Biden, Fire fighters, and Mom-Mom

So I -- and I was in Philadelphia this morning.  I'm there a lot.  This morning my mom was operated on.  She's 92 years old, and God love her, she came through.  She broke her hip, and she came through the operation incredibly well.  I told her that -- (applause) -- those of you who've met my mom, you know she's fairly politically astute -- (laughter) -- and she still runs the show.  And so I said, "don't worry, Mom -- last night I went up to see her, and with, obviously, my brothers and my sister and my wife and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and my daughter and my -- everybody is up, because Mom-Mom runs the show.  You think I'm joking -- I'm not.  (Laughter.) 

And I said, "Mom, don't worry, I'll be here when they take you up.  And you were here for me, joking for every operation."  My brother leaned down to her.  He said, "Mom, you know how you always say, 'I'd rather be there than you?'  He said, "Mom, I'm glad it's you instead of me."  (Laughter.)  And he has got this sense of humor, and he made her laugh. 

But, I said, "I cleared my schedule tomorrow."  She said, "Valerie said you were talking to the fire fighters."  I said, "Yes, Mom, but I'll get a chance to talk to them again."  She said, "Joey, talk to the fire fighters."  Then she turned to my sister, "And, Valerie, you're still doing that St. Patrick's Day speech in Scranton, aren't you, tomorrow?

(White House Photos, 3/16/09, David Lienemann)