Borger: What surprises Biden the most

[Jennicut]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- During the presidential campaign, vice presidential candidate Joe Biden loved to remind us all of his working-class roots -- born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, son of a car dealership manager.

As the vice president walked into the ornate Secretary of War suite in the Old Executive Office Building at the White House to sit down for his interview with me and "The Situation Room" anchor Wolf Blitzer, it seemed a world away.

It's not as if Biden is unaccustomed to a lot of fuss. He was, after all, a very senior member of the Senate who led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But now the entourage has grown: the Secret Service, the senior staff, the ornate and well-positioned offices close to the president.

But when asked what surprised him most about the job, he surprised me with his singular answer: The Secret Service.

He's been around Washington, he told us, "but I never realized I wouldn't be able to drive an automobile."

He still takes the train back to Delaware, he said.

"I get out of the bubble ... But there's a lot of Secret Service that rides with me. I insist when I'm home I still go to the grocery store. I still do the things I used to do, but it's a lot more cumbersome. That's the part that surprised me."

The part that clearly did not surprise him is the rest of the job, which he clearly relishes. And he was not shy to fire a salvo back at former Vice President Dick Cheney, who told CNN's John King we are less safe because of the policies of the Obama administration. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/07/borger.biden/

Funny stuff. Both the Prez and VP hate living in the bubble.

[Muttocracy]

1. reminds me of when Obama said he missed just going for a walk

Real people.

[Jennicut]

2. Yeah, not driving anymore too. Not sure if I could do that. After 4 to 8 years wouldn't feel

really really weird? LOL...I find it strange after a week long vacation.

[Muttocracy]

3. I would go nuts feeling like I was never alone too. nt

[Jennicut]

4. A bit creepy. But necessary I suppose.

I am sort of glad Cheney was never "alone". He would have been up to some worse evil.

[Muttocracy]

5. I wonder how that works - is there some training for the Sec. Service

on when the person they're protecting has become a threat to the safety of the nation? Cheney was and is dangerous.

[Jennicut]

6. They should have arrested him. I would have!

Actually, Cheney and Bush are higher up then the secret service so they were powerless.

[Clio the Leo]

7. I appreciate all that they're sacrificing.....

... sometimes I think when I hop in my car to go to Taco Bell how much it would suck to not be able to do that. Sure, as Michelle said, "you want pie, suddenly pie appears!" but it's not the same.

Oh the joys of midnight runs to Walgreens for Easter candy and lip gloss ... is it worth getting to meet the Queen? I dunno.

[Jennicut]

8. We have a 24 hour CVS down the street from me.

No munchie cravings for Joe at 11:00 at night. Then again, they bring it TO you so...

[Clio the Leo]

9. Yeah, but it's fun to just go LOOKING for it. lol NT

[Muttocracy]

10. I'd go nuts without being able to just run normal errands and walk my dogs. nt