When Joe Biden speaks… Update: Obama says stimulus doing fine

well, perhaps, he should have an official White House teleprompter of his own.

Remember Vice President Biden’s comments earlier this year about the swine flu?  He said, and, I suspect very honestly, that he would not let his family travel by plane given the prospect that they might catch the flu.  Within moments, the White House explained that the Vice President really didn’t mean what he said.  Air travel was safe, wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, etc.

Well, I discovered another Joe Biden moment recently, buried within an article in The Boston Globe.

More and more people are questioning the Stimulus package passed by Congress in February as it doesn’t seem to be stimulating anything.  And, remember, according to the administration’s position in February, the Stimulus had to be passed quickly, or else…

So, in response to the criticism, the Vice President (again, I suspect, very honestly) explained last weekend that one reason for the Stimulus’ apparent lack of “stimulation” was that “the White House might have misread the depth of the recession”.  So, taking a page from the Nancy Pelosi Damage Control Book, we quickly heard this from the White House:

Clarifying Biden’s statement, Obama said in an interview this week [from Russia, no less] that during the stimulus debate, the administration had incomplete information of how bad the recession was. (emphasis supplied)

Two things come to mind.  Why is it that the Vice President never really means what he says until the White House “clarifies” what he meant when he said whatever it was he said?  And, why did we have to hurry to pass this Stimulus legislation, Mr. President, when, by your own admission, you had incomplete information?

I doubt we’ll see anyone in the media ask either question.

Update (Jim): Here’s the video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82UHSu-jELQ

Update 2 (Jim): Remember when he told us he had to rush out the stimulus package? Remember when he said it would save or create THREE million jobs over two years? Remember? Hmmmmm? Do ya? Well, he’s got just haulin’ to do. From Bloomberg (Emphasis mine):

In asking for public patience, Obama said the recovery act “wasn’t designed to restore the economy to full health on its own, but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall.”

Spur Demand

Enacted in February, the bill “was designed to spur demand and get people spending again and cushion those who had borne the brunt of the crisis,” the president said.

Obama said the measure “was not designed to work in four months — it was designed to work over two years.”

Ok … just to refresh your memory … before its flushed down the memory hole that is. The relevant portion begins at 2:00

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTDln2f0GvQ

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

3 Comments

  1. Dimsdale on July 11, 2009 at 1:43 pm

    Isn't it just poetic justice that Obama now has to say soothing and reassuring things about an economy he and other Democrats spent years tearing down, day after day. "Worst economy in 59 years!!" "Bush is a miserable failure!"

    Well, now they have to clean up their own mess, and the "it's Bush's fault is wearing quite thin.

    The chicken have come home to roost! ("reverend" Wright)



  2. sammy22 on July 11, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    Seems we are on the instant gratification track.



  3. Dimsdale on July 12, 2009 at 3:04 am

    I just can't see Sarah Palin saying any of the truly out of control stuff that Biden continues to say.



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