The Nevada Sagebrush

Biden, Reid speak to crowd of 500 on campus

Friday, October 16, 2009 - 6:02 PM

United States Vice President Joe Biden greets supporters after his speech Friday in Lawlor Events Center. Photo by Jay Balanga/Nevada Sagebrush.

Vice President Joe Biden called on local Northern Nevadans to support Harry Reid’s upcoming reelection campaign today during a speech at Lawlor Events Center.

“Harry’s a powerful senator from a small state here,” Biden said. “I’m from a small state and you just try getting your state serviced when you don’t have a senior senator.”

The speech, which about 500 people attended according to event staff, was part of a Biden’s fundraising trip to Nevada for the majority leader.

To begin the event, Reid gave a short talk and introduced the vice president. Biden’s speech, focused on health care reform, the economy and Reid’s achievements in the Senate.

“The point I want to make here,” Biden said near the beginning of his speech. “Is that this guy’s got guts.”

He stressed the importance of a health care reform bill that will provide relief for hard-working Americans who are bombarded with rising health insurance premiums. There has been a 40 percent increase in premiums in less than a decade, Biden said. He also described our present economic situation as “more complicated than Roosevelt’s dilemma in the great depression.”

“All this economy can do is lay the foundation blocks for what their new economy will be…[and] all this means the beginning for restoration and saving for middle class families,” Biden said.

There were few students in the mostly-democratic crowd. Most of the students who were there largely expressed support for Reid, Biden and their policies.

Annie Evans, a 17-year-old high school student at TMCC, said she attended the event with an open mind to be informed.

“I think it is really important for young people to know what is going on in the world, and not just leave it to their parents to know what’s going on,” Evans said.

Casey Stiteler, Flipside’s director of programming, thought the speakers delivered a strong message.

“I think it makes a lot of sense for them to be in Nevada considering our economic state. Biden made a lot of really great points regarding the recovery plan,” Stiteler said.

Danielle Pearson and Jay Balagna can be reached at news@nevadasagebrush.com.