Harkin: Biden's comments "unfortunate" - misinformation

[jefferson_dem]

Harkin: Biden's comments "unfortunate"

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) spoke with Iowa radio reporters this morning via a telephone conference call. Listen to Radio Iowa's Matt Kelley ask Harkin about Vice President Joe Biden's comments on The Today Show this morning. (Biden was asked on Today what advice he'd give his family about the flu outbreak, and Biden said he'd tell them to avoid "confined spaces" like airplanes and subways. "When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft," Biden said.)

Here's what Harkin had to say: "Well, I think that's a very unfortunate statement by the vice president. We just don't need that type of misinformation going out. I wish the vice president had checked with the center for disease control and preparedness before he made that statement....As far as not riding on subways or planes, we're not going to shut down our system and that doesn't get to the nub of the problem anyway, so I think that's very unfortunate that this kind of misinformation got out."

Harkin is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education & Related Agencies. The panel oversees/drafts spending plans for the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Public Health Service.

http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2009/04/harkin-bidens-comments-unfortunate.html

[tekisui]

1. Biden was just being honest about what he told his family.

I guess he should have lied about it.:shrug:

[Jennicut]

4. Apparently. He was asked a personal question about his family.

I would have said the same thing. He did not say these things should be shut down but to avoid them if you can.

[jillan]

6. Biden speaks from the heart, not from a script.

He was right.

[Mme. Defarge]

24. Dead on --

Good for Joe!

[monmouth]

2. But VP Biden is correct. Confined spaces are the way to spread

germs. Back in the day I used to dread flying because I always, always came down with a dreadful cold afterwards. Recycling the same air through these vehicles with sick people is a disaster waiting to happen. I don't know what Harkin's problem is but Joe shouldn't be one of them. Joe gave good advice.

[JerseygirlCT]

3. Exactly. nt

[dkf]

5. How is Biden wrong?

I'm with him.

[JaneQPublic]

7. Didn't Obama say something similar at his press conference last night?

When he was giving his "tips" for dealing with the flu outbreak, he said if you're feeling ill stay off the airlines, mass trans, etc.

Didn't he, or did I just dream it?

[dkf]

8. I didn't see it but it sounds like a no-brainer to me

[Cha]

14. We could get the transcript but

I seem to rememeber that too.

[karynnj]

25. "If you are feeling ill" vs telling EVERYONE

Big different. The former is just good sense - on any airborne disease. (I remember how I always hated sitting at meetings with people who thought they were being "strong" by coming into work sick.) This even though many people participated in meetings from remote locations - which they could have done from home. That and the kids with perfect attendance who got my kids sick.

The reason Biden is wrong, is that there are less than 200 cases (I'll use 200) at this point. Now, it could be that each of these 200 people have infected 5 people, who all are not included in the 200 - that means 1200 people have the flu or will have it soon - not all of them are infectious at this point and many will stay home. At this point, the numbers are WAY lower than the number with flu every Christmas season. What is the chance that one of the passengers on your plane is one of them? If they listened to Obama, even in the odd case they purchased a ticket, they won't be there. (Maybe Obama can have the government pay the charge to switch flights or ask the airlines to waive it. The latter makes sense for them as it could keep its employees healthier.

[JaneQPublic]

27. I see. Good point. (nt)

[Hieronymus]

9. Biden lives up to SNL's takeoff of him. He says some of the stupidest things.

The White House is desperately trying to undo that comment about confined spaces. Words do have consequences, which include panic and costing the travel industry lots of money.
President Obama, like everyone else, has gone out of his way to avoid this kind of thing.

[Jennicut]

11. Its not panic, its common sense.

[Hieronymus]

15. Interesting how the White House is desperately trying to counter Biden.

[Jennicut]

18. They don't want people to panic but his advice is common sense

Especially to people like me with compromised immune system to begin with.

[Hieronymus]

19. I'll bet you knew, without the VP telling you, how to protect yourself. The VP

of the United States has an obligation to realize that his words affect many. He can tell his family anything he wants, in private.

[Jennicut]

23. But he was asked what he would tell his family

Is he supposed to lie? This is stupid.

[karynnj]

26. What if he said he put the numbers in perspective for his family

In the first place, I bet his son and daughter in the states are going to work and are meeting with people. I saw Biden on TV with the people at the Chicago glass factory and Jill Biden was at the event honoring teachers - all with people.

His actions are not the same as his words - which are unduely alarmist.

[karynnj]

30. But, less than 1 in a million people in this country have it

of them, most are too ill to be on the trains, buses etc. If people who are sick, follow the guideline of staying home the right number of days (even after they feel better). This can be contained. That said, in the US, this does not seem worse than other flus - and nearly every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas, the number of people with flu is much higher than 200.

I like Biden, but his comments are too alarmist.

[karynnj]

29. There are less than 200 people with this and most have mild cases

If everyone actually took that advice to heart, the country would come to a standstill - For example, if going on buses is wrong, going on school buses is included. That does make it harder for everyone to get to school, but a school classroom is a closed space - no school. What of people who work in corporations, all those without private offices - stay home. Not to mention, you can't take public transportation to get there.

all because 200 people are sick - out of a population of about 300 million. This is less than 1 in a million. Not to mention, most of the cases are described as mild. I like Biden and I think he really helped Obama get elected and is a great VP, but this was not his finest moment.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. but what Biden said is correct.

You turn on that little air nozzle above your seat, and the air you get is just re-circulated air from inside the plane. It's a closed system - it has to be to keep cabin pressure. It is, in fact, far worse than other mass transit - a bus or a train does not have recirculated air, windows and vents can be opened to flush the air. If someone at the back of the bus is sick, there's little chance that someone in front will catch it. On a plane, the opposite is true - you MUST breathe other peoples' air because that is all there is.

[LittleBlue]

10. Biden's not wrong. He was asked what he'd tell his family,

his response is not "misinformation".

Douche moment, Harkin.

[global1]

13. Biden Is More Right Than Wrong......

I'm sorry for the airlines but the hard cold reality of this is that Biden is right about confined spaces. Why do you think they are monitoring the flu at airports. It's too bad of the timing of this flu - but it is not Biden's or Obama's fault that it hit at a time of economic crisis in our country due to the last 8 years of mismanagement by BushCo.

I am heeding the same advice and told this the same to my family. Stay away from confined spaces for awhile. If you don't have to go to the mall - don't go. Don't use public transportation if you don't have to. Don't fly if you can put it off for a week or two.

Unfortunately - the corporations are worried more about their almighty profits than they are about Public Health.

Beat around the bush as much as you can - but - Biden's advice is spot on.

[ananda]

16. Actually, Biden was right.

Airplanes and other confined spaces
become incubators for the flu.

Stay out of them if you can.. that's
really good advice.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

17. It is astounding

that we recently had a VP who told a US Senator to "GFY" and demonstrated his total lack of concern about whether or not people agreed with Bush's "surge" or might not agree with a possible attack on Iran ("so"?), and somebody asks Biden a question, he gives an honest answer and he gets raked over the coals for it????? :shrug:
:wtf:

It doesn't sound like he was being asked about what advice he was giving to the rest of us only what he he was giving his family members some advice (even if it may be considered somewhat medically inaccurate). :eyes: Can't the corporate whore media networks control themselves- at least a little???? I mean, I know they want to smear and destroy Obama/Biden but geez, this is a dumb thing to get all worked up about. Have the Repubs started clamoring for his impeachment now?

[prolesunited]

20. He told the truth

Especially about flying. I get sick *every* time I fly because of the recirculated air. It's not that I'm not washing my hands and I always liberally use hand sanitizer. I have asthma and it seems the viruses find plenty of nesting spots in scarred lung tissue. One time I even ended up with pneumonia.

Sure, the government is not shutting things down, but I think people should be aware of the risks.

[Cha]

28. Maybe even saved

some lives?

[Inuca]

21. Love Biden, but that was an unfortunate comment n/t

[CrispyQ]

22. I didn't need to hear Biden say this to know it's what I would do.

And it's what I would tell my family to do. This is just common sense.