Biden derides McCain camp’s ‘mildly dangerous’ tactics

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday said his GOP counterpart is going down a “slippery slope” by inciting crowds with rhetoric that causes audiences to hurl insults at Barack Obama.

Sen. Biden (Del.) referenced reports that supporters of Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, have spouted insults at the Democratic nominee, such as “traitor” and “terrorist.” Biden, who made the rounds on the network morning shows, said these comments were “semi-vile.”

{mosads}“And the idea that a leading American politician, who might be vice president of the United States, would not just stop mid-sentence and turn and condemn that, you know, I just — this is — this is a slippery slope,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today Show.” “This is a place we shouldn't be going.”

The Democratic vice presidential candidate credited the stepped up attacks, such as Palin linking Sen. Obama (Ill.) to Weather Underground member William Ayers, to the GOP ticket’s drop in the polls.

“They’re losing,” Biden stated. “She’s been told to go out and pull out all the stops.”

The Delaware senator also warned that the strategy is perilous.

On CBS’s “Early Show,” Biden said: “The idea here that somehow these guys are, once again, injecting fear and loathing into this campaign, I think is mildly dangerous.”