The 2012 presidential campaign season has unofficially begun in Colorado. Vice President Joe Biden headlined the first major Colorado fundraiser for President Barack Obama in the Denver area Friday, where he also touted federal investments in clean energy research at the National Renewable Energy Lab.
"The one thing that has been missing of late, until President Obama came along, is that science is back in America," Biden said in a speech at NREL.
Colorado is expected to be very much in play again in 2012. President Obama ended up winning here handily in 2008. But pundits consider the state a toss up given its even splits between Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Friday the Vice President took a shot at critics who say the Obama Administration is devoting too many public dollars to federal research labs like this.
"I actually hear some people say it is anti-business," Biden said. "You even hear some people talking about it as socialism, it's bizarre, it’s the most pro-business initiative America has ever engaged in."
Biden said the billions of dollars in funding increases for clean energy and biotech research will ensure the country will remain a global economic leader.
But the National Republican Campaign Committee issued a statement chiding the Vice President for coming to Colorado to "defend the big spending records of Washington Democrats." The NRCC also took aim at Biden and fellow Democrat Steny Hoyer’s back-to-back visits to Colorado this week in support of two state lawmakers potential 2012 bids’ against Freshmen Republican congressmen Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton
