Biden rips into Romney in Minneapolis

(MPR photo/Jennifer Simonson)

Vice President Joe Biden told about 1,500 people at a campaign rally in Minneapolis today that he and President Obama is protecting the middle class while their Republican opponents are out of touch.

Biden criticized Mitt Romney for not releasing a more of his tax returns and for founding a private investment firm that invested in companies that shifted jobs from the U.S. to foreign countries. He said Romney's running mate Paul Ryan's budget plan would cut health care for ordinary Americans to give tax breaks to the country's wealthiest families.

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"What's new about their plan?" Biden said. "What is new? It's not only not new, it's not fair, it's not right and the people paying the price for their new plan are the middle class and the working poor."

Biden said Romney's plan is essentially the same one George W. Bush used, which he said not only didn't create jobs, but also drove the economy to disaster.

You can listen to Biden's speech here:

Biden also dropped in on the Minneapolis South High School Tigers football team practice this afternoon. You can listen to that visit here:

Biden will hold another rally in Rochester later this afternoon.

Romney is scheduled to be in the Twin Cities on Thursday for a campaign fundraiser. No word yet on whether Romney will hold any public events during his Minnesota visit.