Oh, our aching sides! Words are so hard for Vice President Biden and his office. Just last week, Biden said that his gun task force meetings are totally not photo ops. At a gun task force meeting. A photo from which the White House then tweeted out.
Today, there was another “words are so hard” example.
VP Biden meets today with 12 members of the House Democratic task force on gun violence. No Republicans. No photo op.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 14, 2013
Weird! Because here is … a photo.
VP meets with House members & Cabinet officials today at the WH to discuss efforts to curb gun violence. (WH Photo) pic.twitter.com/xNHnO2XL
— VP Biden (Archived) (@VP44) January 14, 2013
It depends on what the definition of photo is! CBS’ Mark Knoller, who is a Twitter master and an all-around good guy, tries to explain it away a little.
@SpeakWithAuthor Exatly right. A photo op means the press. A photo release is a handout.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 14, 2013
Sorry, Mark, but we must disagree. A photo op does not specifically mean for the press. Other people do exist. We are givers, so here is a definition for the Vice President’s office:
a situation or event that lends itself to and is often arranged expressly for the taking of pictures that give favorable publicity to the individuals photographed
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Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Why do you think the photo was sent out?
By the way, what happened to that whole “bipartisan spirit”?
Bipartisan! MT @markknoller: VP Biden meets today w/12 members of House Democratic task force on gun violence. No Republicans. No photo op.
— Kathy Neiheisel ?? (@5sahandful) January 14, 2013
And, get ready for the next photo. Op, or otherwise.
WH official tells me Biden and POTUS are, indeed, meeting this afternoon to discuss gun recs from Biden's task force
— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 14, 2013
Featuring Obama’s own mug, natch.
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