Vice President Joe Biden told the nation's governors Thursday that if the $787 billion stimulus fails, "I'm dead."
Biden, who holds regular calls with governors and mayors to chart the progress of the stimulus package, said he was pushing accountability standards purely out of "self-interest."
"If it fails, I'm dead," he said.
Biden held the conference call with almost all the governors -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) did not participate -- to encourage them to make the Oct. 15 deadline for reporting the number of jobs created and saved by the stimulus package.
With his trademark folksy candor, which has been known to give the White House and his political advisers fits, Biden said the stimulus is working and "knock on wood," it will continue to work.
