Biden touts administration’s achievements during Iowa visit

DES MOINES - He didn't throw his hat into the ring, but Vice President Joe Biden campaigned for an 'Obama third term” during a stop at Drake University Thursday.

Much of Biden's hourlong speech dealt with the success of the Obama administration in bringing the nation's economy back from the brink of recession to a point that the United States will be the dominant economy of the 21st Century

Despite all of the naysayers - mostly Republicans, but a few of his fellow Democrats, Biden told more than 800 people in an hourlong speech - President Barack Obama's stimulus and tax policies have worked.

Over the past six years, 'the president and I” have made the tax code fairer for the middle class, reduced the deficit by two-thirds, provided health care to millions of more people while taming rising health care costs, saved the auto industry and brought down unemployment, Biden said.

Republicans took issue with Biden's rosy assessment of the state of the nation. The Obama-Biden 'liberal” policies 'are the same policies that have left the middle class struggling for the past six years,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Fred Brown.

Likewise, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann welcomed Biden, but he wished the vice president 'weren't here hawking President Obama's failed policies, which have saddled our children with $18 trillion in debt, endangered Americans at home and abroad, and implemented disastrous public policies.”

'Iowa voters spoke loud and clear in November, and we're wondering when this administration will start listening,” Kaufmann said.

Biden, however, said the administration's efforts have been good for the country. Rather than distance themselves from the Obama record - as Democratic congressional candidates did in 2014 - Biden encouraged fellow Democrats to embrace the president's successes.

Biden, who told reporters he will decide before fall whether to run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, said the party's nominee should 'stand for what we have done.”

'Run, yes, run on what we have done,” Biden said. 'Acknowledge what we have done. And be judged on what we have done, if we have any chance for resurgence - continued resurgence - in 2016.”

Others would call that a third term for President Obama, he acknowledged.

'I call it sticking with what works,” he said.

During his stop at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Biden praised DMACC officials for enabling students from all ages and all career levels to meet the challenges of a changing work environment.

Biden spent about an hour with about 70 students, educators, business leaders and elected officials. One of the forum participants, Mark Hanawalt, president of the Iowa Association of Business & Industry (ABI), told the vice president that his message Thursday was 'spot on.”

'Before, business went to community colleges and said give us what you've got. Now, businesses are going to community colleges and saying this is what we need,” said Hanawalt. 'We've got a lot of good things going on in Iowa and, by the way, I caucused for you in 2008.”

'I knew I liked you,” Biden shot back.