'A Fight Within the Family': VP Biden's Speech to the NEA
In a speech to the National Education Association's delegate assembly, Vice President Joe Biden sought to downplay areas of disagreement with the union, using the metaphor of a squabble in an otherwise tightly knit family.
"In these times of change, I know you don't agree with everything we've done in this administration. Believe me, I know," Biden said to laughter from delegates. "I respect the disagreement we have. And not all of it, are you wrong about. Some of it you are. But ... this is more a fight within the family."
In rhetorical structure, the speech had some striking parallels with NEA President Dennis Van Roekel's keynote yesterday, in which he described such disagreements as "a fight over how to achieve a shared vision."
And just as Van Roekel emphasized Obama's legislative successes, so too did Biden emphasize that the White House and the union agree about things such as the right for public employees to bargain collectively, progressive tax policies, early-childhood education, affordable health care, etc.
Coincidence? Probably not. Biden said he read Van Roekel's' speech on the