Symptoms of Biden flu: Running off at the mouth
WASHINGTON, Momentarily—Thrown repeatedly off message by a series of poorly timed or ill-considered comments by the government’s second-ranking official, the Obama White House is giving serious thought to putting Vice President Joe Biden on a perpetual seven-second sound delay.
According to two senior administration sources who requested anonymity, the White House is weighing the benefits of implanting a computer chip just above the vice president’s jawbone, where it would receive electronic impulses from Biden’s brain and temporarily reroute them to a monitoring station within the West Wing for real-time review. Noncontroversial statements would be relayed back to Biden’s mouth for delivery, while others would simply be blanked out, even as the vice president appeared to continue speaking.
“It might look a little awkward,” one of the administration sources admitted, “but it sure beats the alternative.”
A final decision is expected within days, these sources confirmed, and will be made by President Obama himself. The president, known for his own message discipline, is reported to be quite frustrated with Biden’s penchant for saying whatever comes to his mind, whether or not it squares with the administration’s daily line.
The latest gaffe occurred last week, when Biden momentarily undercut his boss’ “concern, not panic” message about swine flu. Asked during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show whether he’d advise his own relatives to change their travel plans, Biden admitted that he had already done just that.
“I would tell members of my family, and I have, I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” Biden said.
The vice president went on to assert that the problem had less to do with “going to Mexico” than it did with particular means of transportation, and he singled out commercial airplanes and subways as especially worrisome incubators of disease. The White House was forced into instant damage-control mode, explaining what Biden had really “meant” to say.
It wasn’t the first time.
The concern that it won’t be the last time is what has prompted the White House to look for more effective remedies for Biden’s shoot-from-the-hip approach. Thus this latest attempt: a silicon “silencer.”
“Look, we know the guy is trying to rein himself him,” said one senior official. “But he just can’t do it. All it takes is one of these things, and we lose three days of coverage.”
And from the other senior official, more in sorrow than in anger, “He’s not wired that way. So we might have to do some rewiring.”
By all accounts, the vice president still enjoys the president’s strong support. His enthusiastic, regular-guy persona offers a helpful contrast to the president’s cool, occasionally even distant, demeanor. More important, the president has come to rely on Biden’s expertise in the ways of Capitol Hill, especially his ability to “read” his former colleagues in the Senate. (Arlen Specter’s recent switch from Republican to Democrat, for instance, was largely credited to Biden’s long relationship with the Pennsylvanian, and to many long conversations between the two men while riding Amtrak trains to and from Washington.)
Still, the White House draws a clear distinction between candid advice offered to the president in private, and Biden going public with whatever random thought happens to pass through his head at any given moment. Clamping down on the latter remains a major focus of the administration, and if the seven-second delay doesn’t do the trick, there are said to be even more radical alternatives in the works.
“We’ve been all through the Constitution,” says a top Obama adviser, “and there isn’t a thing in there prohibiting robots.”
Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist. You can write to him at rickhoro@execpc.com.
May 8, 2009 at 9:39 a.m.
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"RAF is just another example of the Republican complain machine: criticize others while doing nothing."
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When you have nothing of your own to add just post comments complaining of others...or is that criticizing too1; hmmmm. So what have you done lately?
May 8, 2009 at 8:43 a.m.
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RAF is just another example of the Republican complain machine: criticize others while doing nothing.
May 8, 2009 at 12:51 a.m.
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"everytime Clinton hit Bin Laden"
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If he had hit him, things would be vastly different.
May 7, 2009 at 12:50 p.m.
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If I remember correctly (and I do) everytime Clinton hit Bin Laden the Republicans screamed bloody murder with Dick Cheney screaming the loudest. Also when they met at the White House Clinton told Bush Bin Laden was his greatest threat and Bush responded "I disagree" I think it's Hussein.
May 7, 2009 at 12:34 p.m.
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Biden screwed up, he is human, it happens.
May 7, 2009 at 12:20 p.m.
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darwin1, just using the same logic as you. At least let us place blame where it appropriately belongs.
May 7, 2009 at 10:19 a.m.
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When all else fails blame Clinton. Pretty soon the Republican party will die or split.
May 6, 2009 at 10:55 p.m.
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Plain and simple: Horowitz is a moron!
May 6, 2009 at 6 p.m.
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And if all Clinton's errors were limited to what is between his legs the twin towers would have never gone down.
May 6, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.
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If only George Bush's gaffes were confined to verbal ones, maybe we wouldn't have so many dead soldiers.
May 6, 2009 at 2:28 p.m.
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any peeps know the last prez who didnt read his speeches off a teleprompter?? im guessin it wasnt g dub. anyone??
May 6, 2009 at 1:19 p.m.
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Notice no contradicting statement from the CDC.
May 6, 2009 at 1:11 p.m.
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I thought it sounded like good advice myself and chances are so did everybody else.
May 6, 2009 at 12:59 p.m.
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Let's see...we have one person in office who has to literally read every word he speaks off a teleprompter and another in office who needs a chip implanted to keep him from speaking before thinking. Hmmm....
May 6, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.
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Could be, superdave.
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But, at least he's not a "dangerous idiot" like Palin would have been, and Cheney definitely was.
May 6, 2009 at 10 a.m.
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Biden is a classic "useful idiot". Whoever is controlling the Obama administration can use him to test market any new idea that comes down the pike. If the idea doesn't fly with the public, then our shadow leaders can just let the pundits chalk it up to "that's just good ole' Joe"!
May 6, 2009 at 9:47 a.m.
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I agree with you, janesvillian. Biden does say a lot of things that most people will only think. It can get you in trouble, like with RAF's quote, but to me it is endearing.
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May 6, 2009 at 9:43 a.m.
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"Biden tells the truth and I will take that any day of the week."
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Aug. 2007 on Obama's experience: "I think he can be...but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."
May 6, 2009 at 9:33 a.m.
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Rick and others ney sayers - I take the long view Biden got it right on Bork, Got it right on Thomas, got it right on the Crime Bill, Violence against women act. Biden got it right on Pakistan and after first trusting the Bush administration got it right on Iraq. I guess we don't know how to cope when not in control message mode. Biden tells the truth and I will take that any day of the week.
May 6, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
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Vice President Biden stated his honest opinion about himself and his family, and how they will not travel. For their well-being.
Then we get the apologists who are more worried about the effects it might have on the ECONOMY.
When will Limbaugh's pharmacist hand out the "McCain Lost" pills? ;-)
May 5, 2009 at 8:58 p.m.
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Seems like he blundered himself to a pretty cushy gig. So maybe "blunder" isn't exactly accurate.
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Actually I do think he has a penchant for saying what others only think. That actually endears him to some people.
May 5, 2009 at 7:29 p.m.
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Now if only ALL the other politicians would be as "honest" all the time!!! Wouldn't we be better off then.
May 5, 2009 at 6:50 p.m.
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VP Biden, at times, says the most foolish things! It's like the filter from his brain to his mouth is missing.
In Aug 2007 - Biden stated that Obama is "the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy."
Google - Stupid things Biden says -you'll get pages that list some of his ignorant thoughts put into words.
Youtube him - in one clip Biden is telling how you can't go into some areas of the city unless you have an Indian accent and then adds - "I'm not joking."
I'm sure we all talk smack and say something stupid and regrettable once in a while - but he's been in the public eye for 36+ years, by his own account. For crying out loud - he's embarrassing - kinda like Barney Pfife.
May 5, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.
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Fox news? Their whole network is a gaffe. Is Glenn Beck going to cry again.
May 5, 2009 at 2:48 p.m.
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What exactly did he say that was inaccurate? Notice that no one from the CDC contradicted what he said. If what he said was so ridiculous then why doesn't Rick get on public bus and sit next to the lady who won't stop coughing while not covering her mouth?
May 5, 2009 at 2 p.m.
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VP Biden will insure another 4 years of Saturday Night Live material.
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