During his first address to Congress last night, President Barack Obama thrust his deputy into the spotlight with an assertion delivered with a smile, but punctuated with a clear message: "Nobody messes with Joe."
Biden, for his part, seemingly relished the role of enforcer yesterday.
Vice President Joe Biden will oversee all the spending in the $787 billion stimulus bill, and will act as Obama's watchdog in what the president called an "unprecedented oversight effort."
"I'm going to be a bit of a pain in neck," Biden said to Cabinet members earlier today, according to ABC News. Biden will meet with Cabinet members weekly to discuss the spending.
Biden made various media stops today talking about the stimulus bill and how the money will flow from Washington to "Main St." Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America , Biden said "the money cannot be squandered" and the states will be held accountable for what they do with their portion.
Biden didn't stop there, saying he will personally call out any state that doesn't use the money responsibly by exposing them on TV or radio. In some cases the government could even withdraw the money, he said.
While maintaining a stern tone throughout the day, Biden couldn't help committing one of his signature slip-ups. While appearing on CBS's The Early Show, Biden forgot the website the government has set up for any questions people might have on the stimulus bill spending. A red-faced Biden said he was embarrassed and should have had the website name in front of him.
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On The Early Show, Biden recounted the tale of a small business owner who wanted to know how her questions about the spending plan can be answered.
"I recommend that woman call my office directly and I will be able to guide her as to what pieces of this package would be directly helpful to her, " said Biden.
