(CNN) -- Vice President Joe Biden delivered a rousing address to the NAACP in Houston on Thursday, bolstering support for President Barack Obama and drawing sharp contrasts with the Republican Party on civil rights issues. On the heels of recent voter identification disputes, Biden strayed from his typical campaign speech to zero in on voting rights, arguing that Republicans were making it more difficult for certain group to vote. By implementing laws requiring voters to present official identification at the voting booth, Biden said, the GOP sees "a different future, where voting is made harder, not easier." Democrats have said that such laws are politically motivated and intended to suppress minority voting, given that fewer people in minority groups carry government-issued IDs. Republicans, meanwhile, make the case that such laws prevent fraud and protect the integrity of the system.
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Biden focuses on voting rights
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President Obama to be interviewed by CBS on Thursday
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Mitt Romney spoke Wednesday, drawing boos but also a standing ovation
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Romney says the negative reaction is not a surprise
Appealing to the group's founding, Biden on Thursday urged the crowd to "remember what (the @placeholder) at its core was all about."
"We declined a few weeks ago, and (the) @placeholder was pleased (Vice President Joe Biden) was able to attend," an Obama-Biden campaign official told CNN.
The president's schedule for Thursday initially appeared wide open, but a senior administration official confirmed Thursday morning that Obama and the first lady will give an interview to @placeholder during the day.