the shows more than the slots.