Analysis: Obama's Bounce, Biden's Stumble
(CBS)
While President Obama was basking in the warm reception for his speech (80 percent of speech watchers approved of President Obama’s plans for dealing with the economic crisis, compared to 63 percent prior to the speech) after his address to Congress, the vice president was telling a small business owner, Lisa Hendrickson, what she should do to get her questions answered regarding how the stimulus plan might help her.
"I recommend that woman call my office directly and I will be able to guide her as to what pieces of this package would be directly helpful to her," Biden told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez.
Taking direct calls from distraught small business owners is a nice gesture on national TV, but highly unrealistic. With about 25 million small businesses in the U.S., Biden could be backed up fielding calls to his office for the rest of his life. Instead of a knee-jerk political response – “call me” – it would be much more practical to send those concerned citizens to the recovery.gov Web site, where all the information about the recovery would be available for the public to "follow the money," as Biden stated on The Early Show.
However, when Rodriguez asked Biden for the Web site address, he couldn't come up with it. He responded that he was embarrassed not to know the Web site address. "I should have it in front of me and I don't," he admitted. Someone off camera finally gave him the Web address to share with the viewers.
President Obama put Biden in charge of the White House’s oversight taskforce on the distributing and tracking stimulus funds because, as the president said, “nobody messes with Joe.” You would think he would know how to access the Web site, which is at the center of the Obama administration's effort to restore public trust with increased transparency and accountability. According to Peter Orszag, head of the Office of Management and Budget, the recovery.gov site is getting 3,000 hits, or accesses, per second.
Today, Biden gathered administration officials in the White House Roosevelt room to find out "exactly what each Cabinet member is doing, what resources available, how they will distribute those sources, how they will follow the money," as he said during The Early Show interview. At the meeting, Earl Devaney, who was recently named chairman of the new Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board, said he will ask each state to name a watchdog to oversee spending of stimulus package funds.
Biden, the entire Obama administration and Congress will be held accountable for making sure the funds are used to bring the economy back. “Follow the money,” a phrase that was made famous in “All the President’s Men,” is being adapted for a 21st century money trail that ends at recovery.gov. It remains to be seen whether Biden’s team will be able to effectively police the funds and if the content provided on the Web site will be as transparent and accurate as promised.
Daniel Farber is Editor-In-Chief of CBSNews.com.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 40 CommentsHowever, what is missing is the advice he gave the caller for how the stimulus bill would help her. He suggested that maybe her problem is that her customers can't get to her because the bridge needs repairing over the creek!!!
How can anybody be that stupid, as a reason small businesses are having problems!!!
I recommend that they go ahead and build that bridge to nowhere, and all of them take a hike over it!!
God help us, if this is the help small businesses are going to get!
The best minds in all fields, not just economics, need to brainstorm a solution and I think the solution will have more to do with scrimping and saving than with spending trillions of dollars to establish programs for "a chicken in every pot".
If we continue down Obama's road, every man, woman and child will get their entitlement, but what will it be worth if we drive this country to the brink of financial disaster?
As a final note, it seems presumptuous of Obama to decide that a vote for his presidency was a vote to re-distribute wealth. If this is his clear direction, shouldn't we have a referendum, state-by-state to move towards Socialism?
folksy diner in Delaware that had been closed for years!! -
and visiting Home Depot stores, where no one could recall
ever seeing him) an ignoramus (talking down to Gov. Palin) -just a pathetic joke, and America should pray that the other
arrogant joke in the White House - BO - doesn't meet his
maker before 2012.
Posted by barbi520 at 12:49 PM : Feb 25, 2009
The man's looks aren't what concerns me. The fact that he continued to just repeat the same things we've been hearing for three decades...things we know do not work, is what concerned me. I have to wonder if the Republican Party will ever get the message that the People of this Country want a change in direction. I have serious doubt after watching him.
Posted by architekker-2009 at 1:00 PM : Feb 25, 2009
You sound so bitter! Is there a reason you hate our President and Vice President so much you would call them Clowns? Now I watched that Speech last night and IF that was all you got out of it, you don't deserve a President as Intelligent as the one we have and that's just the truth.
Posted by credibility2 at 1:55 PM : Feb 25, 2009
Because of this one laps in memory? That doesn't make good sense, either medically or scientifically. Isn't it time you and those like you stopped with these childish rants?? The American People, by a wide margin, felt he was qualified and unless someone changed the Constitution when I wasn't looking they are the final judge as to who is or isn't qualified to be President. Honestly, anyone who could listen to George Bush over the last 8 years and say something like this about Joe Biden, isn't much of an American.
Posted by specialty8 at 2:19 PM : Feb 25, 2009
Your statement is irrational! This is in no way senile or even close. Any health professional will tell you that people Joe's age will have periods when they can not recall specific things. I've found that to be the case myself. I also do not think the American People rejected McCain because of his age but because of his position on the Economy and Bush's Policies. I believe the exit polling of the election shows that very clearly.
McCain had problems like that too. It may be an age-related disability.
Nowhere in the Constitution of the United States where the offices of the Presidency and Vice-Presidency are established does it say that the president is the vice-president's 'Boss'. It is a separate office - granted the Constitution doesn't seem to give the vice-president any specific powers but it also doesn't say the VP needs to agree with, be of the same party as, or do the bidding of the president. Would it not be interesting if we did have the nerve to elect a president of one party and a VP of another party?
I am not sensitive about what was said about Biden, just thought it was silly meaningless criticism, which is what the GOP is all about. Where is their plan to correct the mess they have made. Only plan they have is more tax cuts for the super rich. so Biden didn't have a web address. who writes one down when watching TV. No they go to the internet and google whatever the site might be about. Why not go to the internet and read the plans you are so interested in. Then you wouln't have to lie about them. Knowledge takes time and work. Ignorance take listening to Limbaugh and having no common sense.
"Truth is a LION in the Street" Henrik Ibsen. The lies of the GOP are fading away and tumbling down. Mr Biden not knowing a web address is not an issue. thinking you're an
expert on Russia because you can see it from Alaska-that would be an issue. Talking and looking like a Zombie and lying in your response to the President's speech-that would be an issue. Jindall told 2 or 3 out and out lies in his response. There is no train link to Las Vegas in the stimulus bill. That is a GOP lie. There is no help for a mouse in California. Lying to the AMerican people. That is a stumble that should be MENTIONED. This article is silly
Posted by johnfrisco13
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LOL! A destroyed creek bridge, huh? This is the funniest thing that I've read since Senator Burris' fiasco of a press conference last week.
Boy, oh boy! It's just keeps on coming with these folks! Well, at least it will distract attention from Mr. Obama's incorrect statement that we invented the automobile. LOL!
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