(CNN) - It was an oft-repeated anecdote on the 2008 campaign trail: then-Sen. Joe Biden accepted the request to be the No. 2 on the Democratic presidential ticket at a Delaware dentist office as his wife was undergoing a root canal.
Less discussed however was how Biden first said no to the post when then-Sen. Obama raised the subject months before the final announcement was made.
"I initially said no, that I wasn't interested," Biden told a Pennsylvania crowd Monday night at the annual Allegheny County Democratic Committee dinner. "He asked me to think about it."
Biden said he finally accepted the job "a couple months later" not in a dentist office but in a hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The vice president said he asked the then-Democratic presidential nominee, "Are you really committed to changing the course of this county?"
"He reached out, shook my hand, and said 'I am,'" Biden said.
Of course, according to Biden's wife Jill, the vice president actually had a choice between the No. 2 post and being the Secretary of State.
During an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show last January, Mrs. Biden accidentally let slip that piece of information - though the vice president's office later took issue with that contention.
"To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only – to be his running mate," Elizabeth Alexander, a spokeswoman for Biden, said then. "And the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer."
From CNN Politics
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I wish when Obama was offered the democratic nomination he had said no...ah...to dream....
GOP fears Biden, the experience in government, law, work ethic and integrity is everything HE has.....but then again HE also saved this country from Palin.....the VP debate was nothing less than a political smackdown. He reminded us that the VP role is just as crucial as the Presidency.
Too bad he didn't stick with his initial instinct. He's about as worthless of a VP as you can get. Too bad they don't let Biden out too much, Gibbs must get tired of "explaining" what Biden really meant to say and not what he actually said..............pretty funny!
Unfortunately, the American electorate did not say NO! to the both of them, and now the price we are paying is beyond staggering!!
With all the gaffes he's had, thank god he was only offered the VP's job, regardless of how much Jill wanted to "up" his stature. If he 'elected' to be secstate, the world would truly be in total shambles by now and no one may be here to witness it, except Jill, of course.
Hopefully, Joe is still committed to changing the direction of the country.
Are Joe Biden and George Bush related or just similarly afflicted? Please pray for the President's well-being!
Joe Biden–Obama's court jester......He makes Dan Quail look like a Harvard scholar.
Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb. Perfect for each other.
Why is this discussed now? Arn't they in the middle of a very, very important health care reform process?i don't get it.Let Biden write this in his memoire.
Actually, the president initially offered Joe the Department of Rambling Sentences and Unnecessarily Long Anecdotes of Previous Events that Are Remembered Months Later while sharing an ice cream trucked in from Joe's home state of Rhode Island – come to think of it Delaware.
Why is this news? He blathered on about this months ago. Who cares?
So which one is lying? Oh right, Joe Wilson already told us.
SO WHAT, must be a slow day
President Obama made the right choice in selecting Joe Biden to be his Vice Presidential running mate. He could not have made a better selection. Joe Biden is a smart, sophisticated politician who is a foreign policy expert. Biden would have served well as Secretary of State if selected for that position. I think that Obama should have selected someone else for the Secretary of State position other than Hilary Clinton. Hilary Clinton isn't qualified to be Secretary of State. Initially Obama had Bill Richardson in mind–an excellent choice until Richard had to withdraw due to legal problems. Once Richardson's legal problems are over, I still think that Obama should tap him to be the next Secretary of State and reassign Hilary to another cabinet position.
Sometimes the truth hurts, but please, only tell the truth!
It sure seems like they are still "controlling" the media.
Oh goodie. Bumbling Biden accepted the offer !!! Did he accept it at that diner that she spoke of..the one that he frequented although it had been closed for many years....This cast of characters cannot even get their LIES straight !!!!!
President Obama made the right choice in selecting Joe Biden to be his Vice Presidential running mate. He could not have made a better selection. Joe Biden is a smart, sophisticated politician who is a foreign policy expert. Biden would have served well as Secretary of State if selected for that position. I think that Obama should have selected someone else for the Secretary of State position other than Hilary Clinton. Hilary Clinton isn't qualified to be Secretary of State. Initially Obama had Bill Richardson in mind–an excellent choice until Richardson had to withdraw due to legal problems. Once Richardson's legal problems are over, I think that Obama should tap him to be the next Secretary of State and reassign Hilary to another cabinet position.
Did ole Joe acecpt these offers at that diner he spoke of..the one he said he frequented ...although it had been closed for YEARS !!!! This cast of characters cannot even get their LIES straight !!!
Who cares! Biden is an arrogant, angry, egotistical pig, just like obama and the rest of the libs. The phony obama needed someone who could do and say things that he otherwise couldnt. Obama has surrounded himself with socialsts, so biden fits right in. Biden is a mental midget picked by obama to make himself look smart. We are gonna replace all of these socialists. Tick Tick Tick
omg gag me.
I'm glad we ended up with Biden as a VP. He may talk too much, but he is down to earth, a true family man, hard-working, and he CARES about our country and it's people. All of it's people. He has a lot in common with Barack, but differs enough to provide alternative, and honest input. I certainly do not have to worry about nefarious, undercover, illegal activities from him. I love ya' Joe!!!!
After All That You Just Disclosed In This Blog ...What Is Your Point? Do You Really Have To Waste The Print And Time To Tell Somebody Something That? I Guess At Hypocri...CNN, Old News Travels Fast.
Please allow me to add cnn:
I just took a good look at the picture included with the story, and the first thing that came to mind was a comforting picture of America. Two men, one Black, one White, with their sleeves rolled up, standing in front of a very solid structure.
God I love my country.
We still feel Joe seems like a maverick, since he has been not as boisterous as Cheney, which means that he still could be a silent schemer of sorts.
Wow, CNN is starting to report the news (what ever it is). This is progress!
I bet you wish you could change your mind now.
Joe now wishes he would have "gone with his gut, Champ" and stayed with his first instinct.
Gotta love this guy....ego ego ego. Never met a microphone or camera he didn't like.
Thank you Mr. Biden excellent choice!
Must be a slow news day. Why is this "news?" It's a year old story. C'mon, Cnn.
He should have continued to say no.
He'd done us all a favor by sticking with NO.
It's no secret that "Daddy Bush" picked Dick Cheney as VP to watch over his spoiled brat and nobody talked about that. Dick Cheney never ran for President or VP as Biden did because he knew he'd be VP and behind the scene President.
In the final analysis, it does not really matter who said what to whom and how many job offers were presented to Joe Biden, What matters now is the fact that Joe Biden was and is the best VP for President Obama.
For the sake of the country, he should have said NO.
Joe, you should have gone with your first instinct.
The future of Hennepin County, MN?
Wow, a touching pointless story about a Democrat politician on CNN. You almost never see that.
Almost.
why is the news? the election is OVER
good ole joe,, what a story,, it almost makes me cry,,,, because america has gotten change ,, change for the worst...drip... drip.. drip.. america is changing for the worst a little bit every day....drip ,,,drip........
why is this news? the election is OVER
Biden was choosen by Obama for his expertise on Economy. He is a student of the Stock Market crash of 1929, in fact he has video of FDR addressing it on TV in 1929, the only person to have such video.
The speech he gave when he ran for president in 1988 showed his true values, and that these values are as Democrat/liberal as you can get.
Really Joe!
Biden's a dufus, just like his boss. Yes indeed Oblunder is changing our once powerful country into just another euro country lookalike.
WHETHER HILLARY CLINTON OR JOE BIDEN, , , OBAMA CHOSE WISELY
Compared to Sen. McCain's choice of "I-can-see-Russia-from-Alaska" Sarah Palin, it is pretty clear now that then President-Elect Obama was the wiser man. Either Clinton or Biden as VP is a far superior choice when compared to Airhead Palin.
When Bush was in the White House, the middle class of this country was sent to hell in a handbasket while the tax benefits were being siphoned away and shifted to the top 1% ( and the super rich). All the while we were being SCREWED-OVER and told to just keep our eyes on the "terrorists" and keep singing "God Bless America". -– We are quickly on our way to becoming a 2nd tier country just like all those in Europe. China, a Corporate owned gov`t, will and is the model of the future. --- Just look at all the FREEDOMS they have there !!!!!!
Aw, Joe, you messed up again. Your first reaction was correct, not to be the Veep. Now look what a mess you are in! Also, just look what a mess the country is in!
This is old news. Anyway, if Obama had any real guts he would have picked Hillary Clinton for VP. Biden didn't get 18-million votes, but maybe that is why Obama picked him??
Does anyone really give a hoot what Joe Biden says?
Why didn't he stick with his first answer????????
Odumbo could have picked a monkey for vice president and all of you cool aid sippers would have still voted for him. For the most part, most of the people voting for Odumbo didnt even know Biden was on the ticket. What a joke.
If you believe this I got some bank stock I need to sell at pre Obama prices.
Although I think Biden is doing a Good Job as Vice President.. I believe Clinton would have been a far better VP pick.
Change the course of this country.............too bad voters didn't realize that change meant the bankrupting of America and that Obama was going to be the WORST president ever.
So inspiring......I almost shed a tear. Now we have two fools running the nation instead of one.....it's beautiful.......and to think, we just got rid of Bush, just for another guy that leaves our troops in countries we shouldn't be in. Go figure.
I love Joe Biden, he is the perfect Vice-President. We are lucky to have him.
And I am glad he did.. It is one reason I voted Dem.. this yr.. In fact, with the 2 of them I became a campaigner....And the Perk was I got to sit 4 rows back when Sen. Biden spoke at OUE in St. C. Ohio. I am also a huge fan of Mrs.. Biden and a huge fan of education
Why would you believe anything that comes out of this guy's mouth?
Bidens loves to talk about himself like an off-the-cuff gaffe machine gone wild. No wonder Biden doesn't have time to promote Obama's agenda in Congress and with the public.
Go Joe you are a great man we are proud. So stand tall
Joe Biden hasn't heard a story he's liked better than the ones he makes up.
Biden can not even get his own life straight, never mind remember what he said. The change you voted for America, Twelve trillion in debt and no hope in sight
Biden was a great decision. Its shows true leadership to bring in one's former opponents like Biden and Clinton.
The critics can whine all the want, but the fact remains Obama has one of the most diverse and bi-partisan cabinets in recent history.
You should have stuck to your original decision and talked President Obama out of running for president.
VP Joe, nation is going in right direction...we love you...don't repent....Bush Broke this nation with Iraq war into pieces financially...not pres. obama...ok