WASHINGTON --- Vice President Joe Biden proclaimed success beyond expectations Thursday for the $787 billion economic stimulus, but his glowing assessment overlooks many of the program's problems, including delays in releasing money, questionable spending priorities and project picks that are under investigation.

In a speech aimed at Republican criticism and public skepticism over the program's effectiveness, Mr. Biden said accomplishments over the past 100 days provide proof of promises kept when he and President Obama rolled out the plan earlier this year.

"The Recovery Act is doing more, faster and more efficiently and more effectively than most people expected," he said.

The stimulus program includes tax cuts, billions for Medicaid and unemployment benefits, and a massive investment in education, environmental projects, technology and infrastructure work.

Mr. Biden proudly pointed to more than 2,200 highway projects funded by the program, but didn't mention the growing frustration among contractors that infrastructure money is trickling out and thus far hasn't delivered the needed boost in jobs.

"It is difficult to understand why more communities aren't moving to put their stimulus funds to work," Stephen E. Sandherr, head of the Associated General Contractors of America, said in a statement this week. "Coping with the red tape required by the stimulus ought to be worth it to help put neighbors and friends back to work."

Mr. Biden noted 192 airports targeted for improvements. He made no mention, however, of the announcement made last month by Transportation Department Inspector General Calvin Scovel. Mr. Scovel said he will examine the Federal Aviation Administration's process for selecting programs for the $1.1 billion in grant money. His office discovered that the Obama administration used stimulus money to pay for 50 airport projects that didn't meet the grant criteria.

And Mr. Biden praised the more than 2,400 military construction projects paid for with stimulus money, but ignored the millions the Defense Department lost because it hasn't competitively bid many of the jobs.

Mr. Biden also noted that transportation money was replacing unsafe bridges. But most states are spending stimulus money on bridges that are already in good shape, another AP analysis found.