Sheila Ray-Reed
The Houston Sun
Following a video presentation by President Barack Obama to the NAACP’s Final Plenary Session with his central theme being that in America you can make it if you try, regardless of who you are, what you look like and where you come from. “That is why we fought so hard for good jobs, a quality education, and a justice system that treats everybody fairly. That’s why we made health care reform a reality. That is why we are still fighting so hard today to build an economy so that everyone can have the confidence that their hard work will pay off. That is why as long as I have the honor to serve as your president, I will get up every single day and fight as hard as I can. That’s my promise to you, if you stand with me,” he said.
Vice President Joe Biden came out swinging complementing the President’s promise by first drawing a distinct difference between Mitt’s Romney’s agenda who addressed the Civil Rights organization a day before.
“I think Mitt Romney is a fine family man. I believe that he’s driven by what he believes. But the differences are so basic about how we view the future of America.” said the vice president.
Biden said the former Massachusetts governor’s agenda would hurt black working families as he outlined the differences. “We see early childhood education as the single most important criteria for minority children. Education does not play a role with Romney and the republican regime. They have it on the back burner. Just look at the budget cuts in early childhood education.” he said
Biden continued, and pointed out the hypocrisy of Romney’s educational ideas, “Romney says that decreasing classroom sizes for children could be harmful. Well, just take a look at the sizes of classes in those private schools,” said the vice president with sarcasm.
Other distinct differences were Romney opposing government for the development of renewable energy sources and efforts to equalized pay between men and women.
The Vice President enlightened and reminded the crowd that the Republicans of today are a far cry from the ones back in the day. “I didn’t think we would be back. I remember working with Republicans. And by the way, this ain’t your father’s Republican Party. I remember working with Republicans on motor-voter, on expanding the franchise on early voting, on voting by mail. Some of these were Republican ideas. But this is not the Republican Party here today, nor Romney’s,” he said.
The Vice President drew cheers as he credited the President for championing a landmark health care law, launching the mission that killed Osama bin Laden and stepping in to rescue the financial system and General Motors and Chrysler. “The Presidency is about character. It is about putting your country first. From the very moment, President Obama put his hand on that Bible that cold day in January, he has always put county first. I have watched him make some of the toughest decisions any President has had to make since Franklin Roosevelt. He save the nation’s financial system and stood up for the automobile industry even though it was not a popular decision,” said Biden.
He reminded the attendees that the very reason for the existence of the NAACP and at its core; is the right to vote. “Remember when you have the right to vote, you have the right to change things! And we, the President and I, and Eric, and all of us see those rights expanded and not diminished,” he said referring to Romney and the Republican’s agenda.
In closing, the Vice President offered a warning and asked the attendees to close their eyes and imagined what a Romney presidency would bring to civil rights.
“Let me close my friends, by saying. Imagine that the senior advisor on Constitutional Issues would be Robert Bork. Imagine on the recommendation of Attorney General and head of Civil Rights Division who would likely to be pick. Imagine what the Supreme Court would look like after four years of a Romney presidency,” he said.
He continued, “Folks this election in my view is at the heart and soul of America. These guys had a total different fundamental view. The President and I and you see America as in the eyes of the Scripture, ‘What you do to the least of my brothers; You do to me,’” concluded the Vice President.
Bork was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 for the Supreme Court but his nomination was defeated by Democrats. Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time.