Biden to go on stimulus road show

Vice President Joe Biden, put in charge of making sure the $787 billion stimulus package isn't wasted, will take to the road this week as part of the White House bid to convince Americans that the money is actually being spent.

He's scheduled to kick off what's being dubbed the "Road to Recovery" tour on Thursday in Carlisle, Pa., for the groundbreaking for the Route 34 bridge project, his office announced this afternoon. Biden will be joined by Governor Ed Rendell, Senator Arlen Specter, and other local officials.

Also Thursday, Biden will travel to Overland Park, Kan., where he will attend the groundbreaking for the US 69 project with Governor Mark Parkinson, former Governor Kathleen Sebelius, and other local officials.

Then on Friday, the vice president will be in Kalamazoo, Mich., for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Intersate 94 widening. Governor Jennifer Granholm and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, will be there.

On Monday, Biden and President Obama pledged to accelerate stimulus spending to start turning around the jobless numbers. The goal is to create or save 600,000 jobs this summer. The total number of unemployed reached 14.5 million last month as the national rate hit a 25-year high of 9.4 percent.