The day after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addressed the NAACP convention in Houston, Vice President Joe Biden, representing President Obama, addressed the gathering in a speech interrupted by multiple applauds, according to a transcript.
Biden offers defense of Obama administration
In his speech Biden defended Obama's efforts to deal with the current economic malaise, including the bailout of the auto industry, the stimulus package, "saving America's financial system", and cutting $100 billion from the federal deficit.
Biden mentioned that Osama bin Laden was killed on President Obama's orders.
Biden also touted the health care reform act, which he said provided 30 million Americans with affordable health care.
Biden suggested that Republicans did not help Obama's efforts
Biden listed a litany of measures, in his speech, that Obama passed that he said Republicans offered no or little support. These included the Recovery Act (aka the stimulus package), the Affordable Care Act (aka health care reform), the extension of the payroll tax cut, and the Lilly Ledbetter equal pay. Biden also mentioned the controversy over raising the debt limit when Republicans attempted to tie that action to cuts in federal spending. He ascribed this action to Republican obstructionism.
Biden attacked Mitt Romney
In his speech, Biden conducted a number of attacks against Mitt Romney, who had addressed the convention the day before. He accused Romney of not regarding education as very important, suggesting that as president he would cut funding for a number of federal education programs. Biden also suggested that Romney was against a clean environment and the administration's green energy programs. Biden suggested that Romney, unlike President Obama, would hurt women, children, and the elderly for opposing a number of government programs. Biden also suggested that Romney's opposition to health care reform -- for which the candidate had been booed at the NAACP convention the day before -- would hurt the uninsured and would benefit insurance companies. Biden also attacked Romney's position on taxation, which he said favored the rich. The vice president also suggested that Romney's approached to foreign policy was rooted in the Cold War, unlike that of the administration. Finally, Biden attacked Romney's views on civil rights and voting rights, suggesting that a Romney justice department would be unfriendly to both.
Biden gets warm reception
In contrast to Romney's speech, which had been interrupted by booing at certain points, Biden's address was well received, according to the Houston Chronicle. The account described Biden as "folksy and impassioned." It mentioned that Biden was booed only once, when he indicated that he was winding his speech up.
Obama sends video greetings
Due to what was called a scheduling conflict, President Obama did not attend the NAACP convention, offering video greetings instead, according to the Huffington Post. He praised the organization for standing with him and his program to help, in his view, the middle class. He did not mention Mitt Romney,
Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.
