February 25, 2009 7:44 AM
The implementation of President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan will be transparent and vigilantly monitored to ensure the administration can effectively "follow the money," Vice President Joseph Biden told CBS' The Early Show Wednesday.
"This is a matter of discipline and getting it right," Biden said. "That's what we intend to do."
Biden said all information relating to the implementation of the package's dollars would be put "transparently on a Web site" – although he stumbled (watch video here) when asked to name the Web site – which is recovery.gov.
Anchor Maggie Rodriguez told the vice president that one woman who watched Mr. Obama's speech last night had to lay off most of her staff last year. She wanted to know exactly how the stimulus package is going to help small businesses.
Biden cited improvements in transportation, energy and cost of operations – and even suggested that the viewer call his office so he could "guide her as to what pieces of this package would be directly helpful to her."
When Mr. Obama explained Tuesday night why he chose Biden to oversee implementation of his stimulus plan, he said, "Nobody messes with Joe."
Biden said he has been busy getting a team together to orchestrate the unprecedented oversight effort.
"I called for a Cabinet meeting where I'll preside over it so we know exactly what each Cabinet member is doing, what resources available, how they will distribute those sources, how they will follow the money," Biden said. "I am meeting with governors and mayors. I'm meeting with private industry and private business. We want to make sure we don't do what the last administration did when it tried to help the banks."
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