Joe Biden gives spirited pitch during St. Augustine visit
ST. AUGUSTINE ? Vice President Joe Biden left no doubt about the people he and President Barack Obama are representing in the upcoming election.
In his speech to more than 900 spectators Saturday at Ketterlinus Gymnasium, Biden continually hammered home his message that the Democratic Party is best for the country?s middle class.
Speaking for about 35 minutes ? sometimes virtually yelling ? Biden pointed out the president?s plans for keeping taxes lower for the middle class while raising them for the wealthy. He also stressed the importance of maintaining the current status for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
?The middle class has shouldered enough of the burden,? Biden said. ?It?s now time to lift the burden from them.
?It?s time for the wealthy to pay a little bit more. We can?t get there [reducing the deficit] without that.?
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It was a fiery speech delivered with an energy that belied the fact that Biden is 69 years old.
Biden?s appearance in St. Augustine marks the second major political event there. Republican nominee Mitt Romney came to town in August as both sides try to squeeze every vote out of Florida, the state many think will swing the election.
?With you, we can take Florida,? Biden said just before concluding his speech. ?And if we take Florida, this election is over.?
With polls showing a virtual dead heat in the presidential race right now, Biden played to the strengths of the Democrats? positions on social programs for seniors.
?They?re going to eviscerate Medicare,? Biden said of his opponents.
Showing just how important the senior issue is to the Obama-Biden ticket, the woman who introduced Biden was Cathy Brown, executive director of the St. Johns County Council on Aging.
?They share the values I believe in,? Brown said of Biden and the president. ?America prospers when we?re all in this together. And they know that after America?s seniors have paid into Social Security all their lives, they deserve to have that protected.?
With both parties actively courting the female vote, Biden spent a lot of time talking about women?s issues, including health insurance premiums, abortion and equal pay.
?Barack Obama and I made clear ? our one over-arching goal is, when it comes to women?s rights, we are positively committed to making sure that our daughters, his and mine, and my granddaughters have every single opportunity my sons had,? Biden said.
Biden then poked fun at Romney?s ?binders full of women? remark during the last presidential debate.
?When Gov. Romney was asked a direct question in the last debate about equal pay for women, he started talking about binders,? Biden said. ?Whoa. Binders full of qualified women he learned were out there. He never did answer the question by the way.?
Throughout the afternoon, Biden ranged from serious commentary on the different tax plans to folksy stories about his father to zingers he?s been using on the campaign trail ? like calling Romney ?Etch-a-Sketchy.?
He drew big applause from the crowd whenever he spoke of any perceived mistakes by Romney or running mate Paul Ryan during the debates. Mostly, Biden tried to portray himself and Obama as politicians who are on the side of the little guy while claiming Romney is only good for the extremely wealthy.
And, of course, he referenced Romney?s famous ?47 percent? gaffe.
?You hear his famous 47 percent [speech],? Biden said. ?He said they were unwilling to take responsibility for their own lives. Where is he from? Where does that come from? These are people who have worked their whole lives. You add it all up, and these people are paying a higher tax rate than Romney?s paying.?
Before leaving, Biden said the characterization of America by Romney is incorrect. Unemployment is declining, dependence on foreign oil is lessening and private sector jobs are being created under the Obama administration, he said.
?All their [the Republicans?] talk of the culture of dependence, I don?t recognize the country they?re talking about,? Biden said. ?America is not in decline. America is coming back.?
The view voters take on those claims will likely determine how much longer Biden is vice president.
The St. Augustine Record
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