Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a Scranton, Pa., native, is often referred to as "Pennsylvania's third senator" for his strong ties to the state.
Last Friday morning, Biden's familiarity with the state was obvious as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee spoke confidently to nearly 200 invited guests at the Ironworkers Union in Northeast Philadelphia.
Biden's appearance in the largely blue-collar district of the city was coupled with Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's appearance in Duryea, Pa., that same day.
Pennsylvania is a perennial swing state, and both Obama and Republican candidate Sen. John McCain are expected to campaign hard here.
During the event, Biden gave a brief speech on the economy before answering questions from the audience.
Using new unemployment figures released earlier that morning, Biden ripped into the Bush administration - and, by extension, McCain - calling the current unemployment numbers the "worst in five years."
The unemployment rate now stands at 6.1 percent, with more than 20 million Americans out of work.
Speaking in the wake of the Republican National Convention, Biden said he only heard "politics as usual" there and "nothing about you."
"I didn't hear a single solitary thing about health care," Biden said. "I didn't hear a thing about [paying for] a college education."
Biden, who is from a middle-class background, has been sent frequently to working-class regions of Pennsylvania to connect with blue-collar swing voters, many of whom voted for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary in April.
After a week of charges by Republicans that Democrats will raise taxes, Biden tried to clarify the Obama campaign's tax plan by saying that an Obama administration would lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans.
During the Q&A; period, one person asked what would be done about No Child Left Behind, the Bush adminstration's education policy that stresses testing and teaching standards.
Biden said the program wasn't a complete failure, and that "we should have standards" and "expect a lot" from our children.
However, Biden said that while "testing isn't bad, teachers shouldn't be teaching to the test."
Biden also stressed the importance of good parenting and early-childhood education programs.
In the final question of the event, Biden was asked if he would "take off the gloves" with Republican vice-presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, during the vice-presidential debate in October.
"I'm not going to give them hell," Biden said, quoting President Harry Truman. "I'm going to tell them the truth and they're going to think it's hell."
