Big #@%*$%&; Deal, or No Problem? What's Your Opinion of Col

By now, Vice President Biden's remark on the passage of health care reform has been firmly established in the annals of infamy—and will likely find its way into the term papers of mischievous history and poli-sci students in years to come. Perhaps most striking about the coverage of the incident is the lack of controversy it generated—surely a sign that we're living in changed times. Just imagine if such a comment had been picked up on an open mike at the passage of Medicare, or when Social Security was established—those politicians would likely have been drummed out of office for offending the public sensibility. These days, however, we have everyone from the White House Press Secretary to the entire panel on Meet the Pressoffering little more than a rueful grin and their complicit agreement with Biden's sentiment.

All of which has us here at Vault wondering: Does the free pass for Biden apply in the American workplace today? Are the rules on colorful language on the job any more relaxed than in preceding generations? And if so, is it a good thing? We'd love to hear your thoughts on any aspect of this issue—provided, of course, that you can keep it clean!

--Posted by Phil Stott, Vault.com