Biden heading to Boehner-land

Vice President Joe Biden will head to House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) territory on Thursday to tout economic stimulus progress.

Biden will be heading to Cincinnati on Thursday, which lies just south of Boehner’s 8th District.

More than one Democrat pointed out, on background, that the trip could be interpreted as Biden trying to stick it to Boehner over his recent remarks about the $787 billion stimulus package. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Tuesday that Boehner walked back a comment last weekent that no stimulus contracts had been awarded in Ohio. In fact, 52 stimulus funded road and bridge projects have been OK’d by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Boehner later clarified his statement, saying that in spite of those contracts, the process is still creeping along.

“The entire process has been absurdly slow moving just as Republicans warned it would be when we called for an economic recovery bill based on fast-acting tax relief for small businesses and working families,” Boehner said.

Boehner’s remark, however, was part of a major Republican talking point that may be gaining some traction. With unemployment continuing to creep toward 10 percent, many have said that a second stimulus may be needed since the first one isn’t have an effect fast enough. Biden, in fact, refused to rule out a second stimulus last weekend and the GOP has hammered Biden for saying the administration “misread” the economy.

jeremy.jacobs@digital-staging.thehill.com