For what it’s worth, the previous second lady, Lynne Cheney, had a PhD in English Literature from Wisconsin. I don’t recall her ever being referred to as “Dr. Cheney” in the press or White House press releases. But she’d already had a distinguished career in her own right, including a stint as NEH chair. She was a fellow at AEI while her husband was veep; I don’t know whether she was paid.

Interestingly, Cheney was referred to as "Dr." when old man Bush nominated her to the NEH: http://tinyurl.com/drcheney

She was referred to as Mrs. when she left the workforce (the LA Times article implies that Dr. C's time at AEI was gratis)

So it seems quite appropriate that as a professional, Dr. Biden would use her title.

The bigger question is why in the hell would she want to be an underpaid adjunct at a second rate community college, when she could sit around the Naval Observatory and get sloshed on Manhattans all day?

Actually, Rice never insisted on the title -- preferring "Ms. Rice" in NYT mentions.

I would put more weight on her official page on the White House site, as opposed to the NYT. When she was head of the NSC, the WH page had her listed as Dr.: from Archive.org, http://tinyurl.com/drrice

It's unclear how an EdD in higher ed administration relates to the duties of second lady (if there are any).

The article says that she is teaching college level courses, so it seems quite appropriate for her to use the "Dr." title. In fact the point of the article is that Biden is the first "second lady" to maintain her normal job--as opposed to simply chilling as the "second lady."

Yeah, except for Condi Rice and Hank Kissinger, who both insisted on the "Dr." tag.

Actually, Rice never insisted on the title -- preferring "Ms. Rice" in NYT mentions. Kissinger was "Dr. Kissinger" in a much different era (and he's German, to boot!).

In both cases, though, you're talking about IR PhDs engaged in IR jobs, where their expertise directly correlated with the title. It's unclear how an EdD in higher ed administration relates to the duties of second lady (if there are any).

Beyond that, it's unusual for PhDs to insist on being addressed as "Dr." in other than their academic surroundings.

Yeah, except for Condi Rice and Hank Kissinger, who both insisted on the "Dr." tag.

But yeah, I hardly think this is the most outrageous problem at the moment.

Where I teach now (in the Deep South), one rarely ever hears "Professor" except, as James notes, for non-PhD faculty.

It is worth noting, as many on the Media Matters thread did, that the the academic meaning/usage of the word predates the medical one, as the word "doctor" has it origins in the Latin word "to teach" and in the Middle English denotes an expert or an authority on a subject.

As such, the notion that PhD's are stealing the title from MDs is incorrect.

James it right, btw, that the fact that her doctorate isn't in the field in which she is teaching dilutes the notion that she is an expert in her field.

At a minimum, I thought that the LAT piece was overly critical.

It seems strange to criticize her for what is fairly common practice among Phd's.

I think the point is that it's not. In LA, DC, and New England -- the places writing about the story and in which Biden lives -- it's not a common practice.

Beyond that, it's unusual for PhDs to insist on being addressed as "Dr." in other than their academic surroundings. (Then again, I think medical doctors should observe the same practice.)

I don’t recall her ever being referred to as “Dr. Cheney” in the press or White House press releases. But she’d already had a distinguished career in her own right, including a stint as NEH chair.

And don't forget, she wrote a cheesy novel:

The women who embraced in the wagon were Adam and Eve crossing a dark cathedral stage -- no, Eve and Eve, loving one another as they would not be able to once they ate of the fruit and knew themselves as they truly were. She felt curiously moved, curiously envious of them. She had never to this moment thought Eden a particularly attractive paradise, based as it was on naiveté, but she saw that the women in the cart had a passionate, loving intimacy forever closed to her. How strong it made them. What comfort it gave.

I particularly like the "once they ate of the fruit" bit. I confess to having not read the novel (so the "cheesy" can be taken as an ill-informed and cheap shot), but I understand that the above scene took place on a dark and stormy night.