Biden slips a little on flu warning

"Slips a little?"

Gotta love the Globe's liberal slant on this idiot's statement.

What is Matt Lauer auditioning for FoxNews now?

Say it ain't so Joe..

Sure that's what he meant

I think he was pretty clear with his comments and they didn't sound specific to Mexico. Sounds like he meant stay off airplanes, period. I am sure that the airline industry is ever so pleased by this further blunder by the second suit.

yeah...and cheney is a beacon of intelligence...what a bunch of morons

Biden is smarter than each one of you.

I have a flight scheduled this weekend, but I think I'll cancel now. Do you think US Air will give me my money back when I use the excuse that the Vice President said not to fly?

Thats EXACTLY what he meant

Worldwide, as far as Big Government is concerned, economic considerations have the edge over health considerations for now. The travel and tourism industry is approaching its peak season. In addition to the dreaded pandemic, an economic disaster looms.

The press jackals should lay off both Sherrif Joe and the President during these perilous times. The coal mines should be shut down, fumugated and used as evacuation centers from the North Amerikan flu. That is what we call a twofer in Delaware.

Biden is correct, that's how he personally feels. I see no problem in that.

Most of Joe's ideas were plaguarized from others more intelligent then himself (this covers about half the population). Joe tends to gaffe when he tries to speak authoritatively on subjects he knows nothing about.

Biden should have his mouth sewn up.

How naive. Most of the folks who take the subway have no alternative. If we had a car, we'd drive it; if we could walk where we're going, we would; if we had 20 bucks to drop on a cab, we'd consider it.

But jeepers -- Biden, Biden, Biden. We ought to encourage people to wear breathing masks and give transportation authorities emergency funds to buy large volumes of hand sanitizer. Not tell people to avoid riding the only ride they have.

That's right , that's the way he feels. I don't need a press secretary to help me better understand what he feels. This like all things gets overblown.

FEAR-MONGERING clown. It took his spokesman a paragraph of spin-control to "clarify" this idiots remarks.

Way to get the economy moving Joe; telling people to stay home, out of hotels, off airplanes, off subways, out of schools and out of work.

See Biden, Dan Quayle, and Hillary Clinton on this Friday's Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They will be featured on Jaywalking Battle of the All-stars.

Seriously, Biden makes the people on Leno's Jaywalking look like f'ing rhodes scholars

Biden is a moron, plain and simple. He's been a moron as long as I can remember his first appearance on a national stage. I hope Obama will dump him in his reelection bid.

Good job, Joe - way to attack the airline industry.
So what is this the 50th apology we've gotten from the Obama administration.
A day doesn't go by that we don't seem to hear an apology from them.

Good thing he's only SECOND in command.....

Moderate Joe derides the VP, and dazzles us with his own intelligence..."plaguarized"? Almost a brilliant swine flu pun...almost...

"Joe tends to gaffe..."? "Gaffe" is a noun, MJ...you make Biden look like a Rhodes Scholar.

This guy is Exhibit A how most people you think are intelligent because they have a good job are actually dumb as a rocks...I mean he won't get on a plane or a subway but he keep the borders open so all these illegals can come in and take our jobs and kill us with their diseases and their drugs

People are actually defending the intelligence of the "Godfather of plagiarism"? Ignorance like that is our biggest problem right now. Go back to watching Oprah and let the adults handle the real world.

Seriously? I agree with Biden, though his message doesn't align with the official White House line. The White House is trying to avoid a total shutdown of the economy, but it's in people's best interest to avoid public transportation and confined spaces if they can. I take the commuter rail and would like to avoid it. I certainly avoid touching things and wash my hands well afterward. I have a car but am too cheap to drive in at this point. That may change. Air travel is even more risky.

Yeah, really a wacky comment. Like he's the only guy in the world who is nervous about flying to Mexico right now.

nash, stop posting, go down to Texas and do your job, however futile it may be.

how many flu cases are there I need those records too...wow...

Hey everyone who commented...don't you see that the liberal democrats can never do anything wrong? Even our wonderful umm, President, umm, couldn't string a sentence together last night and had to have the easy questions asked. Totally sickening. Oh yes and Joe Biden is an idiot along with his clapping partner Nancy Pelosi.

I'm just going to stop breathing too Joe... will that work?? Didn't vote for him but this guy cracks me up!

to nash:
Ever watch South Park? "They took ur jabs!!!"

I am sorry to hear that you lost your job to an "illegal". You must have contributed a great deal to society if your job can be taken by someone without a valid social security card, minimal knowledge of the English language, and most likely minimal education.

People like you should move to Texas and secede.

What's guh-guh-guh-guh—...what's happening? "Th-th-th-that's all folks!" I think I caught it!

yeah and we got NO apologies from the Bush administration for tanking the economy, leaking the name of a spy, starting two unnecessary wars, appointing idiot attorneys based on political motivations, etc..., etc..., etc...., Obama admits every little mistake, Bush/Cheney never once admitted being wrong

way to keep everybody calm, fear monger.

this guy is a joke

I'll never forget when the plane hit the tower on 9/11, the announcement over the loudspeaker was, "go back to your desks, everything's fine," HELLO????????? The chill high creep factor. Better safe than sorry.

I've been trying to talk my Mother out of flying next week to visit her aunt. He probably shouldn't have said it but it doesn't mean what he said isn't true.

Even without swine flu concerns, the air quality on planes is non-existent.

He may have slipped from message but he is correct. You should avoid any crowded space that has poor air exchange.

Way To "Stem-The-Panic" Biden !!

....Sarah Palin knows better than this....

"I know Sarah Palin. And you are no Sarah Palin, Biden...."
You Complete Liberal Fear-Spreading Spooge !!

Dear Vice-President Biden -

I sneezed on this letterhead you are holding....

Sincerely,
Airline Industry

The Vice President's comments this morning will result in hundreds or thousands losing thier jobs in the US hotel and airline industries, and it will be a step backward in our economic recovery. A big mistake.

Biden follows in the footsteps of his esteemed predecessors:

Dan Quale "This president is going to lead us out of this recovery"
Spiro Agnew "nattering nabobs of negativism"
Al Gore "A zebra does not change its spots."

and wannabes:
John Edwards ""In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic.""

Love the headline - yup, no bias there!

ohhhh hooo hooo what a knee slapper, that crazy Joe! D'oh! D'oh!

(Pulleeze, he didn't slip, he knows its the truth. Not ok for HIS family to fly but fine for "everyone else"

We got it.

He was speaking about what he told his family, I do not see anything wrong with that, the President told us what we should do, he is the leader of the USA. We need to use our common sense. when it comes to the swine flu and any other medical problem I am really really tired of all the nasty comments from people, the country is going thru tough times and people are so mean. Lots of these that are being said by radio personalities, senators, congressmen/women disgust me. Our children will grow up and have the same hatred.

Hey DottiB--did you ever hear George W. Bush try to string a sentence together?? Oh, right, he rarely gave prime time press conferences. I think we've probably seen more Obama press conferences than Bush held in his entire last 2 years, if not longer than that.
As for Biden, he really needs to think more before he speaks, plain and simple. He has verbal diarrhea.

Why was Biden's comment "idiotic" or even regrettable? There is a worldwide WHO level 5 (out of 6) warning of an infectious disease epidemic. It happens once every *40* years. He was asked what he would tell his family. He said, basically, "Don't be with a lot of strangers in confined places if you can avoid it." DUH! COMMON SENSE! Am I panicking because he stated the obvious? Of course, not. Oh sure, the airline and hotel industry fat cats are up in arms. Frankly, I don't care about them, I care about my family. KEEP TELLING THE TRUTH, JOE!

I'm stupid - is that ok haters?

Any cold blooded New Englander knows how to handle the Flu. This is the media creating a story that doesn't belong on the front page. How many New Englanders live in mud abodes and haven't already had the flu.
Joe Biden in an idiot, they can't give him a teleprompter because he can't read. He was chosen to make Obama look smarter, similar to Dan Quale with Pres. George H. Bush, except Pres. Bush was a way better speaker. The media is trying to make Obama look like a super hero. He's done squat, will do squat, and leave President Biden with a bigger mess than the one he's already accidentally done in his pants. I'm hearing that they will blame Biden for the "Dog Fight" over NYC.

Those who considered Sarah Palin less than intellectual, please explain why you voted for Joe Biden.

Thank you all for showing me the error of my ways.

And to think I was going to stay home if I caught the flu. Now I know all those people on the subway, in my office, at the coffee shop, etc. have nothing to worry about.

Joes's mouth appears to be a 'foot magnet'.

It's interesting, the number of people who are putting the health of airlines ahead of the health of the public. What a remarkably strange recommendation? If there is a widespread airborne contagion going around, maybe you should think about whether you should put yourself in close quarters with a couple of hundred people, all sharing the same air, for a few hours.

With respect to the Neil Kinnock quote, Biden HAD repeatedly given Kinnock proper credit. Believe it or not, sometimes more than one person has had similar experiences in growing up.

Just wondering, Nash, could your own job be filled by an illegal who comes from Ireland? There have been a few of them, by the way.

Joe doesn't understand how airline ventilation works or how flu spreads...he should check his facts before making such bombastic statements.

Even before VP Joe inserted his size 10 in to his mouth, I am reconsidering an upcoming plane trips.

As for the "any New Englander knows how to handle the Flu" is just being naive. Tell that the healthy, adult males who dropped dead back in 1918. A shot of Nyquil wouldn't have helped. Some strains of the flu (or any disease) can be way more severe than the "common flu".

DITTO...DITTO...DITTO...

"Biden is a moron, plain and simple. He's been a moron as long as I can remember his first appearance on a national stage. I hope Obama will dump him in his reelection bid"

6. How close do you have to be to a sick person to get swine flu?

"You can acquire this infection if you're within the 'breathing zone' of a sick person, which is about three to six feet," Schaffner said. "And we usually mean being this close to someone in a confined space. We're not talking about fleeting contact. We're not talking about walking past someone in the street. You need sustained contact."

Sure sounds like sitting on a plane or a subway to me.

It's interesting, the number of people who are putting the health of airlines ahead of the health of the public. What a remarkably strange recommendation? If there is a widespread airborne contagion going around, maybe you should think about whether you should put yourself in close quarters with a couple of hundred people, all sharing the same air, for a few hours.

With respect to the Neil Kinnock quote, Biden HAD repeatedly given Kinnock proper credit. Believe it or not, sometimes more than one person has had similar experiences in growing up.

Just wondering, Nash, could your own job be filled by an illegal who comes from Ireland? There have been a few of them, by the way.

Our VP! Aint he something folks! Umm? Are we kidding here? Is it idiot time at the white house? If I wasn't crying I'd laugh.

I work in public health and Biden is correct. This is not the run of the mill "flu." It is deadly and anyone reading this should take heed and consider taking the personal protective measures necessary to avert a disaster. That includes avoiding air travel and subways. And to the person in charge of this blog, kindly do not allow serious public health issues to be used as political fodder. This is irresponsible and potentially lethal.

Some posters are calling Biden a "fear monger"?!?
Do any of the following sound familiar?:
--"the next terrorist attack may come in the form of a mushroom cloud"
--Terror alert colors?
--Yellow cake uranium?
And you say BIDEN is a fear monger?!?!?

So no planes, no subway, no carpooling, no going to school. And no closed containers, hmm, so no convenience stores, malls, supermarkets. Guess I'll see everyone out in the big field. It never ends with Biden what an idiot.

Hey lil ole me - Did you ever see the media ask Bush fluffy little questions?? Oh yeah, I forgot - George W. Bush is the cause of every single ill in the world. He also probably started the swine flu epidemic.

Just call him "Way to go, Joe!" and apply that for the next 4 years .....

He obvioulsy has never been on a subway or train.

Vice President Biden has always been known for speaking his mind. Like any one of us, he's concerned for his family. When he was asked what he would tell his family, he told the honest truth. He wasn't following the party line, he was answering a question as honestly as he could, as usual. He didn't say we should shut down the subways, but he recognizes that subways and airplanes do pose a risk to our health, especially now. We live with risk every day, whether we're in a subway car or our own cars, speeding down the highway. I would advise my own sons not to speed (at least not more than 20 miles over the limit), and I'd advise them to stay away from sick people in the subway, if they posssibly can. Biden is just trying to protect his family.

"Biden is correct, that's how he personally feels. I see no problem in that.
Posted by FrankD! April 30, 09 10:51 AM"

Really???? I think as the Vice President of the USA it's his responsiblity not to create mass hysteria. You're as much of an idiot as he is.

#60 Robert R...

Please. This flu is not "deadly." The 2 kids in Lowell were already recovered by the time their postive test results came back. There was one death of a toddler in Texas. The vast majority of people who get this flu will be symptomatic for 3 or 4 days like any other flu. The difference is that its a new strain so no one is immune. If you're exposed, you will contract it.

I would recommend avoiding confined spaces. You know, airplanes, subways and buses.

Biden is a mess, much the same way this administration is. Obama is spending more time in the make up room and traveling around the globe apologizing as Bush spent on vacations "working" in Texas. Thankfully the VP's role is similar to the Queen of England...and let's pray that Obama stays healthy. Imagine the stock market fluctuation every time Biden opens up his big trap. "Yes we can" pull the wool over America's eyes for another four years.

Joe's correct. Air quality on planes is unacceptable ... maybe the airlines will insist on better designed air delivery systems.

Did Biden plagerize this remark from a John Candy movie?

Open mouth, insert foot. Joe is going to enterain us for the next four years! I thought the President forbid him from speaking in public... ;)

Vice President Biden is correct in what he stated. If you're on a plane or subway train with someone who is infected & that person coughs or sneezes without covering his or her mouth, passengers may have their health compromised.
That being said, the last thing we need is for the VP to install more fear in the public. I suffer from seasonal allergies, it goes without saying that I am wheezing, coughing & sneezing. I have enough sense to cover my nose & mouth when this happens, the last thing I need is for some passenger to form a wrong opinion & react towards me in a hostile way...

This crazy reaction to his statement is absurd. ....I heard what he said and in context it was no big deal. He was simply talking about being vigilant when in an enclosed space with a bunch of sick people.

I bet it's the same discussion many families and coworkers have been having for the past week....

The toddler who died in Texas was brought there from Mexico and is Mexican. It's happenstance that he died here.
I voted for Barack Obama because he was a better candidate than John McCain. I think Joe Biden is much smarter than Sarah Palin, but he does say REALLY stupid stuff. I pray everyday for the safety, good health, and well-being of Barack Obama as I would have for John McCain had he won.

...So instead of flying from Boston to Detroit, I should take the Subway? Seems Joe is out of touch with everything about transportation, and not very bright.

Dr. Geech- H1N1 has already proven "deadly" for many in Mexico and one in the US. I suspect the families and loved ones who buried their significant others over H1N1 consider the virus "deadly." We all pray there will be no further deaths but it's simply too soon to tell.The key point is that people need to take precautions to protect themselves. This includes avoiding confined spaces with other people as Vice President Biden indicated in his remarks. He is correct.

Biden was on all three major networks this morning responding to a flurry of questions raised by the shows' hosts. He did an excellent job on all fronts. The media picked up on one soundbite and as usually, did not try to provide Biden's remarks in the proper context. Matt Lauer (sp) was trying to pin the VP down on whether or not the President should close the borders with Mexico and asked Biden if he'd allow his family to travel to Mexico at the moment. Biden, being the astute politician that he is, did not want to be drawn in to a situation where he has to contradict or second guess the President and provided a fairly innocuous answer to the question to by stating that he'd advise his family not to travel at all. The media is now engaging in the sort of gotcha reporting, which upsets and disappoints people who prefer a deeper distillation of important issues rather than this sort of unprofessional and pedestrian attempt at making news.

Biden is a smart guy with a lot of experience, but somehow, he's never learned to think before he opens his mouth.

But, at least he is ABLE to think. Can't say the same thing for the last Administration.

He's absolutely right. If we grounded all airliners for a week, the pandemic would be over. And, the air would be cleaner and the balance of payments would be better.

"Joe tends to gaffe when he tries to speak authoritatively on subjects he knows nothing about."

Wow, that's quite a bold statement. I would say ALMOST ALL people tend to gaffe when they speak authoritatively on subjects they know nothing about.

I'm surprised no one has brought up the distinct possibility that the VPOTUS had had an early morning 'bad icecube,' as has been his wont before. Calling Matt Lauer "Sam" is another clue. But he used the phrase "closed container." That's a very odd choice of words, even if you wanted to speak about being in confined space for a prolonged time. The only context I have every heard the words "closed container" used is when a cop stops someone for a traffic violation, and then discovers an open or closed container of alcoholic beverage. Seems like this image was in the back of his mind when he spoke.

And I assume that everyone who is defending what Biden said as correct, knows that that means what the rest of the admin. is saying, from the top down, is either incorrect or a lie?

#78Samus O'Cuan wrote: "The media is now engaging in the sort of gotcha reporting, which upsets and disappoints people who prefer a deeper distillation of important issues rather than this sort of unprofessional and pedestrian attempt at making news. "
Translation: The [non-New York Times, CNN, NPR] media is now engaging in the sort of gotcha reporting which upsets and disappoints people [like me and my genius leftwing pals] who prefer a deeper distillation of important issues rather than this sort of unprofessional and pedestrian attempt at making news [which is only of interest to the peons, the proletariat, the knuckledraggers unlike me.]

Oh, how painful it must be for members of the effete elite like Samus to have to exist with the rest of us unsophisticates on the same planet, never mind have to share the same air, never mind in a "closed container."

I love how the administration, and this reporter, refer to Biden's gaffes as being "off message", or "not staying entirely on message". It seems to me that he knows very well what the subjects or topics of the conversations are in which he is involved, or in this case, what the talkshow host's question is referring to. If his supporters claim he is so intelligent than shouldn't he know what is being discussed, or know what the "message" is. That excuse or explanaition of "he said this, but he meant this" is getting old. He meant what he said. And his comment wasn't in the context of his family traveling to Mexico, as the admin claims.
Why can't Biden and the admin just own up to their mistakes and screw-ups and not have to hold press conferences for "clarifying" or damage control.

avoid swine flu."

Biden followed the lead of previous VP's like Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney in offering his totally uninformed commentary.

Special thanks to the Republican National Committee for posting an overwhelming number of ignorant comments on this blog.

Give me a break, all you Biden-bashers. If i had a dollar for all of the Bush-isms that we've had to endure, i would be a millionaire. You idiots.

Posted by chris April 30, 09 02:19 PM>>>

Chris,

If you are feeling panicked over what Biden commented on, then it reveals that you're the Idiot. Thanks for calling me names. Try to be a better American.

Meanwhile, you must have been paralyzed with fear these past eight years.

Watch out for the SARS when you avoid the H1N1.

Economics Vs H1N1, my money on joe.

Tell it like it is Joe! People can't handle the truth? Most of our transportation (airplanes, subways, and buses) are full of germs and you are more likely to get sick using them. These big corporations are just upset because they are loosing money, always about money. Maybe they should put there money where there mouth is, prove to the american people just how safe they are? Yeah....right! I know research and satistics would prove them wrong.

God if Palin said something like this what you think would have happened !!!!!!!

Confined spaces, hand contact to mucous membranes, sharing air,...truth is, thats the way flu is transmitted. Unfortunately some NEOCONs play ignorant to the reality of how H1N1B might transmitted to make fun of the VP. Just keep listening to Rush and Shawn for the real clear picture of life in the United States of America. Sorry to add........... guns don't kill people, loaded guns kill people. The NEOCONS have led traditional Republicans astray. BYE BYE GOP.