Biden offers himself as heir to Obama

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Joe Biden touted Barack Obama’s legacy during his first campaign event in Iowa, signaling that the former vice president will use his time in the White House as an asset on the trail, even if he can’t land an endorsement from his former boss.

“Let me say something. The fact of the matter is that Barack Obama is an extraordinary man. A measure of a man or woman’s worth or courage is based on how they react to overwhelming crisis,” Biden said to a group of roughly 200 in Cedar Rapids on Monday afternoon. “I watched this guy, everything but locusts landed on his desk. That’s not a joke. He is incredible. His dignity, his decency.”