Bidens Clarify Conflicting VP and State Offers

The Obama-Biden transition team clarified her remarks earlier today made by Dr. Jill Biden, the incoming Second Lady, during a taping of the “Oprah” show that indicated her husband, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, had a choice between becoming either vice president or secretary of state during the Obama administration.

“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,” said Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander. “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.”

“Joe had the choice of being secretary of State or vice president,” Dr. Biden said during the show, before being shushed by her husband. Dr. Biden added: “I said, ‘Joe if you are secretary of State you will be away, I’ll never see you. We will see you at a state dinner once in a while. But I said if you are vice president, the entire family, because they worked so hard for the election, they can be involved

“To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only — to be his running mate. And the Vice President-elect was thrilled to accept the offer,” Alexander said.