Joe Biden update: He meets on transparency today. But the meeting is closed

Everybody should just relax and take it easy.

Unsubstantiated rumors that Vice President Joe Biden had suddenly gone a little loopy and ordered some of his official meetings opened to at least cursory public or media attention were just that -- unsubstantiated rumors.

After a recent public sighting, fears had mounted that the one-time, long-term senator might rebel against traditional White House strictures and start acting on all the administration's oft-promised promises of government transparency and official openness running back into 2008.

But the VP's public schedule today puts all those fears to rest.

In fact, loyal Ticket readers will recall that one day last summer with no advance warning whatsoever Biden's official White House schedule changed from listing frequent "private meetings" to listing frequent meetings that are "closed press." Was this dramatic and....

...little-noticed vocabulary change a sign of internal administration turmoil? What did it really mean?

No, of course not. And, nothing.

Announcing everyone the VP meets with, including sessions with unidentified senior staff, which consume much of the vice president's listed time, and what subjects they talk about would have been a stark contrast to George W. Bush's administration, whose notoriously secretive ways drew such criticism from Democrats in Congress during eight long years of really failed policies.

Instead, in the apparent interests of bipartisanship, the Delaware Democrat has adopted much the same sort of undetailed schedule as his Republican predecessor, Dick Cheney, who was not in the Senate when Obama was only 11 years old.

In fact, today's Biden schedule highlight is a meeting with the chief of transparency for economic recovery. But, unfortunately, the transparency meeting is non-transparent, closed to the press. (See his full schedule below.) Which makes it -- what? -- secret openness? Open secrecy?

In a joint report issued early this week a league of nonprofit groups including Common Cause gave the Democratic administration high marks for its openness, although it said the work was incomplete and didn't really go into the lack of open healthcare legislative hearings televised by C-SPAN, as promised by candidate Obama.

Under the category of good but not good enough, here's another viewpoint from Tommy Christopher, including the Obama C-SPAN promise video.

Biden once described Cheney as the most dangerous VP in American history. But since Biden will only turn 68 this year, he was probably overstating in his well-known, jolly way the dangerous vice presidents that he's known whose devious backroom skills and ways earned them fame over the decades --men with household names like William King, Henry Wilson and T.A. Hendricks.

Someday, who knows, Biden's too may join them.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Here is the vice president's official schedule for today. Boldface was added in the interests of emphasis. Note especially that the vice president's meeting with the chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board is closed, meaning non-transparent.

The "pool spray" mentioned has nothing to do with aquatics. It's a coded message to media that a few select members will be allowed in to take pictures briefly -- possibly for only a few seconds -- as Biden and his guest pretend to continue their previously private conversation as if the meeting was open.

DAILY GUIDANCE FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT, Thursday, January 14, 2010:

In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. These briefings are closed press.

At 11:30 AM, the Vice President will meet with Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This meeting is closed press.

Afterwards, the President and the Vice President will have lunch in the Private Dining Room. This lunch is closed press.

 At 1:00 PM, the Vice President will meet with Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd al-Mahdi in the Roosevelt Room. There will be a pool spray at the bottom of this meeting; gather time is 1:45 PM in the Brady Briefing Room.

(UPDATE 2:20 p.m.: The White House issued its own report on this closed meeting. Both paragraphs are added below at the end of the VP's schedule.)

Then, at 2:15 PM, the Vice President will meet with Earl Devaney, chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board. This meeting is closed press.    ###

White House report on one of Biden's closed meetings:

Today, Vice President Biden met with Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd al-Mahdi at the White House. President Obama joined part of the discussion. The leaders discussed preparations for the March parliamentary elections and ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding national unity issues.

Today’s meeting was the latest in an ongoing series of high-level engagements between U.S. and Iraqi officials. The U.S. government remains committed to a long-term partnership with the Iraqi government and people.    ###

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Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Steve]

Cheney never served in the Senate; he was a House
member.

(Correct. That's what it says.)

[What the?]

Ha! A closed-door meeting on transparency. I love it! So typically Obama-esque. That's like selling 'NO SOLICITING' signs, door-to-door.

[Sid]

If this storyline doesn't find it's way into a Saturday Night Live skit or a Letterman show, we will know just how corrupted the lefties who infest these shows have become. This stuff just writes itself---just hilarious and pathetic at the same time.

[john smith]

And I 'll bet you almost anything that this "Very Empty Suit," "Empty Shoes and sox", and his own employees see no form of oxymoron hanging out in the fact that the transparancy issue . is being delt with in closed door meetings with no Republicans "again" invited.
You also said Biden met the President of Iraq at the WH. Did Biden recognisenhim?

[RedTruck]

Does anyone believe one word out of Joe Biden's mouth!
Really - what a joke.

[Nico]

HAHAHAHA! Only demonrats could come up with something like this! A secret and closed meeting on transparency... Couldn't make it up if I tried!

[Tony Malone]

Great job exposing this Administration for the pathological liars that they are. Only one problem.... the cheap shot and true fallacy that is perpetuated by the LA Times and most deranged liberals: "8 years of failed policies".

HELLO?!?!!? What about January 3rd 2007?

Please stop perpetuating the lie about the "8 years" and speak the truth. Think about this:

Remember the day...
January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the House:

At the time:

The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77

The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%

The Unemployment rate was 4.6%

George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION!

Remember the day...
January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee.

The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?

BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!!!

THANK YOU DEMOCRATS for taking us from 13,000 DOW, 3.5 GDP and 4.6% Unemployment... to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOS!

So when you want to blame Bush...

REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007.... THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!

[Yeah, no.]

"stark contrast to George W. Bush's administration, whose notoriously secretive ways drew such criticism from Democrats in Congress during eight long years of really failed policies."

LOL. Is there any wonder your paper is going out of business? Could you be any more blind to the truth? The worst year in my memory of our Country and you are still criticizing Bush and his 'really failed policies'. Well, at least you've finally moved on from blaming everything on Reagan.

[fidlin1]

Hey Joe
Your administration makes a better wall than a window.
and Hey Joe,
Where you goin' with al that money in your hand?

[Bob]

Isn't Biden some sort of elected official? It has been so long since I've seen him I've forgotten what he does! LOL

[Jack Kinch(1uncle)]

Demo politicians have no shame.

[Maj Mike]

Dear Revelstoke. I've been water boarded. Let me explain how they do it. They tear off your clothes, blindfold you and tie you to a chair naked and ask 'how old are you' You respond with your name, date and serial number and they ask again 'how old are you? so, you just give them your date of birth and then they hit you in the face and flip the chair upside down, throw tape over your mouth and begin to poor water up your nose. when you can breath they ask again how old are you? .....And then it starts all over again. This was in North Carolina as I prepared to go to Viet Nam..... because I knew if I was captured this was a stroll in the park.

[Account Deleted]

One problem with liars is that liars have to tell even more fantastic lies to cover their previous lies.

0bama has built his agenda on one lie after the other.

There is no way, at this point, that 0bama or Biden can tell the truth. It would be too destructive.

0bama and the democrats depend on the easily duped voters to proceed with their fabrication built on lie after lie.

[carter]

what a sham this administration is... i never feared for the country and constitution like this before in my life

[Nukulir]

My guess is that all of this "open transparency" is to keep Crazy Joe from saying something so incredibly stupid in public, that may jeapordize the Boston election issue thus putting Brown over the top over the female gangster AG and blowing the deal for the Dumbocrats in Messytwosh*ts.

At the End of Days, Joe will be the one on top of the Empire State building swatting at airplanes just before he crashes to the ground.

[John]

At least the politicians are really trying to live up to the transparency they promised. (sarcasm)

[smokehouse]

a stark contrast to George W. Bush's administration, whose notoriously secretive ways drew such criticism from Democrats in Congress during eight long years of really failed policies.

Just what the hell do "really failed policies" mean? We are only one year in on the magic negroes term and all of his policies have failed. It will be a long 4 years.

[Neil]

No, No... he said "closed to the Pres" not "closed to the Press"... He didn't want Pres Obama messing up his photo op...

[Mike]

The whole Obama administration is made up of tax cheats, liars, radicals, socialists, Chicago and union thugs and incompetent boobs like Biden.

The head of C-SPAN has implored Congress to open up the last leg of health care reform negotiations to the public, as top Democrats lay plans to hash out the final product among themselves.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/05/c-span-challenges-congress-open-health-care-talks-tv-coverage/
Updated January 05, 2010
C-SPAN Challenges Congress to Open Health Care Talks to TV Coverage

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid don't want us to know what's in the final misnamed health care reform bill.

When will the news media stop being Obama cheerleaders and hold him and his administration accountable to the American people?
The liberal bias press worked 24/7 to elect Obama. Now they work just as hard to keep the Obama brain dead Zombies chanting Yes We Can with their hands held out for the government dole.

[WeMadeAmistake]

It's obvious, Biden has been around his incompetant purple lipped narcissist boss too much. He never says what he means and he never means what he says. No wonder Man-boy and his boy wonder can never keep a promise.

[Russ]

What a buffoon. Yet that idiot letterman picks on palin.

[Geepa]

Andrew: have I told you how much I like what you write?

[plebian]

Meanwhile, our troops hazard all they hold dear and uphold their oath while those at whose behest they serve couldn't care less about their oath or the document to which the foreswore it.
Infamy.

[ED357]

HAAAA.....HAAAA.....

The INMATES are running the asylum.......

BWAAAAAAAA.....HAAAAAAAAA.....HAAAAAAAA

[doesitreallymatter]

So, LA Times is questioning the administration. How, um, novel.

Not too excited here, because a broken clock is correct twice a day. Soon, the paper will be back licking the boots of the administration.

Funny, talk about transparency; where's the tape that you squashed prior to the 2008 elections?

Those who live in glass houses, really shouldn't throw stones, eh?

(You really need to read us more often. You wouldn't be so surprised.)

[Dave Mann]

Joe Bidenpence was a joke before Obama chose him and he continues his tradition today, even without opening his mouth and inserting his foot. This guy and Quayle should do a half hour talk show just to lift everyone's spirits. With the right sound effects I bet their show could replace Jay Leno's and get much better ratings.

[Jake - from Delaware]

Can I ask an honest, serious question of a Democrat and/or someone who voted for Obama? Then get a serious, truthful answer?
Are you not bothered by the broken promises of this man? He promised transparency, a new tone in Washington, etc. - but it is the same, if not worse, politics.
Where is the outrage, or at least disappointment? Or is it all about power and doing whatever you can while you have the power, and the future be damned?

[Dennis D]

This would be funny if it weren't true. Bunch if clowns bashed Bush relentlessly for 8 yrs and are now doing exactly what they attacked him for.

[Doug Denehie]

It's kind of hipicritical to say Bush had fail policies and not this clown of an empty shirt President we have. Fail policies and unkept promises all over the place. The sorryist president in my 60 years.All you media covering for him make you just as bad. Ya'll suck just like his majesty.

[ringmaster76120]

I am surprised to see this story in the LA Times. I did not think they could find any "wrong" in this administration.
I believe the Washington press corp has figured out that everything they see is only another Lie, a photo opt, a trial ballon or a set up for the next tax- spend-regulate law in the works...Kinda makes their contribution to the real "news profession" amount to zero...that's like having a government job.

(You really need to read us more often. You wouldn't be so surprised.)

[GavinInTucson]

LMAO!!! It doesn't get any richer than this. Would someone PLEASE get Joe enrolled into that 12-step program I keep hearing so much about???

[kenflot]

This President's hostility toward the private sector is quite transparent.

Is it possible Biden can't see it? It's more likely that he just doesn't want to see it!

[TexasKoz]

First you need to have a meeting in private to plan on how you are going to Lie to the American people and the world...once the plan is in place and everyone knows their part, you can open the doors and let "the people" in.

[Mike]

I beg to differ. Biden has always been "loopy".

I am sympathetic to Obama. I am not smart enough to be President either. If you look up Peter Principle in the dictionary, you would likely see Obama and Biden's pictures.

[Timothy L. Pennell]

The Bush Administrations' 'NOTORIOUS SECRETIVE WAYS'? And what's going on NOW, between "THE MOST TRANSPARENT ADMINISTRATION EVER", and THE MOST ETHICAL CONGRESS EVER"? What would you call THAT?
Thank God you're not BIASED.

[Bill]

If Joe Biden's brain was TNT, he couldn't blow the top of his head off!

[Stu Strickler]

What would anyone expect? Joe Biden is a liberal. Say one thing and do something else.

[robert smith]

The press/media is complicit in the thuggery going on by the Obama Crime Syndicate. They did not call the ONE on any of his activies past or present. Obama, ever the thug, took that as a sign that he could do as he pleases. That is how he conducts his adminstration.

He has done in 11 months what it took George the Foolish to do in 7 years:

TOTALLY DISCREDIT HIMSELF AND HIS PARTY!

Obama the Idiot.

[jim]

I see no humor in Joe Biden, anyone that is trying to take away all my freedoms is not funny under any circumstance. Biden and the miscreant Democrats are trying to convert the USA into a totalitarian nation and those that support ANY Democrat is too stupid to see it

[Sick of the Dems]

"* long years of failed policies?" And just what are those failures? Iraq? We won - destroyed al qaeda, Terrorism? Bush beat that too, no attacks in 8 years, Barry Obammy 2 in 2 months. The economy? FIVE PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT. That equates to near ZERO taking account the lazy dems on welfare and the military. Obammy? 17 percent - I count the people who give up, and after a year the economy is still in the crapper AND going down and now we are having inflation. No matter how badly the dems and democratic papers spin it, this admin is the WORST since Carter, and is goes back farther. God help us remove the dem majority so the republicans, as USUAL, can fix the mess of the US the democrats have made.

[uhu]

one question only (if they ever answer a question):

OBAMA WHY DID YOU SPEND 2 MILLION TO KEEP YOUR BIRTH CERT A SECRET SO FAR - WHATS TO HIDE???

(other than your misrepresentation and TREASON)

LIARs.

[hillcoguy]

Joe, Joe, Joe! A closed meeting on open meetings.....whatcha been smokin' ?
You are one funny guy, but looks aren't everything! ;o)

[DonntBeFooled]

Move along now folks, nothing to see here.

mmm...mmm...mmm...

[Jim]

Jefferson was right on!

What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), U.S. president. Letter, 13 Nov. 1787, referring to Daniel Shays’s rebellion of poor farmers in Massachusetts. Jefferson, writing from Paris, was the only one of the American leaders not alarmed by news of the revolt.

[B. D. Weber]

In response to Obamamammajamma comment:
"I had to respond because the message board was empty."...
It was not empty... Merely transparent!!!

[pamlinson]

If he and the rest of this criminal administration weren't so dangerous it would be comical, but make no mistake about it (let me be clear) they are all dangerous.

[O.Really]

Coming from this liberal rag?

I think I found a lining for the cat box!

(Well, you'll have to print it out on your own cheap paper.)

[cynic]

James, I think the LAT was being sarcastic with the 'bipartisan' comment. Biden is the only, and I mean ONLY, almost bright spot in this administration. Always good for a laugh.

So Common Cause, et. al, gives this administration high marks for openness. What in the world have they been smoking?

[Jeeper Dude]

The irony is unreal.

[polina]

It depends on the meaning of the word tranperancy, doesn't it? . Now, we can not only question what is is...this demacratic vocabulary is getting extended!!