Biden's Verbal Diarrhea

At 7:05 a.m. Thursday, Biden was asked on NBC's "Today" show what advice he would give to a family member who was considering flying to Mexico.

"I would tell members of my family — and I have — I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now," Biden said. "It's not that it's going to Mexico. It's you're in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft." Biden went on to say he wouldn't suggest that they ride the subway either.

Avoid all airline travel? Don't ride the subway?

Cue the backpedaling.

At 8:47 a.m., Biden's office put out a statement gamely trying to rewrite the vice president's words:

"The advice he is giving family members is the same advice the administration is giving to all Americans: That they should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico," said Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander. "If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."

By 10 a.m., Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano had supplied her own do-over for the VP:

"If he could say that over again, he would say if they're feeling sick they should stay off of public transit or confined spaces because that is indeed the advice that we're giving," Napolitano said on MSNBC.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090430/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_swine_flu_biden