The Biden-Gaffe-DC Lobbying Nexus

A little rap about Joe Biden.

So the Vice President made a big mistake. He either misspoke or he told the truth exactly as he saw it, which would mean that he compartmentalized the parietal lobe of his brain from his constitutional lobe.

In any event, his spokesteam -- the hardest working in the biz, as one wag said this morning, sent out a clarifying statement.

Now -- let critics have their day -- Biden deserves the knocks.

But from the standpoint of communicating correct information, is it really helpful for every group associated with air and passenger rail travel to release to the press scathing letters they sent to the VP? These associations' letters do nothing but bring publicity to the association -- and to Biden's original words. They do squat for public health.

Here's the latest missive from the president of the Air Transport Association:

The Vice President
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Vice President:
On behalf of the nation's airlines, I am writing to express my extreme disappointment at your suggestion that people should avoid air travel in response to the H1N1 flu outbreak. You should be aware that the airlines have been working daily with the cadre of government agencies responding to the outbreak and that we are taking all appropriate actions to assure the health of our customers and our employees. While individuals who are feeling ill should remain home, no responsible officials or healthcare professionals have suggested that people avoid air travel. The fact is that the air onboard a commercial aircraft is cleaner than that in most public buildings.
As I am certain you would agree, we need to deal responsibly with the flu threat but, at the same time, while following professional healthcare advice, keep our economy moving forward.
Sincerely,