“Fired up” Biden discusses plans with Senate Dems.
WASHINGTON – A “fired up” Joe Biden joined Senate Democrats for a conference call lunch Thursday, telling allies that he is taking nothing for granted in the race for the White House and the down-ballot effort to wrest the Senate’s majority control from Republicans.
The event was a homecoming of sorts for the former Delaware senator, now his party’s presidential nominee. Yet it took place at a grave moment, with the COVID-19 crisis and economic distress hanging over the election. Biden fielded questions, particularly from senators facing reelection, about his strategy win back the chamber and defeat President Donald Trump.
“You could tell he’s really fired up and he’s working hard and is going to be be out there (as much) as he possibly can,” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who is seeking for a new term.
Biden is on offense this week over the president’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. He planned to be near Scranton, Pennsylvania, his boyhood hometown, later Thursday for a CNN town hall, following Trump’s on ABC this week. The appearances have been considered tuneups before the three presidential debates; the first is Sept. 29.
As Trump prepared for an evening rally in Wisconsin, Biden seized on the president openly contradicting the nation’s top health officials to claim a vaccine would be ready as early as next month, just before the Nov. 3 election.
“Mark my words – if I’m president, I’ll always level with the American people, and I’ll always tell the truth,” Biden said in a statement.
On the private call, Biden did not take on Trump directly, but outlined what’s at stake.
“He just said, ‘You know what we’re up against. You know why this is so important,’ ” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., a party leader who organized the event.
Biden’s message, said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., was clear: “They’re ready.”
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said he encouraged Biden to remind workers how much he has been on their side during his many years in government.
“I’ve said ‘Joe, people need to know that you recognize the dignity of the work, the people have built this country,’ ” Manchin told reporters. “They need to know that you fought for their pensions, you fought for their health care ... and you’re not gonna leave them behind.”
At first senators were told there would be no questions, Manchin said, but Biden intervened. “Truly the Joe Biden we know,” Manchin said.
Biden told senators he is making a play for “every state.” On a conference call later with Colorado leaders, he said his campaign will focus on mobilizing people to vote early, especially in places where such ballots are counted quickly, to keep Trump from declaring an Election Night victory before all the results are in.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a Biden confidant, said the former vice president generally has been careful not to talk too explicitly about a new administration. There was no discussion of changes to the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule.
“He must have said this three times, ‘I take nothing for granted,’ ” Coons told reporters afterward.