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Democratic Committee Meeting

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Vice President Joe Biden Visits Lynchburg


And The Hill City Turns Out Big Time and Packs City Amory


Sandy is holding the threat of great harm over the heads of 60 Million people.   That sounds a lot like the Republican Party but Sandy is a large and strangely behaving storm heading up the East Coast.   



Joe and the Biden family including Bo and Dr. Jill were heading for a rally in Lynchburg after cancelling  a get together in Virginia Beach ( storm related cancellation).   Joe and Dr. Jill made it to the Hill City but son Bo who is the Attorneys General of Delaware had to alter plans and head home since a state of emergency was declared and the Guard activated in anticipation of Sandy's visit.


Needless to say Joe Biden is a great speaker and the crowd of approx. 1900 was cheering and applauding wildly.   The crowd was alive with the four finger wave calling for 4 more years.   This 4 finger gesture was originally popularized in the Lynchburg Amory ** ( see note on spelling) by Pro Wrestler Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen and the crowd intensity could not be differentiated on this day of the Vice President's visit.


The standing room only audience was loaded with dignitaries and press.    The top Democrat in Virginia's Senate Districe 22,  Bert Dodson was there and busily accepting  "Hello's and Good to See You's from well wishers."    Burt is a Hill City Hero for his many years of service to the citizens of Lynchburg and Amherst County and his support of schools and education.    When I was chatting with Bert the Vice President had not yet arrived so I told him to 
collect his thoughts in case we needed a key note speaker on almost zero notice.    We both laughed but I know Bert is a man who can and will pick up the slack and shoulder the load when called upon to serve.


Amherst County Democratic Chairman Dave Burford,  Skipper Fitts and Magnolia Braxton , Sweet Briar Young Dems President Simone Faas, the Legendary Walter Fore of Steelworkers and Civil Rights fame,  Lynn and Ned Kable of the Amherst Dems, Rodney Taylor well known Amherst Co. Democrat and downtown Lynchburg restruant owner, Rosemary Witcombe who's photos of President Obama have been featured by ACVDN and  Tom Perriello former Congressman in the 5th District and on and on the listing of well known Democrats  stretches.   No doubt we all recognize this election is close and important and we need to win it.


NOTE**  Amory, Armory and Armoury are all accepted spellings of this Old English word that means home strength.    


Here's what Joe talked about.


Vice President Joe Biden says Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are fleeing from their record to appear more moderate than they are.

Biden says the GOP ticket has backtracked on issues, ranging from a GOP budget he says would slash Medicare to a planned U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014.   Romney and Ryan will destroy Social Security and Medicare and cut Pell Grants for education to a bare minimum.

Biden said Romney and Ryan "are counting on the American people to have an overwhelming case of amnesia."


President Barack Obama has ridiculed Romney's apparent flip-flops as "Romnesia," which a boisterous crowd of 1,900 repeated.   Paul Ryan is suffering from such a severe case of Romnesia that he has completely forgotten his life long hero Ayn Rand and his old friend Todd Akin.

Biden began his speech by praising Senate candidate and former Virginia governor Tim Kaine, then adding "I'm a big Tim Kaine fan."


I heard later on a tv report that Biden had called Tim, Tom.  For most of the audience it went unnoticed and the crowd knew who Joe was endorsing.   Joe is famous for gaffs and when he doesn't make one or makes a small one it still gets attention.   Kaine joked in a tweet  "Thanks to the VPOTUS for the shout out today. I love Jay Biden!"




Here's a little history on Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (born November 20, 1942).

Joe the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, jointly elected with President Barack Obama.    He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3, 1973 until his resignation on January 15, 2009, following his election to the Vice Presidency.


Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware.  He became an attorney in 1969, and was elected to a county council in 1970.  Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972 and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history.  He was re-elected to the Senate six times, was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation, and is the 15th-longest serving Senator in history.  Biden was a long
-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.  His strong advocacy helped bring about U.S. military assistance and intervention during the Bosnian War.  He opposed the Gulf War in 1991.  He voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, but later proposed resolutions to alter U.S. strategy there.  He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties, and led creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and Violence Against Women Act.   He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.


Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 2008, both times dropping out early in 
the race.   Barack Obama selected Biden to be the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.   Biden is the first Roman Catholic and the first Delawarean to become Vice President of the United States.    As Vice President, Biden has been heavily involved in Obama's decision-making process and held the oversight role for infra- structure spending from the Obama stimulus package aimed at counteracting the late-2000's recession.    His ability to negotiate with Congressional Republicans played a key role in bringing about the bipartisan deals that resulted in the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 that resolved a taxation deadlock and the Budget Control Act of 2011 that resolved the United States debt ceiling crisis.



Sandy won’t affect readiness for election day

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said on Sunday that his state is prepared for the severe storm that threatens to devastate the East Coast and potentially affect the outcome of the election.

Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, McDonnell said that the state had learned the lessons of the last monumental storm, which left Virginians without power for days, and was unconcerned about a repeat of that situation playing out with this storm.

"We've got about 2,000 additional people that are coming into Virginia to help our power suppliers, and the state Board of Elections is already planning for extended hours in advance for absentee voting, and it's now a priority -- moved up to the same level as hospitals and police stations -- to have power restored, so we don't anticipate the problem," he said.

I don't know why but I see a lot of incorrect dates printed and verbally passed on as to when we vote.   Remember it is the 1st tuesday after the 1st monday in November and nobody can steer you wrong and make you miss voting.

November 6th 2012

Election Day History

By an act of Congress in 1845, the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November was designated Election Day for future presidential elections.    The first such election took place on November 7, 1848.   Whig Party candidate Zachary Taylor won out over Democrat Lewis Cass and Free-Soil candidate (and former president) Martin Van Buren. 

Taylor's running mate was Millard Fillmore, who became the nation's 13th president on July 10, 1850, upon Taylor's untimely death.

Election Day for the Coming Years
                   
Year          Election Day       Dates
2012    Tuesday,        November 6
2013    Tuesday,        November 5
2014    Tuesday,        November 4
2015    Tuesday,        November 3


The First Tuesday following the First Monday in November is designated as Election Day.

The Vice President finished his speech and came off stage and into the audience to shake hands, pose for photos, sign autographs, ect.     Joe is to the left of the hands raised in the air and under the bright light at the top of the photo.     I took several shots trying to capture him but the crowd was too large and too excited.    The camera is above my head, 7 feet in the air for this shot.




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