The wife of vice presidential nominee Joe Biden is campaigning in Iowa today.
Joe Biden, a U.S. Senator from Delaware, and his wife, Jill, have publicly released their income tax returns Friday. Mrs. Biden notes she and her husband have released the personal financial disclosure documents required for U.S. Senators. "Every single year our finances have been made public and we just want people to know that everything about us is open," Mrs. Biden says. "A lot of people are suspicious about politicians and I just want them to see that we’re hiding nothing." Political observers see the move to release the Biden’s tax returns as a way to force Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her husband to publicly release their tax returns.
Senator Biden is known for his lengthy speeches and Republicans have set up a "Biden Gaffe Meter" to chronicle any verbal missteps. "It’s too bad that the Republicans have to go negative. I think that Barack has really worked hard and Joe has worked hard as well to keep this a positive campaign," Mrs. Biden says. "I’m really sorry that they’re resorting to politics as usual."
Jill Biden took a leave of absense from her job as an English teacher last year to campaign with and for her husband who was running for president back then. She’s teaching Monday through Wednesday this semester, though, and campaigning on the other days of the week. Biden says she refrains from talking about the campaign in her classroom. "I’m not actually using the experience because I feel that I’m their English teacher. It’s always been that way. I’ve never brought the Senate into my classroom. I’ve never brought politics in my classroom," she says. "When they’re there, they’re there to learn English and that’s what they get."
Senator Biden’s first wife and a child were killed in an auto accident. Jill Biden married him five years later, meaning she’s been the spouse of a politician — in public life — for their entire marriage. Today, Jill Biden was scheduled to visit Mason City, Iowa Falls, Marshalltown and Waterloo. Tomorrow, she will visit Independence and Dubuque.
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