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Biden: We Will Embarrass Those Who Misuse Stimulus Funds
February 25, 2009 9:09 AM
ABC News' Karen Travers reports: President Obama said last night that he put Vice President Biden in charge of the White House’s oversight effort on the implementation of stimulus funds because “nobody messes with Joe.”
The line got a huge laugh from the Members of Congress in the House Chamber, who are familiar with the loquacious Blue Hen from his decades as a senator from Delaware, and made Biden grin and blush in his seat behind the president.
As he kicks off the first oversight session on the stimulus funds, Biden put states on notice this morning that the White House is not going to sit back and do nothing if stimulus funds are misused.
“In some cases we can withdraw the money we can hold them accountable. And in other places we’ll just use the television, the radio and the media to embarrass them for not doing what their’ supposed to do,” Biden said to Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.
“We got to make sure this is done by the numbers, man, we gotta make sure people know where the money is going,” Biden said on ABC. “This cannot be squandered. We have an opportunity to get the nation back to work and back on its feet and the first piece of that is generating some economic growth here and we have to do it right.”
Biden defended the Obama Administration from charges that it’s promising too much on the
“The very things that people are saying are the most ambitious are not only need to be solved but are part of the solution, Biden said. “You cannot gain control of our budget deficits without gaining control of health care spending, you cannot gain control over our economy without gaining control of our energy policy and you cannot grow this country without an education policy.”
On NBC’s Today Show Biden fired back at Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who delivered the Republican response to Obama’s speech last night. Jindal, who emerged as a leader among governors who said they would reject some of the stimulus funds, called the Democrats were “irresponsible” with the stimulus package and said it would not strengthen the economy or create jobs.
“I hear a lot of criticism but I never hear anything in response – what would you do?,” Biden asked of Jindal.
Biden will be joined by several cabinet members at the oversight meeting in the Roosevelt Room this morning, including:
Accountability Board Chair Earl Devaney
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lisa Jackson
Chief of Staff at Health and Human Services Mark Childress
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner
Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
February 25, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (65)
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I don't understand how republicans like Jindal can refuse any money offered to him through stimulus. My son Brennon has a cerebral palsy and has been denied repairs to his wheel chair by the state of Louisiana. His school is in need of repairs as well. Just last year in our community a multi million walk way was built around a park located in a desolate sugar cane field by approved by politicians who I'm sure are not honest people. Oh and you should see our so called three million dollar library. Any
way there priorities all twisted.
tanya labbe
Posted by: tanya labbe | Mar 1, 2009 10:02:47 AM
Cheatin' Joe goes Tony Soprano on us. Who'd a thunk it?
Posted by: frank | Feb 28, 2009 10:56:47 AM
I dont understand what they mean about calling out companies who misuse stimulus funds. Does the govt get to tell a company how it uses its funds? That is an attack on free enterprise. Besides, who should really care what blabber mouth Joe says about you.
Posted by: Mitch in NC | Feb 26, 2009 3:01:41 PM
Had that been a republican yesterday (wed)
on GMAC you you would have played it a hundred times------Biden appeared as a fool! He is overseeing our $ YIKES!
Posted by: Becky | Feb 26, 2009 2:43:17 PM
This is a mess. However, it's looks strange to me that,many love destructive criticism than progressive criticism. Some allowed political party to kill/hide their ideas for a better solution for the country they said they loved. LIARS!!. There is a wisdom that comes from above, it is time for the real AMERICANS to ask for it, or the Eaglewith stars will beg the chicken for aid. It is not time to serve the political party but AMERICA - in God we Trust.
Posted by: jao | Feb 25, 2009 7:45:36 PM
OK then start embbarassing the Dems in Congress and Obama oh thats right they are an embarressment.
Posted by: spock | Feb 25, 2009 3:42:10 PM
Great to see Joe Biden being in charge of the stimulus use. He is as close to being an honest politician as they get, and the only one I might trust.
Jindal came out with this weird grin pasted on his face and sounded like a programmed robot when he came on with the Republican response. Creepy.
Posted by: cacatua08 | Feb 25, 2009 3:36:41 PM
...And if there's someone in the current administration who's an expert in embarassing people, it's Joe Biden.
Posted by: tt | Feb 25, 2009 3:27:36 PM
The President should have been more
accurate in his comments by saying
"nobody knows what Joe's talking about
most of the time"!
It's hard to "mess" with someone
who is contantly making inaccurate and
"off the wall comments".
Maybe President Obama meant to say
"Joe Biden is a Mess"! LOL!
Posted by: reaganfan | Feb 25, 2009 12:49:58 PM
Besides, Biden IS an embarassment. Bush was intelligencia compared to that babbling boob.
Posted by: NPage | Feb 25, 2009 12:48:21 PM
The idea that the central government seeks to control the actions of the states and thereby the people is antithetical to the American ideal.
The strength of the freedoms in this country are centered at the state and local level. The attempt centralize government is reminiscent of our Cold War "enemies".
Posted by: NPage | Feb 25, 2009 12:46:35 PM
If Congress doesn't get off its ### and start punishing these execs I am moving to Canada. They have similar tax rates, free health care, low crime, do not have to pay much for a military, etc. Only bad thing is the weather.
Posted by: Alex | Feb 25, 2009 12:45:50 PM
Why do they continue to put that moron on TV.
Can anyone seriously say that they feel comfortable with Joe Bidden overseeing 700 billion dollars?
Once again Obama has shown poor judgment.
Posted by: Jean | Feb 25, 2009 12:32:36 PM
who's biden?
Posted by: USA | Feb 25, 2009 11:47:00 AM
“I hear a lot of criticism but I never hear anything in response – what would you do?,” Biden asked of Jindal.
I heard Jindal say that he would cut taxes first.
+++++++++
And Biden will embarrass abusers.
LOL. That means the money will still be spent, but Biden will say "shame, shame, shame" to them.
Don't embarrass them, Joe, Veto it!
I hope the embarrass plan is not their plan in combating al Queda, the Talibahn and other terrorists.
Posted by: Sally J. | Feb 25, 2009 11:40:45 AM
these two clowns are going to wind up giving the whole circus away.
Posted by: pj | Feb 25, 2009 11:40:33 AM
Embarrass , embarrass hell, Joe , get off your butt, pick up your phone and
ORDER the Federal Marshall's to confiscate All the money issued , and then put somebody IN JAIL . This is American Tax Payer's money , not some gift that the congress thinks grows on trees ! It's time for our congress to be either impeached, or replaced, one way or another don't matter !
Posted by: Bob Dyer | Feb 25, 2009 11:11:27 AM
"quit blaming wall street for the mess, Carter, clinton, frank, dodd, waters, forced on Them. "
The 6 years of a Republican controlled House and Senate with a Republican President could have overturned any of those policies if they wanted.
Posted by: Use Your Brain | Feb 25, 2009 11:07:01 AM
Hey bill, quit blaming wall street for the mess, Carter, clinton, frank, dodd, waters, forced on Them. If the government would stay out of their buisness we would be better off. The dow is over 140 down after that wonderful speech last night, i guess wall street does not watch american Idol
Posted by: Eagle Eye | Feb 25, 2009 10:56:30 AM
maybe we can have Joe over see the UN.
"Iran denied it had slowed down its nuclear activities and said it planned to install 50,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium over the next five years, a senior Iranian nuclear official said on Wednesday.
The U.N. nuclear agency watchdog said last week that Iran had slowed the expansion of its uranium enrichment plant at Natanz but had built up a stockpile of nuclear fuel."
Posted by: jaj | Feb 25, 2009 10:48:50 AM
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