Biographies

Meet Joe Biden

Born:
Joe Biden was born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four siblings in a loving Irish Family.   The family moved in 1953 to Claymont, Delaware. His father was first a car salesman, then manager of the dealership.

Personal:
As a child, Biden stuttered and was teased by his schoolmates. He practiced reading aloud in front of a mirror and worked hard to overcome his stutter, which he did. During law school he befriended a stutterer and worked with him regularly on his speech.

Religion:
Joe was born into a Roman Catholic family and has remained an active Roman Catholic.

"The animating principle of my faith, as taught to me by church and home, was that the cardinal sin was abuse of power," he said in an interview with the Christina Science Monitor. "It was not only required as a good Catholic to abhor and avoid abuse of power, but to do something to end that abuse."

The issues that have most engaged Biden in public life draw on those teachings, from halting violence against women to genocide. At a personal level, his faith provides him peace, he says. "I get comfort from carrying my rosary, going to mass every Sunday. It's my time alone," he says.

Residence(s) and landholdings:
Joe Biden owns one home in Wilmington, Delaware, worth $525,700. While most Senators live in Washington, for many years he has commuted to work via Amtrak between Washington and Wilmington, Del. A one-way trip takes at least 80 minutes. He's friendly with the Amtrak staff and hosts an annual Christmas dinner for the Amtrak crew members.

Spouses:
August 27, 1966, while in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter.  Neilia and their youngest daughter were killed in tragic car accident while out Christmas shopping in December 1972, when his infant daughter was just one year old. Both of Biden’s boys were seriously injured in the accident that killed their mother and sister but eventually made a full recovery.  Biden considered resigning in order to care for them; persuaded not to by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, and Biden was sworn into office from their bedsides. 

As a single father for five years, Biden left standing orders that he be interrupted in the Senate at any time if his boys called.

Married to Married to Jill, his wife of 30 years,  is a teacher at the Delaware Technical & Community College  She has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Delaware.

Children & Extended Family:
Joe’s 90+-year-old mother lives with Joe and Jill, and Joe & Jill have three grown children (two boys from his first marriage and a girl with Jill) and five grandchildren.  

• Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III: Born in 1969, Beau is a captain in the Delaware National Guard and is the Attorney General for Delaware. He's deploying to Iraq this fall of 2008. He is married to wife, Hallie, and they have two children, daughter, Natalie, age 4, and a son, Hunter, age 2.
  
• Robert Hunter Biden: Born in 1970, Hunter is a lawyer-lobbyist. He has three daughters Naomi, Finnegan and Maisy.
• Naomi "Amy" Christina Biden: Born in 1971, Amy died on December 18, 1972 in an automobile accident with her mother.
• Ashley Blazer Biden: Born in 1981, Ashley is a social worker in Delaware.

Academic & Career Path

1965   Graduates with double major in history and political science from the University of Delaware in Newark

1968   Graduates from The University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School.

1969  Admitted to Delaware Bar

1970   Served on the New Castle County Council.

1972   At age 29, against almost impossible odds, he became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate, beating a venerable institution in Delaware, Senator Caleb Boggs.
1981  Biden received an honorary degree from Saint Joseph's University.

Meet Sarah Palin

Born:
Sarah Palin was born Sarah Heath February 11, 1964 in Sand Point Idaho, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska with her family when she was three years old.  Her parents were teachers.

Personal:
 In 1984, Palin won the Miss Wasilla Pageant, then finished second in the Miss Alaska pageant, at which she won a college scholarship and the "Miss Congeniality" award

Religion:
 Palin was originally baptized Roman Catholic, but her mother switched them to the Wasilla Assembly of God, a Pentecostal church, where she was re-baptized at age 12, and where she attended under pastor Ed Kalnins until 2002. Her current home church in Wasilla is the Wasilla Bible Church, an independent congregation.

Palin has described herself as a "Bible-believing Christian" who attends a non-denominational church, but in addition to  the Wasilla Bible Church she also currently attend three other churches: the Wasilla Assembly of God; the Juneau Christian Center, another Assembly of God church; and the Church on the Rock, Wasilla.

“We like to call this the Bible Belt of Alaska,” says Cheryl Metiva, head of the local chamber of commerce. Churches proliferate in Wasilla today, and among the largest and most influential is the Wasilla Bible Church, where the Palins worship

Residence(s) and landholdings:  
Besides living in the Governor’s mansion Juneau at no cost, the Palin family owns three houses, according to her 2007 financial disclosure form. It is indicated that one is residential (in Wasilla) and the other two are used for recreation.

The Palins also two real estate holdings in Big Lake, AK co-owned by Debbie and Scott Richter. (Richters are divorced.)  The properties are listed under Richter Investments LLC. In 2008, the undeveloped land is valued at $12,000 and $17,300 and covers about 6 acres in total.

Spouse:
August 29, 1988 married to husband Todd Palin. From 1995 to 2002 Todd was registered to vote as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to have the right to vote on seceding from the USA.   Palin is now a registered Republican.

Children & Extended Family:

Sarah and Todd have five children and are expecting their first grandchild.

• 1989 - Son “Track” is born.  Track Palin is registered to vote as independent ("undeclared"). Track enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 11, 2007 and is set to be deployed to Iraq in September 2008.
• 1990 - Daughter “Bristol” is born.  Palin announced on September 1, 2008, that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant and intended to keep the baby and marry the father of her child, Levi Johnston.
• 1994 - Daughter “Piper” is born.
• 2001 - Daughter “Willow” is born.
• 2008 – In April, becomes mother to son Trig who has Down Syndrome.

Academic & Career Path

1982     Enrolled for one semester at Hawaii Pacific College as Business Administration major

1983     Enrolled for two semesters at North Idaho College in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

1984     Enrolled at University of Idaho to pursue a journalism degree with a minor in political science

1984     Takes a semester off college, wins Miss Wasilla, and the pageant category, “Miss Congeniality”

1984     In same semester off college, wins as runner-up in Miss Alaska Beauty Pageant

1987     Graduates University of Idaho after four semesters; total of seven semesters of higher education

1988     Briefly worked in broadcasting as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations

1990     Serves on PTA

1992     Served as City Council Member of town of Wasilla, Alaska

1996     Elected Mayor of Wasilla, town of 8700 

2003     Gets appointment to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, she stays 11 months

2005     Palin enters the Republican gubernatorial primary in October.