Biden would avoid subways, planes after swine flu outbreak

By CAROL E. LEE & AMIE PARNES

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued an apology Thursday for Vice President Joe Biden’s comments that he wouldn’t recommend taking a commercial flight or riding in a subway car because swine flu virus can spread in confined places.

“Obviously, if anybody was unduly alarmed for whatever reason, we would apologize for that. And I hope that my remarks and remarks of people at CDC and Secretary Napolitano have appropriately cleared up what he meant to say,” Gibbs said during the daily briefing at the White House.

Biden’s office later sought to clarify his remarks by saying he was only urging sick people to avoid planes and trains.

Gibbs said President Barack Obama had not spoken to Biden about his remarks.

In an interview Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show, Biden said, “I would tell members of my family — and I have — I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today” show.. “It’s not that it’s going to Mexico. It’s [that] you’re in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft. That’s me. …

“So, from my perspective, what it relates to is mitigation. If you’re out in the middle of a field when someone sneezes, that’s one thing. If you’re in a closed aircraft or closed container or closed car or closed classroom, it’s a different thing.”

A little more than one hour later, Biden rushed out a statement backing off.

Biden’s remarks contradicted more restrained advice from President Barack Obama and the federal government — and the last thing the White House wants to do right now is shut down the airline industry and big-city subways out of mass panic.

The White House quickly arranged for Biden to make this statement through a spokesperson.

“On the Today Show this morning, the vice president was asked what he would tell a family member who was considering air travel to Mexico this week. The advice he is giving family members is the same advice the administration is giving to all Americans: that they should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico. If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways. This is the advice the vice president has given family members who are traveling by commercial airline this week. As the president said just last night, every American should take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick and keep your children home from school if they're sick.”

Host Matt Lauer had asked the vice president: “This is by no means a ‘gotcha’ type of question. … But if a member of your family came to you … and said, ‘Look, I want to go on a commercial airliner to Mexico, and back within the next week,’ would you think it’s a good idea?” Biden made it unmistakably clear he would not want his family to make any trips on planes or subways.

These sorts of comments are what the Obama administration fears from Biden, who after more than three decades in Washington is known for making gaffes.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21925.html

Biden needs to go just as much as the Ceo's of Chrysler and GM and the banks.

I never liked Joe Biden.

But he is Obama's BOY!

I think that what he said makes a lot of sense.

from the cover-up in mexico......IPR insiders talked with doctors there, and they said it's much, much worse than they are allowed to say, and our gov't covers up too,(nooo reallly???) so, maybe he leaked accidently......or you can be this......accept everything our gov't says!!!(huge smile) do it noww!!!

And he has his faithful but, shrinking crew of BHOBNers.
Biden's first word after hearing himself say that;

As VP it was his opportunity to caution the public not add to the perceived panic as he did.

What the hell is wrong with what he said. I would say that for any person out there right now who isn't aware of how the flu spreads and especially for the risk category of folks that 'is' cautionary, geez what are people stupid, it's not panic when you are cautioned that confined places are riskier for lots of folks with weakened immune systems.

I don't know Biden all that well but I don't have a problem with what he said. Geezuz if he told people to go on vacation and enjoy, don't worry, and then it became a serious problem he would have gotten hell for that too.

he was speaking from his heart is all.... point blank. he knows something we don't....no worries, we get sick or we don't, we take precautions or we don't, we die, or we don't....

People b*tch that politicians lie, yet when they are frank and open we don't want that either.. ugh

It's common sense to take precautions during any flu season. Now we've got this different kind of flu.

I know people that don't go to the movies when everybody's sick around here and coughing all over the place.

I heard what he said on the radio. I didn't panic. I thought, "That makes sense."

So why the apology from the White House Press secretary? You'd think A VP would have more sense than unduly alarm the public.

That didn't alarm me. It was common sense.

Th three people who are saying what Biden meant to say are digging his hole deeper.
The Media asking the questions are laughing them off the stage.

I'm glad we have Biden. The comedians all seemed lost with George Bush gone

Biden contradicted Obama's and the federal government's position.

The last thing the White House needs is for the airline industry and big city subways shut down out of mass panic.

Biden handled it badly as usual.

No one pay attention to him anyways..

I saw him say it early this morning.

He didnt say it nearly as dramatic as the OP portrays it!

I didn't listen to him very hard because it was something that my mom would have said anyway.

He made those remarks on NBC "Today" show. That makes it even worse.