Biden Makes Sunday Talk Headlines

Vice President Joe Biden sat down for a one-on-one interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that aired on Sunday’s “This Week.” The program was taped in Iraq during the VP’s well-publicized visit there, but the real news making appeal from the sit-down came on two issues far removed from the battlegrounds of Mesopotamia.

Given that Biden was named - at least symbolically - by President Obama to oversee distribution and effectiveness of the president’s economic stimulus, some of his responses to Stephanopoulos’ queries on the economy certainly raised eyebrows among the press and perhaps even threw some in the White House off balance with its candor about mistakes made by the administration.

Asked about the slow pace of economic recovery and the middling results of the stimulus so far, Biden admitted that “there was a misreading of how bad an economy we inherited.”

“The truth is, there was a misreading of just how bad an economy we inherited,” said Biden, who is leading the administration’s effort to implement it’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan.

“Now, that doesn’t — I’m not — it’s now our responsibility. So the second question becomes, did the economic package we put in place, including the Recovery Act, is it the right package given the circumstances we’re in? And we believe it is the right package given the circumstances we’re in,” he told me.

While making the startling case that the administration had mishandled some part of the stimulus and economic recovery efforts (though from a situation they “inherited” from the Bush team), Biden simultaneously preached patience in waiting for results from the president’s stimulus and overall economic policies, even publicly verbalizing the idea of a second stimulus package, a move that had been discussed only in private by administration officials.

“We misread how bad the economy was, but we are now only about 120 days into the recovery package,” he said. “The truth of the matter was, no one anticipated, no one expected that that recovery package would in fact be in a position at this point of having to distribute the bulk of money.”

“So, no second stimulus?” I asked.

“No, I didn’t say that,” Biden said, “I think it’s premature to make that judgment. This was set up to spend out over 18 months. There are going to be major programs that are going to take effect in September, $7.5 billion for broadband, new money for high-speed rail, the implementation of the grid — the new electric grid. And so this is just starting, the pace of the ball is now going to increase.”

Like the rest of Obama’s team, Biden is making a confusing play for the hearts and minds of the American people when it comes to the economy. Patience and missteps are generally the last things a panicky public want to here. But can anyone question Biden’s effectiveness in disseminating the Obama agenda - regardless of its merits - and presenting a pleasing contrast to the previous vice president?

Swinging far and wide from Iraq to the economy and beyond, Biden’s interview also touched on the news that Sarah Palin is resigning as  governor of Alaska for “personal” reasons. Biden politely  said that he “respects her decision.”

Vice President Joe Biden today rejected Gov. Sarah Palin’s complaint that she has been the victim of political blood sport.

“No, I respect her decision, I don’t,” Biden told me when I asked him if he agreed with the Alaska governor’s complaint that she had been the victim of “superficial, wasteful political blood sport.”

“Those who’ve been deeply involved in politics know at the end of the day that it is really and truly a personal deal,” Biden said, “and personal family decisions have a real impact on people’s decisions.”

Sphere: Related Content

---

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically each day to your feed reader.

Political Buzz | Powered by WordPress | ElegantBlue is a custom theme by Nathan Rice