When we got the end of that ride I remember two things… Senator Heinz’ handshake, powerful but never to hurt, it was as if his muscles had muscles and Senator Biden clapping me on the shoulder and saying, “keep up the good work. I expect to see you all here someday.” One day in the WH, ¬¬¬¬I told Joe of that encounter on the subway and he just smiled knowingly, shook my hand, and clasped my shoulder the same way. Nothing else needed to be said. The politics bug had long since bitten me, but as I got to watch Joe Biden in the Senate, I was struck by his Scranton, PA, and Delaware common sense. When President Obama chose him as Veep, my first reaction was it was smart politics, to have someone his senior there to navigate the turbulent waters of Congress.

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