Biden Is Back As Wis. Takes On Added Importance
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WCCO) — Vice President Joe Biden was back campaigning in Wisconsin on Thursday.
The Vice President spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire this morning. It was his second visit to the state this month.
This was a recognition of battleground status. Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as the Republican Vice Presidential pick may have helped put the Badger state in play.
And Vice President Biden spent 43 minutes in Eau Claire explaining why that's a bad idea.
It's the vice president's seventh visit to the Badger State. With a focus on education -- Biden claimed the Romney/Ryan ticket will cut college funds but promised the largest number of college graduates in the world by 2020.
"We have to be the single best educated nation in the world," he said. "That is not hyperbole. We must be the single most educated nation in the world."
The vice president repeatedly focused on the differences between the Republican and Democratic tickets -- asserting that Gov. Romney and Congressman Ryan won't reveal the depth of the cuts they plan to programs from early education to Medicare.
"And I've got news for Gov. Romney. And I've got news for Congressman Ryan. Genetlemen, it's never, never, never a good bet to bet against the American people, never. Never," he said.
Young people attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire said they support President Obama's emphasis on higher education.
Even if some are worried about the job market into which they are graduating.
"I am even having a hard time finding job openings to apply for," said Katie Pivot, an Eau Claire graduate. "And then when you apply, there's a hundred other people who want the same job as you."
Students said they are as entusiastic about the president as they were four years ago and they don't blame him for the bad economy, or the slow recovery.
President Obama was thought to be ahead of Gov. Romney all summer, and it wasn't even close -- 6 to 8 points.
But after Romney chose Ryan as his running mate, the race got very, cery close.
Romney is now running ads in Wisconsin, and both campaigns are visiting frequently.
