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Top 3 Biden quotes of the week
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#1: The Economy
“The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy. The figures we worked off of in January were the consensus figures and most of the blue chip indexes out there… No one was talking about that we would be moving towards -- we're worried about 10.5 percent, it will be 9.5 percent at this point.” (7/5/09 ABC’s “This Week” )
Oops. To be fair, George Stephanopoulos lead him into that by saying, “So either you misread the economy or the stimulus package was too slow or too small.” And let’s face it: no Vice President wants to admit his package is small! He simply chose the lesser of two evils. In Communication Theory, they’d say Joe Biden used the “Consensus Building Approach” here by saying that “everyone” misread the economy and that “no one” knew “we” had inherited such a bad problem. He tried to back paddle a little and add that he feels they chose the right economic package, “given the circumstances we’re in” – even though the circumstances have changed. Luckily Michael Jackson’s tribute hogged up enough of the news that the pundits weren’t all over this like vultures – well, save for Fox News, of course.
#2: Sarah Palin
"I don't know what prompted her decision to not only not run again and also, to step down as a consequence of the decision not to run in 2010. And I take her at her word that it had a personal ingredient in it - and you have to respect that. I'm not going to second-guess her.” (7/5/09 ABC’s “This Week” )
In a roundabout way, Biden expresses an ounce of sympathy for Governor Palin, who is tired of the media debacles, the cost to Alaskan taxpayers and the late night TV jokes about her daughters. The whole vetting process seems to have sucked the will to live right out of her, didn’t it? Biden wouldn’t go so far as to say she was the “victim of political bloodsport,” but he does “respect her right” to step down for family reasons. He adds that, “Those who've been deeply involved in politics know at the end of the day that it is really and truly a personal deal and personal family decisions have a real impact on people's decisions."
#3: Food Safety
“There are few responsibilities more basic or more important for the government than making sure the food our families eat is safe. Our food safety system must be updated – 1 in 4 people get sick every year due to food-borne illness, and children and the elderly are more at risk. I applaud the Secretaries of HHS and the USDA for tackling this problem head-on and coming up with key recommendations to ensure the health and safety of our food supply and, with it, the American people.” (7/7/09, White House Press Release)
It’s another classic case of sending Joe to do the dirty work! Traditionally, it’s been the Vice President’s role to step in and cover all the news stories the President cares not to – things like attending funerals and luncheons, writing Christmas cards and addressing the citizens who are concerned that one woman died from eating a peanut. How many “top priorities” can this administration have? Although, I suppose it’s about time the regulatory agencies overseeing food safety be held accountable to DO THEIR JOBS!
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