August 23, 2008 - 11:34am
News

N.H. Biden supporters knew yesterday

MANCHESTER -- Three prominent New Hampshire supporters of Joe Biden in this year's presidential primary were in on the biggest secret in American politics on Friday.

Biden's state chairman Jim Ryan got word from Delaware via a text message at 6 a.m. nearly a full day before the world knew.

"It was the biggest secret I had in my life," said Ryan, who is also a state representative from Franklin. That said, Ryan did tell a small amount of Biden's New Hampshire staff. He also told his wife and his oldest daughter.

"I told her that maybe she can get excited in the backyard, but she can't go to Hannaford and sing 'I know something you don't know.'"

Biden's deputy state director Heidi Mitchell got the news while working in her office.

"My first reaction was of total excitement, but I knew I couldn't do anything about it," she said.

Evan Carlson, Biden's press secretary, said he was "delighted" to hear the news.

"I'm obviously delighted," Carlson said. "My opinion might I think Obama made a great choice."

Carlson added that he thinks Biden will help attract independent voters to the ticket and unite local Democrats.

"Some of these independent voters who like Joe will look at the pick and say Obama made an interesting choice," he said. "I think it will also help unite the party. I think a lot of Clinton supporters liked Joe and this will help the ticket."

But for Ryan it wasn't hard to keep a secret. What was hard is not jumping for joy.

"More than anything else I was so excited. He is absolutely the right pick," Ryan said.

BRIAN LAWSON is a Politicker.com Editor and can be reached via email at james.pindell@politicker.com.

Comments

Independents


Independents and Clintonites like Joe Biden? Must be why he never reached the "margin of error" in his failed presidential runs...

08/23/08 7:27 pm

Blowhard


Jim Ryan good thing your guy got the VP slot, maybe you will be relevant again...It is not like it was a big secret then. There was only one chartered flight out of Chicago Midway to any of the potential candidates local airports. That flight was going to Delaware.

Also if they did receive a text message early, it highlights the problems Biden will bring. Loose lips. Obama runs a tight ship with no leaks. What does biden do? he texts one of the biggest blowhards in NH.

08/25/08 9:50 am

Untrustworthy


It's not just Biden with the loose lips. Ryan admits to passing the "secret" on to a "small amount" of staff as well as his wife and daughter. Is there any doubt that those folks then passed the "secret" on to a "small amount" of their friends and relatives, etc?

My guess is that Ryan leaked to the media the fact that he was given a heads up by Biden because it made him feel like a big shot. Instead, it exposed Ryan as someone who is untrustworthy because he can't keep a secret.

08/26/08 12:37 pm

Untrustworthy


It's not just Biden with the loose lips. Ryan admits to passing the "secret" on to a "small amount" of staff as well as his wife and daughter. Is there any doubt that those folks then passed the "secret" on to a "small amount" of their friends and relatives, etc?

My guess is that Ryan leaked to the media the fact that he was given a heads up by Biden because it made him feel like a big shot. Instead, it exposed Ryan as someone who is untrustworthy because he can't keep a secret.

08/26/08 12:37 pm

Untrustworthy


It's not just Biden with the loose lips. Ryan admits to passing the "secret" on to a "small amount" of staff as well as his wife and daughter. Is there any doubt that those folks then passed the "secret" on to a "small amount" of their friends and relatives, etc?

My guess is that Ryan leaked to the media the fact that he was given a heads up by Biden because it made him feel like a big shot. Instead, it exposed Ryan as someone who is untrustworthy because he can't keep a secret.

08/26/08 12:37 pm

Wow, he knew 1 day in


Wow, he knew 1 day in advance and told his family and the Biden staff. Scandalous....not.

08/26/08 1:53 pm

Folks - Please stop


Folks -

Please stop picking on Jim Ryan,
and also stop insulting Joe Biden.

It's obvious to me that those of
you who are making the negative
comments do not know Jim Ryan or
Joe Biden - because if you did know
either or both of them, none of you
would be directing such venomous
comments against two of the finest
individuals to ever be in positions
of public service.

Luke - I'm in total agreement with
you that Jim Ryan knowing one day in
advance and letting his family and a
few key members of the staff that
served on Senator Biden's presidential
bid here in New Hampshire is not
scandalous in any way. It's good to
know there are reasonable people such
as yourself out there..

08/26/08 3:59 pm

definition of secret


I guess phoenix and luke have a different idea about the definition of "secret." Sounds a little like Bubba Clinton's definition of "is."

I wonder what the Obama camp thinks about Biden's loose lips. I'm wondering how many secrets they'll share with him in the future.

08/26/08 5:24 pm

Jim should share his own secrets


It would seem the only secrets Jim cares to keep are those that deal with his past. Maybe he should tell about his secrets about his time in prison.

09/02/08 6:32 am

Phoenix2008, what say you


Phoenix2008, what say you now?

09/03/08 3:46 am

The silence is deafening.


The silence is deafening.

09/07/08 7:06 pm

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