Joe Biden on Meet the Press

Joe Biden gave a good performance on Meet the Press today in the face of particularly strong questions about the influence of MBNA and lobbyists on his work in the Senate. The build up to that particular question went on forever and Biden patiently waited through quotation after quotation to respond. He was also strong on details when he spoke about the Iraq surge and bringing reconciliation among that country's factions.

What the interview revealed is that the Obama campaign is finding its voice on how to deal with Sarah Palin. Biden, who lately has had the problem of calling Palin "good looking" and referring to his wife as "drop-dead gorgeous" (and then remembering that she's smart), has become more focused on referring to "tough, smart women." He used the phrase several times today.

But more substantively he went on the attack without seeming angry. He said that he didn't know her policy positions. He specifically pointed out that he hasn't heard a policy position in which Palin is in agreement with Hillary Clinton. And he went further in saying, "Her silence on the issues is deafening."

He also made clear the reason why we don't know her policy positions. The McCain campaign has "sequestered" her, in his words. At the end of the interview, Tom Brockaw reminded the viewers that Meet the Press would like to have her on the program. Some are already charging that the McCain campaign is trying to stall access to Palin:

Since her debut in Dayton, Ohio, the McCain campaign has been receiving about 80-100 requests a day from news organizations around the world, according to spokesman Ben Porritt, who said interest in an interview was "through the roof" and that the campaign was going through them now.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the McCain campaign would like to run out on the clock on this," said David Chalian, political director for ABC News.

Update: Sarah Palin to be interviewed. ABC gets the prize.