VP Biden says--
 

Now is not a good time to fly because of the swine flu.

Talk about fear mongering.

Loose cannon.

Considering that via airplane travel is how swine flu spread to all regions of the US (aside from the initial cases in Texas), I agree with him.

Planes are incubators. Recycled air, close quarters. One person with swine could potentially infect the entire plane.

I agree that all unnecessary travel should be limited.

Just in time for me to start flying...

I hear ya. I might have to do some traveling for work soon.

My roommate is a high school teach and just happens to be sick. That's always comforting.

It is true JD that some may have been spread to other areas of the country
because people traveled there by plane transportation, but not because people got the flu while on a plane,
although that could happen in any enclosed area.

Better WHO gives out that kind information if needed, then listen to a VP's opinion imho.


Sure doesn't help the economy either way.

That's not what he said. Biden remarked that if it were up to him, personally he'd avoid confined spaces with people to mitigate the chances of infection.

He never said "people shouldn't fly".

-spence

Actually Spence, he said that if it were him or his family, he would advise them not to take the subway or airplanes. So I think most Americans would say to themselves that if he wouldn't do it, then they shouldn't either, no? He did in fact contradict other statements from high ranking White House officials concerning travel during the outbreak. That was a couple of hours before he made a statement clarifying (flip flopping) on what he had said only a couple hours earlier. Keep it up, though. Your blind loyalty and excuse making for this Administration is kind of cute in a puppy following around it's master sort of way.

No, I just watched the video of his remarks and formed my own opinion. He clearly placed his comment in context with the advice from experts that we shouldn't close borders but instead should focus on mitigation which means avoiding close quarters.

I can see how people might read his remarks the wrong way, so it's good that they saw this and clarified them.

What's absurd is how quick you are to jump on Biden like this is some cataclysmic gaff and another example of how we're all going to hell. There's more energy being poured into fake outrage over Obama since his inauguration than there is going towards legitimate criticism.

Perhaps that should tell you something about yourself.

-spence

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not recommend taking any commercial flight or riding in a subway car “at this point” because swine flu virus can spread “in confined places.” A little more than one hour later, Biden rushed out a statement backing off.

Host Matt Lauer had asked the vice president: “This is by no means a ‘gotcha’ type of question. … But if a member of your family came to you … and said, ‘Look, I want to go on a commercial airliner to Mexico, and back within the next week,’ would you think it’s a good idea?” Biden made it unmistakably clear he would not want his family to make any trips on planes or subways.

These sorts of comments are what the Obama administration fears from Biden, who after more than three decades in Washington is known for making gaffes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/21925

I'm glad that you can relate to the common folks and see how they might interpret things.

If you re-read my post, I'm just paraphrasing what I read on MSNBC today. I'm definitley not saying it's a "cataclismic gaff", I'm saying that maybe he needs to think a little more about what he's going to say in an instance where the public is already a bit freaked out.

If you actually took the time to read many of my posts, you'll see that I don't pour any energy into "fake outrage" against Obama. If anything, I'm probably more willing to take the "wait and see if things get better" approach with him than many people posting in here. I think most, if not all criticism I've levied against him has had a solid basis.

And "perhaps that should tell you something about yourself" doesn't make sense as a sentence. You could have left out "perhaps" and you would have still come across as a smug know it all. :bl:

Sorry, I only do what the Whitehouse and Moveon.org beam into my receptor :bshake:

-spence

It's o.k. Spence. I'm sure someone here from the far right can let you borrow a tinfoil hat. :alien:

I'm not a fan of Joe Biden but, there is some truth to what he said at the time. There are some things that you just do not say in public.

did mention to my family that it would be a good idea not to fly if you do not need to for another week or so. A sneeze comes out of the mouth equal to approx. 110 miles per hour, so them fluids travel through the air. Do you realize that when you flush the toilet a fine spray that you can not feel goes approx. 3-4 ft in the air.

Studies have shown that toothbrushes withing 6' of the toilet can get fecal particles on them if people don't close the lid.

Read that one in Men's Health last month.

Our modern jets have air filtration units that are equal to most intensive care units. Flying is pretty safe, unless the sickie is within a few feet of you....

After a monster dump I've found that nothing gets residual fecal matter off your hands like making a crock pot's worth of meatballs for the office holiday party.

Listening to NPR right after this happened, they had some airborn transmission specialist on that stated if someone coughs, anyone within 2 rows of them can possibly get sick.

In essence, 20 people are directly at risk from a cough. That doesn't include using the restroom or the flight attendant pouring you some water right after they took the sick person's empty cup.

34 cases in Ma. now