Biden to make Ohio appearance on Friday

8/28/2012

COLUMBUS — Add a Friday stop by Vice President Joe Biden to the list of pre-convention visits to battleground Ohio three days before his boss makes Labor Day stops in Toledo and Cleveland.

President Obama’s campaign confirmed that Mr. Biden will visit Lordstown in northeast Ohio. It provided no additional details, but General Motors recently announced that it plans to invest $220 million to retool its Lordstown plant and nearby Parma Metal Center to produce the next generation of the Chevrolet Cruze.

That could provide a backdrop for the Obama administration to again spotlight comeback stories for U.S. automakers in the wake of the taxpayer bailout of GM and Chrysler.

The industry rescue plan will likely come up again when Mr. Obama visits an unspecified location in Toledo on Labor Day. Chrysler recently accepted applications for 1,100 anticipated new jobs at its expanding Toledo assembly complex.

The Obama campaign has not provided details for the President’s visit, but sources have indicated the campaign has considered multiple local union halls in Toledo and Rossford for possible post-parade stops.

The Democratic National Convention will officially begin on Sept. 4, and Mr. Obama will take to the stage at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. two days later to accept the Democratic nomination for re-election. The auto bailout is again expected to be highlighted during the convention.