Biden Invites Shanksville Firefighters to the White House for a Beer

September 11, 2012, 1:29 pm

By PETER BAKER

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. - Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stopped by the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department after his speech marking the anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, to greet the firefighters and arrived just in time for the barbecue and a little earthy talk.

Jumping out of his limousine, Mr. Biden immediately encountered Deputy Chief Brad Shober, 44, of Shanksville, who had been among the firefighters who visited him at the vice president's residence a year ago. At the time, Mr. Shober said, the vice president gave him a ceremonial coin and told him, “Next time I see you, if you have that coin, drinks are on me.”

When Mr. Biden saw that he had the coin, he invited Mr. Shober and the rest of the firefighters to visit him again to Washington and pointed to an aide. “He's going to call you,” Mr. Biden said, then using an expletive.

Then noticing reporters following him, the vice president said, “I didn't know you guys were here.”

Turning back to Mr. Shober, he cleaned up the language. “This is no malarkey. You come to the White House. I'll buy you a beer.”

Mr. Biden worked the group of firefighters as he typically does, gripping their shoulders, joking with them, telling them Delaware stories. One firefighter said, “You got my vote.” Mr. Biden replied, “Thank you, man. That's not why I'm here, but thank you.”

He talked again about hosting them after the election. “Win, lose or draw, I'm still going to be vice president in January.” They should come, he said. “That's a deal.” He added: “I give you my word. I'm not just saying it.”

He gathered the firefighters a nd posed for pictures in front of a red fire truck with a banner “United We Stand” in red white and blue. Looking at the clear sky, he said, “Isn't it eerie? The day's just like it was.”

Then he headed over to the grill. “Come on, let's go get one. I want a hot dog.” He actually served himself a hamburger and put a slice of American cheese on it. He pulled a $20 bill out of his wallet and put it in a firefighter's boot that was used to deposit donations.

“I want the record to show,” he said. Then noting Secretary Ken Salazar behind him in line, he added: “My twenty covers both of us.”

Asked what his wife, Jill Biden, would think of his diet, he said, “She's going to say, ‘Joe, what the hell are you doing?' I just ate a peanut butter sandwich between here and there.”