White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued an apology Thursday for Vice President Joe Biden’s comments that he wouldn’t recommend taking a commercial flight or riding in a subway car because swine flu virus can spread in confined places.
“Obviously, if anybody was unduly alarmed for whatever reason, we would apologize for that. And I hope that my remarks and remarks of people at CDC and Secretary Napolitano have appropriately cleared up what he meant to say,” Gibbs said during the daily briefing at the White House.
Biden’s office later sought to clarify his remarks by saying he was only urging sick people to avoid planes and trains. Gibbs said President Barack Obama had not spoken to Biden about his remarks. In an interview Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show, Biden said, “I would tell members of my family — and I have — I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today” show.. “It’s not that it’s going to Mexico. It’s [that] you’re in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft. That’s me. …
“So, from my perspective, what it relates to is mitigation. If you’re out in the middle of a field when someone sneezes, that’s one thing. If you’re in a closed aircraft or closed container or closed car or closed classroom, it’s a different thing.”
A little more than one hour later, Biden rushed out a statement backing off. Biden’s remarks contradicted more restrained advice from President Barack Obama and the federal government — and the last thing the White House wants to do right now is shut down the airline industry and big-city subways out of mass panic.
Is it too late to pick another VP?
This guy is a dumbass. He was only chosen to satisfy the racist in the Democratic party who demanded a white VP.
Good advice if you can do it. Millions of people can’t. Few people rides a a damn subway car for fun.
Only a heartbeat away. ROFL. Let us pray that nothing happens to Obama.
The Obama-Biden team always appears to be a comedy act with Obama playing the straight-man with the goofy side-kick Biden.
#4
where as Bush was Dick’s goofy side-kick
Best VP since Dan Quayle
– “If this were a dictatorship, it’d be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I’m the dictator.”
– “I’m the decider, and I decide what is best. And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense.”
– “There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on –shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
– “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
– “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”
– “My answer is bring them on.”
– “This is an impressive crowd — the haves and the have mores. Some people call you the elite — I call you my base.”
– “See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.”
– “I wish you’d have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it…I’m sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn’t yet…I don’t want to sound like I have made no mistakes. I’m confident I have. I just haven’t — you just put me under the spot here, and maybe I’m not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one.”
– “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.”
– “I don’t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.”
– “I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn’t do my job.”
– “I couldn’t imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah.”
– “You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror.”
– “I’m the commander — see, I don’t need to explain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being president.”
– “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.”
– “They misunderestimated me.”
… I can keep going… I think that I have made my point.
Who would you rather stag party with – Gore, Cheney or Biden?
#7 Because most Presidents aren’t good execs. If they were they would know how to use a VP as a Deputy Pres and pick accordingly.
If by Stag you mean deer not Cheney He’d shoot me in the face.
Lets face Bush and Clinton could party better than any VPs
I would rather snicker a little bit about what Biden says than hear “The Darth Vader music” every time I even think of Cheney.
Get back to me when Biden shoots someone in the face and doesn;t even say “Ooops sorry!”
Since Cheney basically never held press conferences, and did everything in secret (remember the “Energy Policy” meetings?), it actually nice to have someone like Biden as VP… at least we hear from the guy.
I would agree Biden is starting to be quite annoying.
If he starts winking, it’s all over. He needs to go.
I thought we were supposed to abandon our cars for public transportation?
Stag party?==Michelle.
Now, just what is wrong with what anyone would do if they had their druthers?
Too many ass wipes confusing personal opinion and personal choices with – – -with – – – with what exactly? Your own opinion? Public Policy???
Silly Hoomans. Let other people alone and free to manage their own affairs, even a VP.
The guy is right. This is not your everyday flu. I’d give the same advice to any of my family that was considering traveling right now.
Wish you republicans would give the guy a break, at least he hasn’t driven us into another war, like the last vp
I find it amusing that all we have to complain about is foot-in-mouth disease on the part of the VP. As for saying or doing something that could really damage this country, just look at his record. So what if he has trouble sometimes holding his mouth.
Agree with AEROBEE38 – I think Biden is right – but obviously not what the govt wants to say, yet
The Obama administration sure does seem to be apologizing a lot. If they aren’t careful people are going to get the impression they are incompetent.
Not-Alfred #11
“Since Cheney basically never held press conferences, and did everything in secret”
Tuff to put your foot in your mouth if you never step out.
Now he’s a regular chatty Kathy.
If you are actually most concerned about catching the flue, Biden was right. His suggestions is pretty much the same well known and understood steps they are taking in Mexico to try and slow down the spread of the disease. Avoid confined spaces with large numbers of people; duh!
If you are actually more concerned about the economy Biden was a dunce. Take a look at what this sort of thing is costing Mexico: duh!
The way people, including Obama, have responded to his suggestion shows what’s actually important to them today.
I tend to think that avoiding crowds is mainly going to slow down the spread of the disease rather than preventing it from running its course but that can still be a good thing because it gives the medical profession a better chance to deal with the worst cases a few at a time rather than have them all show up at the emergency room at the same time.
#5 LOL! Forgot about Quayle.
>> BryanP
>> A politician without his teleprompter is a sad and pitiful thing.
You must have missed Obama last night.
He ROCKED without a teleprompter.
It it such a relief to have a president who is much smarter than the average American, rather than the visa versa we’ve been living with for the last eight years.
Let’s see, intelligent advice that, if followed, would lower the spread of the disease BUT upsets the travel industry (airlines, etc).
So, we follow his advice, the pandemic doesn’t become full blown and he then looks like an idiot OR we ignore it, things get worse and it looks like he didn’t make his advice strong enough.
Yep, he can’t win this one. Too bad he’s right.
Just because the last VP and Prez were dipshits doesn’t mean we can’t make fun of these guys for being dipshits.
Could you imagine what post WW2 Germany would’ve been like if every one was all, “at least this guy isn’t as bad as Hitler!”
Biden will leave office to spend more time with his family at some point. The Dems will never let him be the heir apparent to the Democratic nomination after Obama is done. (4 or 8 years from now) He will be replaced with someone who will make a stronger presidential candidate for the Dems.
#26, Amen.
People tend to confuse Charisma with Intelligence.
Main Entry:
cha·ris·ma
Pronunciation:
\kə-ˈriz-mə\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Greek, favor, gift, from charizesthai to favor, from charis grace; akin to Greek chairein to rejoice — more at yearn
Date: 1930
1 : a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (as a political leader)
2 : a special magnetic charm or appeal
Nope. No mention of SKILL or ABILITY. There isn’t even a mention of picking someone with skill or ability.
but aren’t a lot of people including higher ups in different governments saying not to partake in unnecessary travel esp in planes?
And they made fun of Sarah Palin. Just goes to show you that years of service in the Senate doesn’t preclude you from being a clueless handjob.
#27 wins
#26. Wins, big time.
I’m sooooooo thrilled these guys are running the worlds largest economy. Obama, spending like there is no tomorrow and blaming Bush, when he knows it was the democratic congress that put the skids on the economy with their refusal to rein in Fannie Mae.
As an aside, when is Mr. “I ruined Fannie Mae because I made the accountants lie ” Franklin Raines going to be hauled before congress and castigated. Oh, I forgot, he was Obama’s campaign chairman and now on the side confidant. He gets a free pass in addition to the pat on the head from the Dem’s last year for being a good boy..
Obama, what a smooth talking word parser. Slick Willy has nothing on him…
And Biden with his 150 IQ, spouting off like he actually knows something. What a frickin Idiot. Joe that’s Idiot meaning sub-70 IQ. In a word, you are a joke. And apologies to all the Idiots out there for grouping Joe with you. He really should be grouped with the maggots and worms.
Yep, it’s clear Bush couldn’t string a sentence together. So what?? I personally would prefer that to someone who very artfully is laying the seeds that will destroy the US economy.
I also prefer gun carrying Cheney, to Idiot Joe. Cheney was a thinker and do-er. Joe is like a flushing toilet. Spinning and spinning and finally it just all goes away.
Mr. Obama, when are you going to apolgize for your “first decision”? And then we will talk about your second, Mr. “I wanna be in the fraternity” Geithner? What a couple of losers.
Welcome to the end of the US as we know it….