Vice President Joe Biden, Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia

As a native West Virginian, I was heartbroken by the coal mining tragedy that occurred a few weeks ago. Yesterday, President Obama and Vice President Biden were gracious enough to attend the miners' memorial service at the Beckley-Raleigh Convention Center. I have provided the Vice President's speech below.

A funny tidbit: at around 2:26, he mentions the long and nasty divorce between the WVU football program and now-Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez, and how the deceased miners--like many others in the state--hated the way that it happened. Over the past few days, many people have intimated that this comment may have been slightly inappropriate and insensitive, but I believe the Vice President was simply trying to convey the extent to which everyone in the state is family. It's difficult for outsiders to understand the bond that exists between West Virginians. This comment nicely demonstrates it.