Vice President Joe Biden brought fresh energy to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Thursday with word of a new White House post aimed to advance the cause of people with disabilities.

Biden chose his visit to the Games to announce the appointment of Kareem Dale as special assistant to the president for disability policy.

"He is going to have absolutely direct access to the president," Biden said, adding later: "There's a lot of barriers. We've broken down barriers before. We're going to break down more barriers."

Dale, who traveled with Biden from Washington, D.C., on Air Force 2, said, "I'm just humbled and honored for the faith the president and vice president have shown in me and I look forward to working with them."

Biden said President Obama would have attended the Games, but for the debate on stimulus legislation. "Had we had a few things settled back in Washington, he'd have been here today," Biden told athletes and volunteers at Boise State University for a Healthy Athletes event.

Biden's plane was delayed for about four hours by high winds in the East. But he arrived shortly before 2 p.m. and sped to Qwest Arena, where he watched pairs figure skating and presented medals to three pairs from Chinese Taipei, one from Mexico and one from Germany.

Biden was joined on Qwest's ice for the medal ceremony by figure skater Michelle Kwan, winner of two Olympic medals, five World Championships and nine U.S. championships. Kwan presented bouquets to the pairs.

"This fulfills a dream of mine - to walk out on the ice with Michelle Kwan," Biden told a crowd of just under 2,000. "And a dream to see such fine athletes."

Biden saluted the almost 3,000 athletes from 95 countries in Idaho for the Games. "What lives in the hearts of every one of these young athletes - as my mother would say, lives in every heart - is bravery, tenacity, grit and determination."

Biden said he'd been involved with Special Olympics since shortly after he joined the Senate in 1973, when founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver "grabbed me and said, 'You're now involved.'"

After announcing Dale's appointment, Biden said, "Look, this is a movement. What started off as an avenue and an outlet and a recognition for athletes has turned into a worldwide movement. This is about to change the attitude, change the attitude of governments, change the attitude of individuals.

"It's a big deal. I started off in the civil rights movement. This is a civil rights movement. This is a movement to make sure that we guarantee that all peoples in the world have the opportunity to succeed to the degree they are capable."

Tim Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics board and the son of Eunice Shriver, praised Dale's appointment and the administration's commitment to people with disabilities.

Shriver said 3 million athletes participate in 30,000 events annually worldwide. "We believe this represents the largest movement for tolerance and acceptance in the world," Shriver said.

Said Biden: "I think that's true."

After Shriver spoke, Biden was asked how policy changes would follow when the Games have been largely ignored by national media.

"Let me tell you, if you notice, the fella I serve with has the ability to bring focus on issues," he said. "And this is one of the areas we're going to focus on."

When he arrived in Boise at 1:50 p.m., Biden was greeted on the tarmac by Gov. Butch Otter, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna and Boise Mayor Dave Bieter.

Biden, who seemed to have been briefed about the governor's recent surgery on his right shoulder, immediately reached to shake Otter's left hand.

Biden introduced Luna to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and the pair chatted briefly.

Little, wearing one of the blue-and-white scarves that have become a trademark of the Winter Games, removed it from his shoulders and presented it to Susan Axelrod, president of Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy and the wife of Obama senior adviser David Axelrod.

Between the airport and Qwest Arena, Biden donned a blue-and-white scarf himself. While watching the pairs skate, he sat with Tim McConnell of Enola, Pa., a speedskater with two gold medals.

Later at Boise State, Biden congratulated athletes including Brandon Timmerman of Knoxville, Tenn., winner of three golds in speedskating.

Biden hugged one athlete wearing medals around his neck and said, "Congratulations! Look at this. Look at this. I never won one of these - and I played for years and years and years."

Dan Popkey: 377-6438