Top of the Ticket

Political commentary from the LA Times



April 16, 2010 |  6:18 am

Democrat Vice president Joe Biden once campaigned for a turkey this big

Vice President Joe "Did You Know I'm from Pennsylvania Too?" Biden" took some time off from another busy Thursday to campaign in Pennsylvania's Bethlehem for John Callahan.

At Biden's encouragement, Mayor Callahan is challenging the three-term Republican House incumbent, Charlie Dent, a former state legislator and development officer for Lehigh University, who's represented the 15th District since 2005.

It cost up to $1,500 for the snacks and VP's speech, $1,250 less if you could do without a Biden photo. Many folks don't remember that Biden entered the U.S. Senate long before Barack Obama; in fact, Obama was only 11 at the time Biden first took the oath and started riding the train.

A Turkey

Biden told nearly 300 people that he has campaigned for an awful lot of Democrats over all those years including, he said, some "real turkeys."

But that obviously didn't stop him from touting their credentials for public office.

Biden, who turns 68 this year, did not actually list which Democrats during those decades were "real turkeys." Who knows? Conceivably it could have been Obama himself during 2008.

But the ex-Delaware senator did indicate that Callahan was probably not among them, saying the mayor had accomplished much for his city and few others "have the talent and intuitive sense this guy has."

Then, Biden added, "I can see exactly why John Callahan should be in the United States Senate."

Some in the crowd began laughing, realizing that Callahan is a House candidate and Obama and Biden have already endorsed one-time Republican Arlen Specter for the Pennsylvania Senate race.

Biden caught himself, explaining he'd just been on the phone with Harry Reid and had the Senate on his mind.

Meanwhile Thursday, Obama -- did we mention he was only in the sixth grade when Biden first entered the Senate? -- was in Florida for two Democratic National Committee fundraisers, including one with a $30,400 ticket price. While there, he also sought to explain his new policy for space exploration.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: Charles Dharapak / Associated Press (file); Getty Images.