Biden, Pelosi hit the trail for Lentz

Vice President Joseph R. Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Philadelphia today for a fundraiser to support Delaware County congressional candidate Bryan Lentz and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Lentz, a two-term state representative from Swartmore, faces former U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan in his bid for the Seventh Congressional seat, which was vacated by U.S. Rep. Joe Sestack, who is running for Senate.

Both Pelosi and Biden hammered the Bush administration for many of the nation's most pressing problems, including the recession, job losses and the country's ever-ballooning debt. They said Democrats are making progress and need to talk up their successes to voters.

The Obama administration and the Democrat-led Congress has saved or created 3.6 million jobs, Pelosi said. But economic recovery will not happen overnight, she said.

"The road back is a difficult one," she said, adding that under Democratic leadership, "we are taking the country in a new direction. And if they [Republicans] want argue with success, we stand ready to argue our case to the American people."

The luncheon, held at the Sheraton at 17th and Race streets, drew 200 people and raised $250,000.

Biden, who spoke for about 20 minutes, said the Bush administration squandered the surplus left by President Clinton. He slammed the Bush adminstration's economic policy: "They gave us a Ponzi scheme masquerading as a vision."

He said Democratic leaders supported a stimulus to prevent banks from shuttering and to prevent a "world-wide depression." The choice was the right one for the country, he said, although it may not have been politically convenient.

He said is is disingenuous for Republicans to blame the Democrats for the deficit because much of the debt was run up on Bush's watch.

"My Republican friends talk about deficits," Biden said. "For them to talk about deficits is like an arsonist talking about fire safety. I mean, this is bizarre."

A group of Tea Partiers protested outside the event, and the state GOP launched a website called PuntPelosi.com. Both groups hope that the Republicans will win enough U.S. House seats to strip Pelosi of her leadership role.

"Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi know that the fate of the Democratic majority in the House rests in the hands of Pennsylvania voters who will be casting ballots in ten contested Congressional contests," Rob Gleason, Republican Party of Pennsylvania chairman, said in a statement.

"While San Francisco liberals will certainly re-elect Speaker Pelosi this November, Pennsylvania voters have the chance to strip the gavel out of her hands by voting to elect Republican candidates who will form a fiscally responsible majority."