(WHAS11) Vice-President Joe Biden's Kentuckiana visit on Monday includes a stop at GE Appliance Park to show how stimulus funds are subsidizing several product lines at the Louisville plant, a luncheon fundraiser in Jeffersonville for U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, and corresponding protests by Republican congressional candidates and Tea Party groups.
Though Biden's fundraising trip to Kye's in Jeffersonville has been planned for weeks, the White House announced on Friday that the Vice-President would also be making the appearance at General Electric. U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) said that he invited Biden to witness "the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and tax credits for energy-efficient appliances at Louisville’s Appliance Park."
“I am thrilled Vice President Biden is visiting Louisville to witness one of the great manufacturing revitalization success stories,” Yarmuth said in a statement, “By combining GE’s dedication to innovation with federal investment from the Recovery Act, more than 800 new jobs have been created for Louisville workers and a new era of American manufacturing is underway at Appliance Park.”
At a recent forum on economic competitiveness in Washington, Appliance Park CEO Jim Campbell argued that American manufacturers need federal support to stay competitive.
Republican congressional candidate Todd Lally says Biden's appearance highlights a Democratic agenda which is bad for business.
"While I applaud all efforts to increase energy independence, the route in which this Congress has decided to go runs right through the energy heartland of Kentucky," Lally said in a statement, "Faced with 10 percent unemployment, skyrocketing debt and uncertainty about the world economic market, there are better solutions than implementing the radical Cap and Trade proposal championed by Vice President Biden and Congressman Yarmuth."
Both Lally and Todd Young, the Republican congressional candidate facing Democrat Baron Hill, plan to protest Biden's appearance at the Hill fundraiser. They are expected to be joined by several Tea Party groups.
While Democrats Hill and Yarmuth are appearing with Biden, Kentucky's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Attorney General Jack Conway, will not. His campaign told the Associated Press that Conway will be in Washington, D.C. with former U.S. Senator Wendell Ford of Kentucky.
Conway spokeswoman Allison Haley told the AP that while Conway would welcome both Biden and President Obama to Kentucky, "He would welcome it as an opportunity to discuss their differences," citing energy and environmental policy and the health care overhaul that Conway says needs to be improved.
The campaign of Conway's Republican opponent, Rand Paul, was quick to respond.
"Jack Conway may try to run away from his own party's leadership, but he can't hide the fact that he would be another rubber stamp for the agenda of Barack Obama," said campaign manager Jesse Benton.
People attending the fundraiser are shelling out a minimum $250 and up to $2,400.
Meanwhile, Indiana's Democratic nominees for state auditor, state treasurer and secretary of state are hoping to piggyback on the media attention to Biden's visit, with an appearance planned at 10:30am, while Biden is still in Louisville.
State Auditor nominee Sam Locke, State Treasurer nominee Pete Buttigieg, and Secretary of State nominee Vop Osili, are touring the Hoosier State, campaigning together.
WHAS11 News plans full coverage of the Vice-President's visit.
