Biden "Shushes" wife over slip

[Yoink 7]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/biden_oprah

WASHINGTON – The wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden let it slip to Oprah Winfrey Monday that her husband had a pick of two jobs in the Obama administration. Jill Biden said President-elect Barack Obama gave Biden the choice of being secretary of state or vice president. The vice president-elect tried to hush his wife as soon as the words came out of her mouth, with a loud "shhh!" that sent the audience into laughter.

The Bidens made a surprise appearance on Winfrey's show, recorded at the Kennedy Center for broadcast later Monday on the eve of the inauguration. The celebrity-filled show also included the premiere of "America's Song," performed by Faith Hill, Seal, Bono, Mary J. Blige, Will.i.am and David Foster in honor of the occasion and available for free download on Winfrey's Web site.

The vice president-elect said he only accepted Obama's offer to be his running mate after talking it over with "Jilly," his pet name for his wife. Mrs. Biden said she told him vice president would be better for the family.

"If you're secretary of state, you'll be away, we'll never see you, you know," she said. "I'll see you at a state dinner once and awhile. But I said, if you are vice president, the entire family, because they worked so hard for the election, they can be involved. They can come to our home. They can go to events, they can be with us all the time. And that's what's important to us."

Obama's transition office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether he was offered both jobs. Obama gave the secretary of state job to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The vice president-elect didn't address his wife's comments, but said he didn't immediately take the vice presidential offer since he wasn't sure it was the best place for him to serve. But Biden, who ran against Obama in the Democratic primary race, said he agreed after getting some assurances from Obama about his role.

"This is a partnership," Biden said. "He's president of the United States, but as I said to him when he asked me, I said, `Barack, don't ask me unless the reason you're asking me is, you're asking me for my judgment. I get to be the last guy in the room before you make every important decision. You're president. Any decision you make, I will back.' "

"He said he wanted to have a confidant and somebody who wouldn't be a yes man. He's pretty sure about that" last part, Biden said with a laugh.

Winfrey also interviewed movie star couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher about how Obama has inspired them to pledge to help end slave labor around the world. Other celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson, Justin Timberlake and Forest Whitaker appeared by videotape to talk about what Obama's election means to them.

Winfrey, who made her first ever presidential endorsement for Obama, heralded the significance of the moment particularly coming the day after Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

"I feel like I am better because of his being elected," Winfrey said. "And I think that the country is going to be better. I feel like it is a beautiful thing, and we all start to see ourselves differently, the possibility."

Winfrey ended the show by singing along with the musicians to the chorus of "America's Song," written by Foster and Will.i.am at Oprah's request. She said the performance came together in a week and is available for free download on Oprah.com for 24 hours after the show's airing.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I don't think that anyone should be surprised by the revelation - Biden would have been a great choice for Secretary of State as well. There was period of time when Secretary of States were essentially the next heir to the presidency.

[Yoink 7]

I don't think that anyone should be surprised by the revelation - Biden would have been a great choice for Secretary of State as well. There was period of time when Secretary of States were essentially the next heir to the presidency.

Seems to me a no-brainer when offered a difficult job of running around the world trying to sell ideas that aren't yours or get briefed and hang out in Washington all day until the Black guy gets popped and you are in charge or 8 years go by and it's a good shot you get the gig.

I know I an oversimplifying things....

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I don't think that anyone should be surprised by the revelation - Biden would have been a great choice for Secretary of State as well. There was period of time when Secretary of States were essentially the next heir to the presidency.

Seems to me a no-brainer when offered a difficult job of running around the world trying to sell ideas that aren't yours or get briefed and hang out in Washington all day until the Black guy gets popped and you are in charge or 8 years go by and it's a good shot you get the gig.

I know I an oversimplifying things....

That's pretty cynical.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Ha, I love it. Joe is letting Hillary know he was the first choice for the job!

This was no accident. Well, no more an accident than this was

[mox 298]

I almost wish it had been Biden as SoS and Clinton as VP, but both are actually very qualified to fill either role.

[Yoink 7]

I don't think that anyone should be surprised by the revelation - Biden would have been a great choice for Secretary of State as well. There was period of time when Secretary of States were essentially the next heir to the presidency.

Seems to me a no-brainer when offered a difficult job of running around the world trying to sell ideas that aren't yours or get briefed and hang out in Washington all day until the Black guy gets popped and you are in charge or 8 years go by and it's a good shot you get the gig.

I know I an oversimplifying things....

That's pretty cynical.

Everyone on VJ is...

But I always thought the VP job was more cushy than hard-work.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I don't think that anyone should be surprised by the revelation - Biden would have been a great choice for Secretary of State as well. There was period of time when Secretary of States were essentially the next heir to the presidency.

Seems to me a no-brainer when offered a difficult job of running around the world trying to sell ideas that aren't yours or get briefed and hang out in Washington all day until the Black guy gets popped and you are in charge or 8 years go by and it's a good shot you get the gig.

I know I an oversimplifying things....

That's pretty cynical.

Everyone on VJ is...

But I always thought the VP job was more cushy than hard-work.

Cheney certainly had his hand in a lot of government. It really depends who's President. I don't think Obama is planning on his VP to take on a ceremonial role.

[Uncle Wally 2]

[Yoink 7]

I don't think that anyone should be surprised by the revelation - Biden would have been a great choice for Secretary of State as well. There was period of time when Secretary of States were essentially the next heir to the presidency.

Seems to me a no-brainer when offered a difficult job of running around the world trying to sell ideas that aren't yours or get briefed and hang out in Washington all day until the Black guy gets popped and you are in charge or 8 years go by and it's a good shot you get the gig.

I know I an oversimplifying things....

That's pretty cynical.

Everyone on VJ is...

But I always thought the VP job was more cushy than hard-work.

Cheney certainly had his hand in a lot of government. It really depends who's President. I don't think Obama is planning on his VP to take on a ceremonial role.

Or the SecState... there is so much to do post-Bush and with the world the way it is

I think everyone is expected to pull weight and be inspirational like Obama.... which is a lot of pressure

[Aubrey 10]

It's no secret that Obama's surrounding himself with power hitters. Big names, lots of experience, and well-knowns. As for the VP-Sec choice, the two jobs are mighty similar except for the amount of travel. Sit in cabinet meetings, give your opinion, meet with leaders, etc etc. Should be interesting to see how well Hillary stays on message with Obama, since she's not exactly great at being runner-up.

And Grandoner... wow, just wow.

[mox 298]

I think Clinton will stay exactly on message. She's still thinking to the future (this was a setback for her Presidential aspirations, but she's still young enough to pull off one more run), and being a team player in the Obama administration will be a huge bonus for her. If he fails, she'll have plausible deniability. If he succeeds, it will be partially due to her skills. Either way she can parlay it into experience she can use to be a formidable candidate in 2016.

Let's remember too that Bush surrounded himself with some pretty hard hitting veterans of previous administrations. He assembled a dream team of conservative experts that in the end didn't deliver. The advantage Obama has is that he's got the intellectual curiosity to become almost as much of a topic expert as any of his topic experts. He'll know when to listen to them, and when to listen to himself.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Cheney certainly had his hand in a lot of government.

Very true. He always had his finger on the trigger.

[Aubrey 10]

I think Clinton will stay exactly on message. She's still thinking to the future (this was a setback for her Presidential aspirations, but she's still young enough to pull off one more run), and being a team player in the Obama administration will be a huge bonus for her. If he fails, she'll have plausible deniability. If he succeeds, it will be partially due to her skills. Either way she can parlay it into experience she can use to be a formidable candidate in 2016.

Let's remember too that Bush surrounded himself with some pretty hard hitting veterans of previous administrations. He assembled a dream team of conservative experts that in the end didn't deliver. The advantage Obama has is that he's got the intellectual curiosity to become almost as much of a topic expert as any of his topic experts. He'll know when to listen to them, and when to listen to himself.

The difference is Bush had already spent years killing off his brain cells as a drunk.

[LaL 418]

Ha, I love it. Joe is letting Hillary know he was the first choice for the job!

This was no accident. Well, no more an accident than this was

My husband learned at his review this year that he often pushes up his glasses with his middle finger.