In a speech and walkabout at a rally in downtown Pittsburgh, Biden
marked Labor Day with a full-throated appeal for steps to fix income
inequality and gave a picture of the personal touch he would offer
on the campaign trail.
Biden, 72, looked energetic and eager. He jogged back and forth
across a downtown Pittsburgh street to greet people who met him with
cheers of "Run Joe Run."
He seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself as he snapped selfie
photos and waded into the crowd to shake hands.
Biden is conflicted about entering a Democratic race for the
November 2016 election dominated thus far by Hillary Clinton, the
party's favorite, and self-described socialist Bernie Sanders.
Speaking to members of the United Steelworkers as he ended his
Pittsburgh visit, Biden praised Sanders as "doing a hell of a job."
When a worker shouted "Biden for president," Biden dodged the issue.
"No... You've got to talk to my wife about that. I've got to talk to
my wife about that," he said.
Biden said last week he is not sure he has the emotional energy for
a candidacy following the death of his son Beau in May from cancer.
He has given himself variously until later this month and possibly
as long as until November to act on an appeal earlier this year from
Beau to run for president.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who accompanied Biden in walking
the parade route, said he did not know if Biden would run, but
added:
"If you're looking for energy, this is a great place to get energy
today."
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An eye-opener for Biden boosters was a fresh NBC News/Marist poll
over the weekend that showed Biden gaining strength in the early
voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire race in spite of not being a
candidate.
In introducing Biden for his speech, Trumka and United Steelworkers
union chief Leo Gerard gave strong praise to Biden, who was born in
Scranton, Pennsylvania.
"He has never let us down," said Gerard.
Biden, in his rally speech, said the tax code is to blame for the
rich getting a bigger piece of the economic pie.
"It used to be when productivity went up in America, everybody got a
chance to share," said Biden. "They got a piece of the action... Why
in God's name should a man or a woman working in a steel mill make
$50,000 a year when someone on Wall Street makes millions of dollars
a year?"
(Reporting by Steve Holland Editing by W Simon and Dan Grebler)
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