Vice President Joe Biden rallied for gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton at Macalester College on Tuesday, urging students and supporters to âÄúgo out and tell the people of Minnesota the truth.âÄù
Calling Minnesota one of the best educated states in the nation with the most qualified work force in the world, Biden condemned what he called
âÄúdraconian cutsâÄù that DaytonâÄôs opponents have proposed to education.
âÄúThe choice is between you graduating in debt âĦ and your debt being limited to 10 percent of what you make,âÄù Biden said.
Joined by MinnesotaâÄôs top Democratic leaders like Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, Biden addressed major iss ues surrounding the campaign and said the election is a stark choice for the voters.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and former State Representative Matt Entenza echoed BidenâÄôs criticism, saying Republicans donâÄôt support higher education.
Receiving a resounding chorus of âÄúnoâÄù after asking if college was affordable, Rybak reminded the audience of current Gov. Tim PawlentyâÄôs inaction towards college tuition increases as a Republican governor. Entenza rejected candidates Tom Emmer and Tom Horner for their conservative approaches to education policy.
âÄúWe have two Republicans in this race, and then we have the next governor of Minnesota,âÄù Entenza said.
Most of the discussion, however, focused largely on the economy. Biden ridiculed Republican initiatives such as âÄúThe Pledge to America,âÄù and pointed out the party membersâÄô intentions to continue with the same agenda despite the deficits run by previous GOP leaders.
âÄúMarkâÄôs opponents are drinking the same Kool-Aid as the Republican national leadership,âÄù Biden said, drawing a line between DaytonâÄôs campaign and Republican economic policies.
Speakers also emphasized the middle and working classes. Biden, Klobuchar and Franken spoke about creating jobs and improving employment rates, the importance of the health care reform, and criticized Republican tax break policies for the upper class.
All speakers urged DaytonâÄôs supporters to increase their campaign efforts in the remaining time before elections and to not let the Republicans turn the elections into âÄúa referendum on peopleâÄôs anxiety or anger.âÄù
Biden said he is confident the votes of âÄúaverage peopleâÄù will lead to victory and prevent âÄúa rerun of the last movie that ended in devastation for so many Americans.âÄù