Does life begin at conception? -- Biden: "I'll take it on faith"

From the April 2007 interview with Meet The Press's Tim Russert comes this outstanding display of intellectual brilliance:

RUSSERT: Were you yourself–do you believe that life begins at conception?

BIDEN: I am prepared to accept my church's view. I think it's a tough one. I have to accept that on faith. That is a tough, tough decision to me.

Does somebody have to explain the basics of human biology to Obama's Vice Presidential pick?

Biden continues:

But there is a point relatively soon where viability–it's clear to me when there's viability, meaning the ability to survive outside the womb, that I don't have any doubt. That's why the late-term abortion, and that's why I continue, like your old boss Pat Moynihan, shared the same view, he was very pro-choice is–to use the jargon. But he, like me, believed that you have this notion of abortion in the last month, where there's clearly viability. And if you make that judgment based upon the nature of the child's health, that is not a good basis for a societal decision. Only the mother's health should be–dictate the outcome then. Otherwise, you, you yield to the side of the–of, of, of the fetus, which is almost full term.

Careful there, Senator -- you almost referred to the unborn as a (gasp!) baby.