Posted on 09/09/2008 2:46:34 AM PDT by markomalley
GREEN BAY -- Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Monday stressed his middle class upbringing, his ties to the Roman Catholic Church and his appreciation of the Green Bay Packers in this blue-collar, heavily Catholic region of the state.
Biden talked about the difficulties the Fox Valley region is facing, referencing the closing of the NewPage paper mill in Kimberly.
"You lose a job, you not only lose your ability to care for your family, you lose a sense of human dignity, you lose a sense of your own self worth," Biden said. "This used to be a country that when people got knocked down your government was there not to solve your problem but at least to help you get up."
Referring to his youth playing sports, Biden said his father only had one piece of advice: "Unless it’s broken Joey, get up."
That is also the objective of the Obama ticket, he said.
"The American people are ready to get up, I’m ready and Barack Obama's ready. We are going to restore the fundamentals of this country," he said.
Biden made his first stop in Wisconsin as part of the Obama ticket, doing a town hall-style meeting at Green Bay’s KI Convention Center. The campaign estimated the crowd was about 1,000.
Republican Party of Wisconsin executive director Mark Jefferson said in a statement the change Biden and Obama promise equates higher taxes.
"Promising to help working and middle class families, the fact is Biden and Obama both voted to increase taxes on people making $42,000," Jefferson said. "On the other hand, Senator McCain will provide immediate relief for American families while reforming Washington to regain the trust of taxpayers -– getting the government’s budget and spending in check and creating jobs.”
Biden also took swipes at the Republican ticket on the Iraq war and the economy, promising he and Obama would end the war if elected. He said a current proposal from President Bush to set a timeline for troop withdrawal shows that he and Obama were right while McCain has been wrong.
He also said the Obama administration would be committed to supporting the troops overseas and when they return back home.
"There is only one sacred obligation government has, and that is to care for those who we send to war and care for those who we bring home from war," he said.
At one point in his stump speech, Biden stopped mid-sentence to shake the hand of a veteran sitting in the front row.
“Thank you for your service pal,” he said.
On Social Security, Biden said to loud applause, "We are not going to do that John’s going to do – we are not going to privatize Social Security."
Biden took questions for about 35 minutes, including from one woman who encouraged him to be tough with GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
"Don’t be afraid to engage her, you will be wonderful," urged the supporter.
While assuring the crowd he would approach the debate like any other, Biden gave Palin credit for making a "great political speech" at the GOP's national convention. He added that the Alaska governor has not been thoroughly vetted.
"Sarah Palin is eventually going to have to do what I do, she’s going to have to go on 'Meet the Press' and have them come after her like they come after me," he said.
Biden, a Catholic, talked about his school days at the Norbertine-run Archmere Academy in Delaware, where he said Packer fandom was nearly mandatory. St. Norbert College is just down the road from Green Bay in DePere.
Biden said rooting for the Packers had a payoff at Archmere.
"If the Green Bay Packers won, we got out early," said Biden, who said he started following the Packers in the team's 1960s glory days. "If the Green Bay Packers lost we got homework. I’m a Green Bay Packer guy since high school."
Every pouty, self-pitying sentence out of his smug mouth makes me want to run out and vote NOW to shut him up.
When John McCain agrees with Bush, he's wrong! When WE agree with Bush, WE'RE RIGHT!
Kook.
Biden ralleys are so depressing. His stump speech is basically America Sucks. Your life sucks and it is George Bush who is the cause of your personal agony. GET OUTTA HERE YOU BUM!!!!
Hey! They found Joe! LOL
Key word: “Plays Up” What a joke this ticket is. This change they talk of is like changing my shorts with a shit streak on them.
ATTAGIRL JOE!
You are so full of it Biden. When people got knocked down they moved to where they could find employment. Government never was there to solve your life's problems.
Why don't you just hand all these guys their government bibs so they can belly up to the commie teet. Oh yah...that will give them dignity all right./s
I really don’t know how scums like Biden can sleep with themselves at night unless they are so D@mn stupid that they can’t see what they are doing to the Country.
The guy should have said “I’m not your pal, pal.”
A Packers fan? I’m sure that sits well with Delaware voters who are mostly due to proximity Eagles ( Redskins to a lesser extent ) fans.
Pills and/or booze.AWB
So funny,
Biden playing up his “ties to the Roman Catholic Church”?
How does that play out for you Catholics when you know he supports murdering babies?
Biden’s not genuinely Catholic, and he’s not genuinely “blue collar,” either. His family was comfortably middle to upper middle class most of his life, although his father seems to have changed jobs a fair amount and lost his money in some kind of business venture for about a year. Biden was sent to private schools (not even Catholic schools). Just because he’s from Scranton, it doesn’t mean he’s “blue collar.”
“This used to be a country that when people got knocked down your government was there not to solve your problem but at least to help you get up.”
You are so full of it Biden. When people got knocked down they moved to where they could find employment. Government never was there to solve your life’s problems.
Why don’t you just hand all these guys their government bibs so they can belly up to the commie teet. Oh yah...that will give them dignity all right./s”
That paper mill and others are closing because of the EPA and the environazis.
The Dimorats have supported every job/company stifling rule and law for the past 40+++ years.
Those jobs are going and companies closing because rules are established that cannot be met to produce the product.
It is like being told you can breathe out, but you cannot breathe in.
Biden and his 30++ years in Congress is responsible for this plant closure and many other companies closing.
He is a complete hypocrite. Sits inside the Ivory Towers of Washington and prpposes/votes on bills that he has no idea how the impact of those rules and laws will impact the “American way of life” he touts.
Love the fact that he could only gin up about 1,000 people (I am suspicious of their figures) at his rally. Just about 50 miles south last Friday, McCain and Palin got close to 40,000.
I wish people would look hard at Biden’s voting record and find all the anti-business legislation he voted for or tried to get on the books. I know he has been there for a long time and there are alot of votes, but I don’t know how.
Biden seems to be plagiarizing again - this time from FDR.
Why do he and the Democrats think we are living in the 1930’s?
Guess what...Biden is NOT a Catholic. To be a Catholic you must be in communion with the Church and this means accept all its teachings. Biden is not Catholic by his own ‘choice.’ He has excommunicated himself from the Church. Case closed.
Palin will attend a Packers practice and throw some passes, she’ll then win the state for McCain in HUGE numbers.
Blue collar my @ss. The only work Biden has done with his hands is greasing his own palms.
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