Biden manages to anger everyone over bad flu advice

The Air Transport Association concurred. The CEO of the airline industry trade organization wrote a letter to the vice president and to make sure he received it (in case the mailman forgot to deliver it), they mass-blasted it out to all the media.

"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," wrote James C. May.

"The fact is that the air onboard a commercial aircraft is cleaner than that in most public buildings," he added.

Of course that statement could lead to stampedes of screaming people fleeing from public buildings, but that's another issue.

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And the US Travel Association chimed in. President Roger Dow said the public should "heed the advice of medical experts" instead of the vice president. Well, he didn't mention him by name. But, we're assuming that's who he meant.

"Elected officials must strike a delicate balance of accurately and adequately informing citizens of health concerns without unduly discouraging travel and other important economic activity," he said.

Even more

And the VP's old pal Senator Tom Harkin, appearing on Radio Iowa, said Biden's advice was "very unfortunate."

"We just don't need that kind of misinformation going out. I wish the vice president had checked with the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before he made such a statement," he said.

Sum it up

Perhaps the conservative website Red State issued the best statement:

"If President Obama wishes to handle this crisis by sending Vice President Biden to an undisclosed location until it’s over, well, sacrifices must be made," they wrote.

Although it sounds like Biden is having a bad day, at least he wasn't responsible for the 9/11 coloring book. Click here for that story.

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