Both vice presidential candidates made a stops in Iowa Monday. Vice President Joe Biden took time to talk to people in Burlington, while Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan stopped in the state capitol. Both candidates focused on the economy and raising taxes on the middle class - two key issues in this election.
"All this money printing, all this creation of money is sugar high economics. What we want, what we deserve, what we need in this country is honest money," said Ryan.
"Now, the neighborhood I grew up in $2,000 a year is the difference between whether you can pay for your automobile insurance, whether or not you can keep your kid in a community college, whether or not what your diet is for that whole year," said Biden.
It was clear Vice President Biden wanted to get the several hundred people there revved up about making a choice come November. With just 49 days until the November election as of Monday Burlington joins a string of Iowa cities seeing stops from both campaigns. When vice president Joe Biden took the stage there was no shortage of digs at the Republican party.
"Isn't it amazing how, at their convention, they discovered there's a middle class. I mean, whoa," said Biden.
His speech also had a lot of emphasis on the working-class, seemingly catering to the Burlington area and a very union-heavy audience. "This town's kind of a union town. Got the UAW down here, Case, Champion Spark Plug," said one attendee.
A worker at Champion Spark Plug, a long-time manufacturer in Burlington, credits the current administration with saving hundreds of jobs in the area. "Thanks to the auto rescue Champion Spark Plug has kept the Chrysler business and has been able to add business from General Motors to keep hard working people from being laid off," said Bruce Scheitlen, President of the UAW Local 1237.
While many in the enthusiastic crowd seemed to be ready to cast their ballot. Others recognize this campaign stop as evidence the Hawkeye state could be a toss up. "There's still a lot of people out there undecided," said Raymond Eckols of Keokuk, "he has to reach out and touch the masses of the people and Burlington is probably one of those stops."
On Tuesday Vice President Biden will deliver remarks at grassroots events in Ottumwa and Grinnell, Iowa.
Just across the street from where Vice President Biden was speaking there were Romney and Ryan supporters letting their voices be heard. "I don't believe in what they're doing over there I believe in what we're doing over here. We're protesting all the debt that our children are going to be taking care of for the next hundred years," said Rose Kendall.
"Letting the Vice President and President Obama know that I, as a senior citizen, am not happy with the way things are going in this country and I'm looking for some new leadership," said Dorothy Cackley.
