Biden attacks Tea Party Republicans

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden denounced Republican candidates Friday for offering "draconian ideas basically on steroids."

Biden credited Republicans of the 1860s and 1950s with investing in infrastructure and technology to advance the nation's interests. That's no longer the case, he told a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in St. Louis.

"This ain't your father's Republican Party," Biden said. "This is the 'Republican Tea Party.' And as they [voters] focus on that alternative, what they're going to find out is, the choices are pretty stark."

The Hill reported the vice president singled out two GOP Senate candidates -- Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sharron Angle of Nevada -- for criticism.

"Where are their alternatives? What has been proposed?" he said. "They offer [a] combination of the old failed policies of the [George W.] Bush administration and a new set of draconian ideas basically on steroids."

Biden said Democrats "know the government isn't going to heal the economy."

"It's going to be through the free enterprise system," he said. "That's why seed money is so important."

Biden said his party will hold on to majorities in both houses of Congress in the November elections.

"Reports of the death of the Democratic Party have been greatly exaggerated," he said.