Vice President Joe Biden is campaigning in Iowa for the second day today. Biden, a Democrat, stopped in Waterloo yesterday for a planned appearance at a union hall. He also made an unannounced stop at the First Street Deli in Independence for lunch.
Word spread through the small eastern Iowa town quickly, and a crowd of at least 50 people was on hand by the time Biden arrived. The Vice President ordered a turkey wrap from Deli owner Jim Camenisch while his wife Julie also stood behind the counter.
Julie says they only got a one day notice of Biden’s plan to stop, which sent the entire staff into a bit of a frenzy. “Crazy, crazy, baking lots of bread and things to get ready because we knew there would be lots of people with him. We were hoping anyway,” Camenish says.
Camenisch says it isn’t very often that a Vice President visits Independence. “Oh my gosh, I think it’s awesome. I thin it’s so special. You know we’re a small community, very close knit, and to have somebody this important come here, really exciting,” Camenish says.
She was asked how long it’s been since they’ve had so many people in the deli. “When we opened,” she laughed. “When we opened 14 years ago I think was the last time. We have a good business, but this is a lot of people, a lot of people.”
Vice President Biden is campaigning in Dubuque and Clinton today.
By Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls