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Play before work: That’s Obama’s lieutenant for you

An unabashed US Vice-President Joe Biden told US President Barack Obama on Friday he was sorry for leaving him behind to manage the oil spill but was thrilled to be watching the World Cup.

Updated on: Jun 12, 2010, 24:27:19 IST
Reuters | By , Johannesburg
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An unabashed US Vice-President Joe Biden told US President Barack Obama on Friday he was sorry for leaving him behind to manage the oil spill but was thrilled to be watching the World Cup.

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“I am honoured to be (here) representing the United States. The President is angry,” Biden told a group of dignitaries at the US consulate in Sandton, near Jo’burg.

Biden, who arrived in South Africa with several family members about a day ahead of the kick-off to the sports spectacle, told the group not to take the US side lightly. The United States play England in their opening Group C match on Saturday and the Irish-American Biden expects to be in attendance cheering on coach Bob Bradley's side.

“In the spirit of a genuine Irishman, we are going to beat England,” Biden said.

The British oil company BP's Gulf of Mexico spill has given President Obama one of the biggest problems of his presidency. The Vice-President wished South Africa luck in staging the World Cup, saying, “No other sport in the world ever focussed such attention on one country than the World Cup. All eyes are on South Africa.”

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