Offering frequent news and analysis from the majestic Evergreen State and beyond, The Cascadia Advocate is the Northwest Progressive Institute's unconventional perspective on world, national, and local politics.

Friday, February 12, 2010

LIVE from Seattle: A cheery and warm reception for Vice President Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden just stepped down from the stage here at The Westin Seattle after speaking for forty minutes on behalf of his friend - or, as he put it - his little sister, Patty Murray.

“Patty has this dangerously disarming way of making you think that she is your sister and just looking out for your interest, but you come to think that your interest lies in Washington State. I don’t know how it happens, but it happens,” he joked early on, to chuckling and laughter.

Biden on stage
Although his remarks were frequently punctuated by applause, the room was extroadinarily quiet for most of the Vice President's speech.

That's because he - like Murray, Inslee, and Constantine before him - was barely audible due to an incorrectly configured sound system. It seemed like the problem might have been that the microphones weren't sensitive enough, because the speakers appeared to be at maximum volume. (We could hear the hissing of line noise throughout each speech).

Whatever the issue was, it resulted in a very hushed and respectful audience who quietly drank in the Vice President's remarks.

At times Biden appeared pensive; at other times, he was more forceful, especially when talking about the bailout (which Patty Murray voted for, although her seatmate, Maria Cantwell did not) or the dysfunction in the Senate, which he appropriately blamed on the Republicans.

"I don't ever recall a time in post-civil war history, with the exception of the Voting Rights Act vote, where the opposition has required a supermajority vote to get anything done," the Vice President declared.

He did commend the House for acting on the administration's priorities.

Biden referenced high speed rail several times as he talked about strengthening economic security, crediting Murray for helping to secure over half a billion dollars to improve the reliability of Amtrak Cascades. (The grant doesn't mean Amtrak will soon be running bullet trains between Seattle and Portland, but it will mean more speedy and frequent Cascades service, which is sorely needed).

He assured attendees that Democrats would do okay in the 2010 midterms. "We are creating jobs, our foreign policy is once again respected in the world, we are bringing our troops home from Iraq. We are once again leading the world," he said as he concluded. "That’s who we are as Democrats, that’s what we’re going to be able to do, and that’s what we’re going to be able to run on."

The Vice President stuck around for about fifteen to twenty minutes afterwards, shaking hands over the rope line and happily posing for pictures. Rarely have I seen an elected leader so at ease and in no hurry to go anywhere.

Biden on stage
Some people brought up books for him to autograph, which he passed on to his security detail to be saved for signing later.

Biden's next stop will be Vancouver, British Columbia, where he will lead the United States delegation at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics. That obligation is the reason why this event with Senator Murray was changed to a breakfast instead of a luncheon.

It was previously scheduled for last November, not long after the election, but was canceled so that Senator Murray could attend the funeral of slain Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton.

I'll upload a few pictures into this post as soon as I have a chance to get back to my computer. Blogging from a smartphone has its limits.

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