Vice President Joseph R. Biden is urging Democrats to donate money for the 2014 election because, he said, Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas “control” the GOP.
At a fundraiser late Friday night in San Francisco, Mr. Biden said there is no one in the Republican Party in Congress with whom the administration can negotiate anymore.
“There’s no one with whom to deal with and there’s no one in charge anymore,” Mr. Biden said, at one point pounding the podium with his fist.
Referring to Mr. Paul and Mr. Cruz, both first-term senators, the vice president said he’s never before seen lawmakers with their conservative views.
“They are the ones that control the Republican party right now, literally,” Mr. Biden said. “I’ve never seen a time in all the years I was in the Senate that two freshmen have so much impact on the entirety of the Republican party.”
He did call them “bright young guys.”
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The vice president spoke at the home of Doug Hickey, CEO of BinWise, a beverage distribution company. The house is located in the exclusive Sea Cliff neighborhood, with a view of the Golden Gate bridge.
The crowd of about 100 donated up to $10,000 each, with the money going to the Democratic National Committee. Guests nibbled on Mexican mushroom empanadas and British beef and cheese pub pie.
The vice president said he is optimistic about Democrats’ chances in the mid-term elections.
“America has moved on, well beyond where these guys are,” Mr. Biden said of the GOP. “If we keep the Senate and change 17 votes in the House, it’ll be fundamentally different.”
A crowd of about 50 protesters opposed to the Keystone XL pipeline demonstrated a few blocks away from the fundraiser.
The vice president also boasted about his role in pushing President Obama to declare his support for same-sex marriage last year.
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“It’s true, I got ahead of everyone in the administration on gay marriage,” Mr. Biden said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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