RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) — Vice President Joe Biden was back in Richmond Saturday night, attending the Virginia Democratic Party’s Annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner.
The dinner has been a staple of Virginia politics for decades, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for statewide candidates.
Vice President Biden was joined on stage by the Democratic nominee for Governor Terry McAullife who reminded the thousand plus in attendance that he needs their support.
“Please just don’t sit home and please don’t think that last year’s election mattered more than this years,” McAullife said.
On the issues McAuliffe focused on education, job creation, transportation, and women’s health care, making a point to mention that he would expand Medicaid if elected.
“I want to see a budget that includes Medicaid expansion,” McAuliffe said.
After McAuliffe’s introduction Biden told the crowd to “stand” with Terry McAuliffe.
Biden compared the Republican nominee for governor, current Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, with the Tea Party.
“If you want to know what it would be like to have a tea partier as governor just look at Congress,” Biden said.
The Virginia GOP issued the following response:
“Joe Biden has been outspoken in his hostility towards coal, so it makes perfect sense that he is here in Virginia to help fill Terry McAuliffe’s campaign war chest. Joe Biden has called coal more dangerous than terrorism, and the last time he was in Virginia, pro-coal advocates were kicked out of his event,” read the statement.
“On top of this extreme and out of touch behavior, both Terry McAuliffe and Joe Biden have said that they never want to see another coal plant built and have advocated making coal a thing of the past.”
