Politics & Government

[UPDATE] Biden in Iowa: Romney's Swiss Bank Account 'Out of Touch' with American Middle Class

The vice president talked about bringing outsourced jobs back to America during a stop in the Cedar Valley on Tuesday, as the Obama 2012 campaign seeks to court swing state voters.

Vice President Joe Biden called GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, "a good, decent man," at a campaign stop in Waterloo on Tuesday, but said the Republican is out of touch with the American middle class.

"A prospective president with a Swiss bank account and a retirement account in the Cayman Islands? Did you ever think the nominee of a major political party running for President would have a Swiss bank account?" he said. "Talk about out of touch."

Biden spoke to about 200 people at the United Auto Workers Local post 838 during a two-day swing through Iowa on behalf of President Barack Obama and Obama 2012. The vice president will .

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Biden railed against the Republican candidate's past at Bain Capitol, saying Romney outsourced jobs. He said he also outsourced state contract jobs during his time as governor.

"His whole career, this good man, Mitt Romney, has looked at you, at American workers, as part of the problem," Biden said.

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He said he and the president are dedicated to restoring the American middle class and bringing outsourced jobs back to America.

"We believe in American workers," he said. "We will never be able to outsource our greatness, folks."

The stops are part of Biden's Strengthening the Middle Class Tour, which according to a press release seeks, "to highlight President Obama’s ongoing efforts to grow Iowa’s rural economy and bolster middle-class security for Iowa’s workers."

Those workers are central to Obama's reelection bid. Iowa, with six electoral votes, is one of just 10 undecided states. The rest are either presumed decided as red or blue states in the race for the 270 electoral votes necessary to win.

Before the speech, local Obama volunteers worked the crowd, handing out signs and circulating with clipboards, signing up volunteers, registering voters and passing out absentee ballots.

The call for volunteers was heard by many in the crowd, who lingered after the event to sign up.

Bard Mackey, 55, of Waverly, is a teacher in Cedar Falls. He said he will likely be volunteering after hearing the speech.

"I thought it was terrific," he said. "It was vintage Joe. He's a good man."

Kym Salow, 47, of Independence, said she believes such volunteer outreach efforts are vital.

"We work a lot on trying to convince other members of the community to get out more and do something," she said. "I think it's going to take everyone of us to win this election."

The president in May. He also , as did , and he in January.

Mitt Romney has also set his sights on the state, and .


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