Biden: Stay Off Planes and Subways

UPDATE, May 1, 2009: Despite His Own Flu Warning, Biden Takes Train Home

One day after saying he wouldn't travel in tight quarters because of the swine flu scare, Vice President Joe Biden rode a train Friday from Washington to Delaware.

Known for speaking freely, Biden told NBC's "Today" show on Thursday that he had urged family members to avoid airplanes and subways for fear of contracting the H1N1 flu virus.

...The comments infuriated the travel industry and triggered several revisions from the Obama administration, whose official advice is less severe.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano commented, "If he could say that over again, he would say if they're feeling sick, they should stay off of public transit or confined spaces."

By Friday night, Biden seemed ready for his own do-over. A longtime rider of Amtrak, he took a train from Union Station to his Delaware home, his office said.

Does Biden usually go home to Delaware on weekends? Did his family accompany him?

Did he have some yardwork that he needed to do?

It's quite a coincidence that he just happened to need to hop a train.

Biden's little stunt must have been quite a headache for the Secret Service and the regular passengers.

Maybe Biden rode up with the conductor and wasn't exposed to the unclean masses he warned about on Today.

I wonder if he wore a surgical mask.

How will Biden return to DC? By train? I doubt it.

I wonder what this lame exercise is costing taxpayers. What's the carbon footprint of the Obama administration's attempt to correct Biden's latest foot-in-mouth episode?
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Joe Biden has some advice to avoid the swine flu.

He's lucky he doesn't ride Amtrak every day anymore.

From Politico:

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not recommend taking any commercial flight or riding in a subway car “at this point” because swine flu virus can spread “in confined places.”

“I would not be, at this point – if they had another way of transportation – suggesting they ride the subway,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today” show.

That contradicted more restrained advice from President Barack Obama and the federal government, and could hurt tourism during a recession.

The administration said a clarifying statement is forthcoming.

Ha!

A "clarifying statement is forthcoming" from the Obama administration.

Oh, Joey! Champ! Another blunder!

Apparently, Biden blew it again.

From the Obama's administration perspective, bad things happen when Biden opens his mouth.

I know what the problem is. Unlike his boss, Biden speaks without a teleprompter. No wonder he offers up such an abundance of gaffes.

Host Matt Lauer had asked the vice president: “This is by no means a ‘gotcha’ type of question. … But if a member of your family came to you … and said, ‘Look, I want to go on a commercial airliner to Mexico, and back within the next week,’ would you think it’s a good idea?”

“I would tell members of my family – and I have – I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” Biden replied. “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.”

Thanks for your honesty, Joe.

Here's yet another reason to avoid mass transit.

I really object to the way Obama is handling this.

He is not putting the public safety ahead of economic considerations.

That's inexcusable.

Screw tourism.


Obama said last night, "[E]very American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations."

BS.

Video: Lauer interviews Biden on Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Biden's office responds to Joey's remarks.

From the Washington Post:

In an interview with NBC's Today show, Biden also seemed to recommend against using mass transit, answering a question about whether he would advise his own family against flying to Mexico by saying: "I would tell members of my family -- and I have -- that I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not just going into Mexico. If you're any place in a confined aircraft and one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft."

No.

Biden didn't "seem to recommend against using mass transit."

He admitted straight-out that he would tell family members to stay off planes and subways.

It was very clear.

But his office quickly issued a statement of clarification that seemed designed to narrow the warning, saying that Biden believes people should avoid unnecessary travel to Mexico, and "if they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."

No.

Biden didn't make any qualifications. He didn't say sick people should avoid mass transit.

In fact, Biden said healthy people should avoid it.

Cut the spin.

I think it's a mistake for Biden to back off like this. The retraction/qualification has a reverse effect. It doesn't make it appear that he's really on the same page with Obama and the administration. Instead, it makes Obama look dishonest, holding back the truth from the public.

Can Obama, in good conscience, recommend riding mass transit during this flu outbreak?

If so, let him get on a crowded subway and sit next to a guy who's hacking and slobbering.