Biden calls for unity amid bomb scares; former vice president to support Delgado

KINGSTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden addressed the ongoing bombing campaign after multiple packages were delivered to the homes and offices of Democratic officials — including Biden — news organizations and Trump administration critics at a get-out-the-vote rally for 19th Congressional District candidate Antonio Delgado on Friday.

Biden called for politicians to set a less incendiary tone in the public discourse.

Biden took the stage at the Senate Garage, 4 North St., Kingston, Friday morning. Delgado is running for the congressional seat held by incumbent Republican Rep. John Faso of Kinderhook.

Biden took the opportunity to comment on the unfolding events that started early this week when 13 suspicious packages, now known to have contained potential explosive devices, were delivered to Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., former Attorney General Eric Holder, actor Robert De Niro and billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros.

“We don’t yet have all the facts,” Biden said Friday. “But the country has to come together. This division, this hatred, this ugliness, it really has to end. And words matter.”

Biden stressed that political opponents are not enemies and called on government leaders to “lower the temperature in our public dialogue.”

“Folks, we are a lot better than this,” Biden said. “We just have to remember who we are and what we stand for as a nation.”

Biden then spoke about how the rest of the world is wondering what has become of the United States, pointing out the rise of white supremacists, Trump’s relations with foreign leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been under fire for the murder of Turkish journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden also attacked Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care act and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

“It’s time to stand up,” Biden said, ramping up the urgency and volume of his speech. “I hope in the last 11 days we understand that fear stokes bad behavior, personal attacks stoke fear. We need to lower the volume. We need to be honest about policy disputes. We need to make it clear, as Democrats, we choose hope over fear, choose unity over division.”

Election Day is only 10 days away and the race for the 19th Congressional District, which is considered a toss-up district and a main battleground for control of the House, is still up for grabs with Faso leading Delgado by one point, according to the most recent poll results released by Spectrum News/Siena College on Oct. 22.

Biden joined Delgado in a portion of the 19th District with a majority of Democrats. Democrats outnumber Republicans 46,384 to 29,631 in Ulster County as of April 1, 2018, according to data from the state Board of Elections. Biden urged supporters to double their efforts to ensure a Democratic win this year.

Democratic officials from all over the district came out to support Delgado.

Hudson 2nd Ward Alderwoman Tiffany Garriga and 3rd Ward Alderman Shershah Mizan were both in attendance to support Delgado.

“We are here to hear Antonio Delgado’s message to the people and we are honored to be here and representing our city,” Garriga said. “I am supporting Delgado for the 19th Congressional District and think it is important that he will be the first African-American man to represent the district.”

Delgado may have an uphill battle in the Twin Counties, where Faso defeated Democratic opponent Zephyr Teachout in 2016, according to results from the state Board of Elections. Faso holds a 4-point lead in the Twin County area, according to the Oct. 22 Siena poll.

But getting the vote out could make a difference in Columbia County with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 15,527 to 12,489. Republicans outnumber Democrats 12,514 to 7,963 in Greene County.

At the rally Delgado pushed the story about his parents living and raising a family in the working class neighborhoods of Schenectady, but climbing the socioeconomic ladder as employees of General Electric. Delgado stressed that those opportunities no longer exist in the district.

“We’re not talking about them at all, instead we just get this nastiness and cruelty and ugliness,” Delgado said. “Now, more than ever, we need to respond by leaning into our shared values. We need now, more than ever, thoughtful, smart, responsible government.”