Opinion: VP Joe Biden really happy about Route 46 overpass in New Jersey
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(UPDATE: An update has been added below.)
Breaking: After receiving the Delaware History Makers Award, Vice President Joe Biden ventured into New Jersey this afternoon to call attention to some federal economic stimulus spending in the Garden State.
In case you’ve never been to that precise spot in Bergen County, the construction project involves replacing the Route 46 bridges over Main Street and the Saddle River, widening both Route 46 and Main Street and adding traffic signals to the ramps from Route 46 to Main Street. Because New Jersey is known to be short on traffic lights.
Biden’s highway happiness comes a day after he expressed happiness about working with as-yet-undeclared Senate winner Al Franken of Minnesota.
Because of the importance of today’s New Jersey photo opportunity, Biden was joined at the intersection by Gov. Jon Corzine and Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez; all happen to be Democrats. Mayor Marc Schrieks of Lodi was also there.
“Thanks to the Recovery Act,’ Biden said in a White House news release, ‘we are making critical investments in our infrastructure, stimulating billions of dollars of economic activity and creating millions of jobs like the ones here in Bergen County. It’s through projects like Route 46 that we’re going to be able to build the bridge to a better economic future.”
Corzine seemed to agree with Biden on the intersection’s import.
“As we put these shovels in the ground,’ he added, ‘we are putting our residents back to work and building the critical infrastructure vital for a stronger, more vibrant state. I want to thank Vice President Joe Biden and the Obama administration for their efforts to improve the lives of hardworking families here in New Jersey and across the nation.”
The senators had equally happy things to say about Route 46.
(UPDATE:Late on this busy day, Joe Biden issued a statement revealing his happiness over the Senate confirmation of Gil Kerlikowske as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Biden said:
I am very pleased by the Senate’s overwhelming support for Gil Kelikowske today. Chief Kerlikowske is the right man for the job. With over 36 years of law enforcement experience at all levels, he has long been on the front lines in the battle against drugs.
And, while the challenge before him is great, the president and I believe that he will lead our nation’s efforts against illegal drugs with unshakable resolve.
And to save anyone from asking, here’s the VP’s happy schedule for Friday:
The vice president will be in Wilmington, Del. He will have private meetings throughout the day; no public events are scheduled.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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