Biden to visit Austin

[Fleshdancer]

:bounce:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/04/28/0428biden.html

Vice president visits domestic violence hotline.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Biden in Austin today

What: Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline Center in West Lake Hills. The center was launched in 1996 after congressional passage of the Biden-sponsored Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

Biden last visited the hot line center in February 2006, when the then-U.S. senator said, "Women now feel empowered to come forward, and the hot line makes them believe that they are not alone."

Also scheduled: Biden will attend a private fundraising luncheon for the Democratic National Committee and then headed to Houston for a similar fundraiser.

[sonias]

1. He's in town already

They blocked some streets off this evening for his arrival.

Yea Joe!

Sonia

[sonias]

2. I got to meet the Vice President today

I was incredibly honored to meet with the Vice President Joe Biden today for a short meeting this morning. It was a small group of people that were recommended mainly from the Obama for America organization list. He was incredibly nice.

He remembered our late Senator Lloyd Bentsen and Governor Ann Richards and told Senator Kirk Watson he remembered meeting him before too. He's got a good memory.

He was about 45 minutes late for our meeting. He had a very good reason though. When he came into the room he told us he had been on the phone with Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania about his switch to the Democratic party. Wild applause. Vice President Biden grew up in Pennsylvania and he's going to be very important to Specter in his race.

We had a nice update about where things are and how positive they feel about where things are going. He said it's still not going to be easy but we are moving forward.

He's now on his way to the private fundraiser for the DNC.

:woohoo:

Sonia

[Fleshdancer]

3. I am SOOO happy for you!!!!

If you have a few minutes, could you do me a favor Sonias? There's a thread in GD-P where people are wondering what Biden has been up to and whether he is "happy" or not. Since you had the chance to meet him today, I figured you were the best person to respond. :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8374713&mesg_id=8374713

[sonias]

10. Here's Joe!

I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread for a picture, Fleshdancer.




Sonia

[Fleshdancer]

11. Not at all! The more pics of Biden in town, the better.

thank you so much for sharing! :bounce:

[WolverineDG]

4. Hooray Sonia!!

Glad you got to meet him & have a good time. Re the fundraiser: I KNEW that money wasn't staying in Texas :grr:

dg

[sonias]

5. It is a listening tour too

The VP has a long memory about Texas and that's good. He said he remembered Texas being blue and had good memories of great Texas people.

The organizers that have been visiting Texas are getting an earful about the national party continuing to work in Texas.

:fistbump:


Sonia

[WolverineDG]

6. heh

now for the follow-through. :)

dg

[sonias]

7. There was someone from the DNC there too

And she was from Texas and I think she understood what resources mean for Texas. We are so close to pushing this state over.

Sonia

[onestepforward]

8. Congratulations!

How thrilling that must have been! :toast:

[sonias]

9. It was awesome

I'll always be able to say I remember where I was one the Democrats took the super-majority control of the U.S. Senate - I heard it from Vice President Joe Biden himself on an Austin visit.

The VP is being modest too. I'm sure he did have a lot to do with convincing Specter to come on over and work for real reform. This bus is moving forward. So either the Rs get on our bus and stop being the party of "no" or we're going to leave them by the side of the road as we race by.

:hi:


Sonia

[WolverineDG]

12. Can't we wait til they wander into the middle &

run 'em over instead?

:hi:

dg

[sonias]

13. We would have to drag them there, dg

You know that. They're all wearing blinders so they can't deviate from their path.

:rofl:


Sonia

[WolverineDG]

14. and this is a problem why?

:rofl:

dg

[sonias]

15. Because they 're too heavy to drag to the middle

Now if our bus driver occasionally weaves and hits one of them on the side of the road - well :shrug:

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

16. steering wheel slipped....oops

sorry 'bout that

:evilgrin:

dg

[sonias]

17. In Texas we call that road kill

:evilgrin:

Sonia

[AllenVanAllen]

18. Most excellent!

What a cool experience! You got to hear a little bit of history from someone involved in making it!

[sonias]

19. It was very cool - It was Joe's big day in Texas

AAS 4/29/09
Biden's local stop a mix of advocacy, politics
Vice president visits abuse hot line, raises money for party.

"Hang with us. It's been 100 days," Biden told about 60 guests, most of whom paid $5,000 or more to hear a nearly 30-minute speech touting Obama's first months in office. He singled out the fair pay act, and Obama's decisions to gradually shut down the facility at Guantánamo Bay and to redeploy troops from Iraq. He also listed work on the economy, housing market, automobile industry and tax cut signed as part of the economic stimulus package in February.

"We believe we're on the right path," Biden said, adding that Obama hopes to press ahead on changes to health care, energy and education policy.

(snip)
Biden started the day at his Austin hotel, where he apologized for being late for a morning visit with about 10 invited Democratic activists; he said he'd been talking to GOP Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania about his pending declaration as a Democrat. Biden didn't mention Specter publicly before heading to Houston for another Democratic fundraiser.

:woohoo:

Sonia

[ceile]

20. That's so cool! n/t