On Heels of Obama Visit, VP Biden Meets With House Democrats in Philadelphia
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- One day after President Obama was in Philadelphia to talk with Democratic legislative leaders meeting here for a policy conference, vice president Joe Biden was in town for his own pep talk to the party luminaries.
Biden sounded like a coach trying to rally his team after a tough loss.
His general point: Democrats took a beating in last November's elections because of tough decisions that had to be made. But, he pointed out, the country is seeing gains because of those policy decisions.
He told members of the House Democratic leadership to own that message.
"Let's list what we had to do," Biden said.
The vice president said he thinks it's farcical to hear Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell or House speaker John Boehner try to give the Republicans credit for the economic recovery by trying to say it's "optimism" following the fall election.
Still, Biden said, Democrats need to be open to compromise with Republicans, which he said would"take us further."
The vice president did not talk about Mitt Romney's decision, announced today, not to run for president in 2016.
There was a Q-and-A session with party leadership and VP Biden, but reporters were shuttled out before that session began.den, but reporters were shuttled out before that session began.