President Obama is promising his health care plan will salve many ills — but so far, there’s no cure for Vice President Biden’s gaffes.
At a bill signing ceremony for the measure in the East Room, Biden introduced Obama then shook the president’s hand and whispered in his ear, “This is a big (expletive) deal.”
Problem was, the microphone was on. “Biden drops the F-bomb,” CNN declared.
Obama, unsmiling, took the podium after Biden and opened his remarks with, “Thank you, Joe.”
The president at times has appeared uptight or uncomfortable around his cheery and decidedly more casual vice president — much in the manner of a college senior around an unpredictable relative at a celebratory brunch.
Where Obama is serious and at times appears humor-challenged, Biden dearly loves a laugh. Obama is singular and not a backslapper, and is sometimes photographed looking ill at ease with Biden’s arm draped around him.
But this time, the White House communications strategy was to defuse Biden’s F-bomb with a breezy assent.
“And yes, Mr. Vice President, you’re right,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs declared on Twitter.
Biden’s remark, relayed instantly across cable and the Internet, was at most a minor asterisk to the administration’s health care victory lap.
But Biden’s long history of speaking uncomfortable truths has vexed the White House from the start — and even before.
Sizing up former rival Obama for the presidential nomination, Biden in 2007 described his future boss as “articulate and bright and clean.”
After the White House urged Americans not to panic over swine flu, Biden went on television to say he would tell family members to avoid confined spaces and public transportation.
He told ABC News’ “This Week” in 2009 that the administration had “misread how bad the economy was,” also a deviation from the White House talking points.
Biden went on CBS News’ “Early Show” to promote a new White House Web site tracking stimulus spending, but was unable to recall the address.
He referred in a speech to longtime colleague Sen. John McCain of Arizona as “George” and won a stern look of rebuke from Obama for making fun of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at a White House event.
Campaigning in Missouri in 2008, Biden called on a local state senator, confined to a wheelchair, to stand up and be recognized.
“Oh, God love ya,” Biden said, acknowledging the error. “What am I talking about?”
