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Tue 20 Aug, 2013 09:51 pm
Biden's son under evaluation at M.D. Anderson
By Anita Hassan, Todd Ackerman | August 19, 2013 | Updated: August 20, 2013 9:10pm
Beau Biden, Delaware's attorney general and the eldest son of Vice President Joe Biden, underwent tests at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Tuesday, the third hospital he's visited in the past week about an episode of weakness and disorientation.
A spokesman in the Delaware attorney general's office would not comment on Biden's condition or give any further details at this time about his visit to Houston.
It was unclear exactly when Biden began tests Tuesday. But after a motorcade of six sports utility vehicles stopped at M.D. Anderson's ambulance emergency entrance about 10:30 a.m., a hospital employee reported seeing the vice president walk into the hospital.
The vehicles departed shortly before 5 p.m.
The Bidens arrived in Houston Monday. They dined at D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe in the Rice Village Monday night, and Beau Biden tweeted a photo of his wife, Hallie, and him Tuesday morning that read "Touched by all your well wishes - thank you. Nice evening in Houston w/Hallie; will share update when we have it. -bb."
Biden's visit to M.D. Anderson followed previous stints at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. A statement from his office Monday night said that he was admitted to Northwestern on Wednesday night after feeling weak and disoriented, following a long drive to Indiana for a family vacation.
"The next morning, feeling better, he traveled to Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia to consult with his doctor about his earlier symptoms," the statement said. "The attorney general was discharged and spent the weekend at home in Wilmington."
Biden, who suffered what was described as a mild stroke in 2010, is undergoing testing "to investigate the cause of his symptoms," the Delaware Department of Justice statement said.
M.D. Anderson, a component of the University of Texas System, is the state's cancer hospital but draws patients from the nation and world because of its renowned, cutting-edge care.
Officials at M.D. Anderson said they have no information.
Biden, 44, was elected in 2006 as Delaware's attorney general and is serving his second term.
A former federal prosecutor in Philadelphia, he served in Iraq for one year as a captain with the Delaware Army National Guard. He was considered a front-runner to fill his father's former U.S. Senate seat in 2010, but decided against running for higher office. The attorney general and his wife have two children.
D'Amico's owner Nash D'Amico said the restaurant only had about 15 minutes notice before the Secret Service came in to check out the dining room.
"They called and asked if I could accommodate at table of 15," said D'Amico, who quickly moved a couple of patrons to accommodate the vice president's dinner party.
D'Amico described the hour-long meal as low-key. He said a crowd gathered to greet the party as it exited the restaurant.
"We love you, Joe," D'Amico said he heard several clapping well-wishers shout.
Chronicle reporters Lora Hines and Syd Kearney contributed to this report.
Houston Chronicle
@Miller,
This topic will probably come up, when Biden states his plans for the Presidency.
@realjohnboy,
A serious family issue will come up as it may affect Biden's ability to devote enough time to his running against Mrs. Clinton.
@Miller,
Probably wont affect his run at all.
@Miller,
a more centrl concern to Joe's presidential bid is the fact that hes gonna be 75 years old when (qnd if) he runs.
@farmerman,
Don't the Democrats have any younger candidates to consider? Both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Biden seem ancient (watching from north of the border where our party leaders are in their 40's and 50's ).
@ehBeth,
Cuomo and Beau Biden are both "up and comers" in the Dems. Biden's potentially serious illness is casting a pall on anything re his future.
He is hated in downstate Delaware where the Tea Baggers hold the majority of the offices. Delaware is actually 2 states (even for its diminutive size). The North part of Del (new Castle County "above the canal" is prinicipally Dem. "Below the canal" of Kent nd Sussex County is primarily Tea Bag land with a few knots of democrats, namely Dover.
@farmerman,
Up and comer at 44? weird to be that age and considered an up and comer. We've got members of parliament in their early 20's. People are looking at senate appointments (basically political retirement plans) in their 50's.
@ehBeth,
I dont pay any attention to age unless it is over 75. I mostly try to judge by ability.
@RABEL222,
RABEL222 wrote:
Probably wont affect his run at all.
He'll lose to Mrs. Clinton in the primaries.
@ehBeth,
our political process has a determinant based more on "public notoriety" thn any other issue. When someone starts a politicl career in the US (a serious national career), one starts after acquiring a law degree which requires a few years of practice before the (then) 30 yer old dips his or her toes into the nomination pool.
After several attempts at local and state offices (to get their chops), the candidate is ready for a state office nd then a nationl office. By then the candidate is 40ish. Hell our youngest presidents TR ,JFK and Obama were in their 40s when they were elected president.
Reps and Senators rise and stay(or try to). Senators in their 80's or even 90ish (like STrom Thurmond) is kinda creepy I know. I think political offices should have a "Sunset" requirement at the end of a persons 7th decade. Weve had several Senators and representatives who were clearly in the throes of Alzheimers and were still in office.
Ive alays wondered about how the differences in govt show up (in theory) between Canada and US. Being a Constitutional Monarchy for you and being a Constitutional Republic for us, Id have to say that the biggest difference in the rulebooks is that US operates with a separation of powers and Canada operates with a concentration of powers, so its possible that someone can establish his "Shops" as a PM early in their career because of the way the rules are set.
@ehBeth,
You have to be 35 to be elected President, 30 to be elected to the Senate, and 25 to be elected to the House. By the time a politico is established as a viable candidate for those national offices, they are usually well past those ages. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was not yet 43 years of age when William McKinley died (from complications arising from a gun-shot wound by an assassin), and he became President. He would not have been considered for the top slot at his age, and it was only as Vice President that he was considered acceptable. When John Kennedy was elected at the age of 43, many people thought he was too young. It's all in what people are used to.
@Miller,
If she runs it is most likely she will get the nomination as things stand at this point.
@RABEL222,
That's right. Mrs. Clinton beat Obama in the primaries in Massachusetts. She got most of the female vote.
Biden is too old and should have enough common sense not to run.
@RABEL222,
I would hope that he does. The larger our choices the better off we will be. We already have too many royal political families running the country. Most of whom are conservative. I would like to have a chance to vote for a liberal before I die. Probably wont happen as long as the Koches run their brainwashing machine.
@RABEL222,
Didn't you vote for Obama?
@Miller,
And you think Obama is liberal. We havent had a liberal democratic president since Johnson. They have all been middle of the road or right of center.
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