Biden Had A Choice Between State Department And Vice Presidency: Jill

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden's wife said Monday that he had his pick of being Barack Obama's running mate or the secretary of state nomination that eventually went to Hillary Rodham Clinton, a slip that the vice president-elect immediately tried to shush.

Jill Biden's comment came during an appearance with her husband on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," taped at Washington's Kennedy Center on the eve of the inauguration.

"Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president," she said. Her husband turned to his wife with his finger to his lips and a "Shhhh!" that sent the audience into laughter. "OK, he did," Jill Biden said in her defense.

The vice president-elect blushed, grimaced and gave his wife a hug while the audience continued to erupt in laughter. "That's right," he finally said to his wife. "Go ahead."

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 in a while."

After the exchange aired on television three hours later, Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denied Jill Biden's account in a statement e-mailed to reporters.

"To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only _ to be his running mate," the statement said. "And the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer."

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While the statement denies that Obama ever offered Biden the secretary of state job, it doesn't rule out that the two discussed the possibility. Obama's transition office did not respond to questions about their private discussions.

Clinton's spokesman declined to comment about the suggestion that she was the second choice.

Obama made no reference to the comments Monday night, when he praised the Bidens at a dinner honoring his running mate at Washington's Union Station. Obama invited the two on stage, where he kissed Jill Biden's cheek and hugged her husband.

On Winfrey's program, Joe Biden 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 when 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.

Alexander's statement said, "Like anyone who followed the presidential campaign this summer, Dr. Jill Biden knew there was a chance that President-elect Obama might ask her husband to serve in some capacity and that, given his background, the positions of vice president and secretary of state were possibilities. Dr. Biden's point to Oprah today was that being vice president would be a better fit for their family because they would get to see him more and get to participate in serving more."

The Bidens made a surprise appearance on Winfrey's show. 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 for 24 hours.

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 and encourage other people to make a pledge to improve their communities. 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."

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On the Net:

http://www.oprah.com

Comments

[fayemac]

What happened to his sacrifice to his country. She was the one who made the disision for him saying that her family comes first. Abigail Adams is rolling in her grave. I cant believe she would flap her mouth like that about something that important and should have been kept between them. I guess she was trying to impress Oprah. I dont think she impressed anybody else. I really like Joe. Jill should have known better and I hope shes a person who learns from her mistakes.

[Insightful]

Really! She is just like Biden when it comes to running off at the mouth. Maybe he is not the best choice for either post. Hillary Clinton is head and shoulders above Joe Biden when it comes to even basic intelligence much less political expertise. I am extremely disappointed in Biden's performance.

I think Obama made a mistake with his choice for VP. I assume Ted Kennedy was leaning on him.

[lisa12345]

This segment was fun, it adds to the overall feeling of celebration. I enjoyed their bantering, I think it will be one of those fun clips you look back on years later, when the urge hits to view archived footage
that captures a certain feeling during an era. Other really enjoyable and interesting images that capture the moment we are in right now include the President's swearing-in (love that!), Obama walking Bush to the plane, moments in the last few days when Obama choked up, and some of the more moving songs and statements by performers. Can you imagine that decades down the road, we will look back on these images with nostalgia? It is hard to comprehend.

[binq56]

Before it became a news story Biden did a New Yorker interview:

Obama also asked Biden whether he thought that he was more suited to a different position. “He said, ‘You have a great interest in national-security policy, foreign policy,’ ” Biden told me. “He wasn’t offering me this, but he said, ‘Would you rather be Secretary of State instead of Vice-President?’ And I thought a lot about that.”

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_lizza

[KeepMeLearning]

I can't believe all the people here who are ANALyzing this statement to pieces. Don't we have bigger fish to fry than THIS?

This is a non-story,

[darter22]

Actually, honesty and candor seem kind of refreshing at the moment.

[toocoldout]

I agree. They were great on Oprah. Very straight forward. They didn't seem like politicians at all, but like real people.

[pupbayer]

That wasn't honesty and candor...that was just tacky.

[Retrofuturistic]

Maybe more people in government will speak frankly....

[marijam]

Her dress was too short. It wasn't age appropriate nor appropriate for the weather.

[DemNY]

She looked ridiculous. Try dressing your age, honey

[NCOak]

wat

[glorialovelace]

Mutton dressed as lamb.

[SmolderingRuin]

One wonders if it was deliberate. If not, it certainly was impolitic. Of course, some would say that's a good thing.

[Bulbul]

On the eve of this historic moment, was the time to be magnanimous , and humble , being impolite and chatty was not a good thing.

[SmolderingRuin]

I tend to agree with you. I'm not one of the "some who would say it's a good thing" myself.

I read your profile before replying. Don't give up your quest to meet the Dalai Lama. Doing so was the high point of my life.

[seattlejanet]

Man does this Jill have a big mouth......

Poor Joe was CRINGING as she just kept YAPPING

[jonnai]

I hope that Jill does not quite her teaching job. Because she has a big mouth when the cameras are on.

[DemNY]

She made such a fool of herself.

[WorldGoneWild]

I love Jill and Joe. You get no BS with the Bidens.

[madzippy]

people can read into it what they will. but i take it at face value. the response is an honest one. so why jump all over her?

[nazirmo]

The reason Jill gave as to why she told her hubby to go for the V.P post is interesting. She said that were he to take the SOS post she would not get to see him often.
Well that is certainly an insult to Hillary. Perhaps Jill thinks that Hillary and Bill just live in the same house and they are quite busy with their own schedules to have much time for each other and so Hillary would be just fine as SOS because for her it would be OK to be away most of the time on matters related to foreign policy.
Jill definitely made a big error.

[sjcb8]

i disagree....the bidens have children and small grandchildren who live near them and are close to them. chelsea does her own thing, and bill is a busy guy as well. jill was giving her reasons why it wouldn't have worked as well FOR THEIR FAMILY. whyyyyyyy must it have anything to do with the clintons?

[dana94591]

I like her already! She can't not tell the truth!!!

[jweider]

I don't see how this is a story.
I think he would do a great job as either SOS or VP. Same with Hillary Clinton. Either one would have been my choice for President over Obama.
I'm just glad Bush is gone. Hopefully him and his wife will hurry up and get off the public dole so we can start to balance the budget.