Biden promise: 'Give them hell'
Posted: Monday, August 25, 2008 4:58 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Joe Biden
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
DENVER, Colo. -- Joe Biden promised to "give them hell" as he made his first public appearance in the Mile High City.
Obama's VP pick greeted a crowd outside of Boney’s Smokehouse in Writer’s Square, fielding words of encouragement from Obama supporters but also questions about who he was from surprised local residents.
“I’m running with Obama!” he enthusiastically told one woman.
As he continued working the crowd, another woman said, “Go get ’em, Joseph.”
He replied, “We’re going to give them the devil!”
As staff tried to control a growing crowd and aggressive members of the press, Biden calmly worked his way to the small hut to get a pulled pork sandwich. One reporter asked Biden if he was surprised that Obama picked him.
“I was pleased,” he said. “I was pleased.”
Another reporter tried to work in a longer question about Biden’s past statements praising the presumptive Republican nominee. Biden didn’t acknowledge it, and continued shaking hands, along with his son, Beau, wife, Jill, and brother, Jim.
On his way back through what was a growing mass of people, Biden encountered Ann Kuster, a New Hampshire delegate for Obama. Kuster said the two shared a laugh about his own presidential bid, when she told him that was she one of the leaders of Obama's campaign in the Granite State.
“He said, ‘I can’t believe I’m giving you a hug when you weren’t with me,’” Kuster said. “‘Where were you,’ that’s what he said.”
Kuster, who also lead the Women for Obama coalition, said she also told the presumptive VP nominee that the party was fired up about his selection and ready to come together.
“ I think Biden’s going to bring people on board,” Kuster said, acknowledging concerns that not all Clinton backers have come together behind Obama. “Hillary is with us now, Bill Clinton is with us now, and we’re all going to be united by the end of the week.”
