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Iowa Politician Gets Phone Call From Joe Biden While Watching World Series At Applebees

Iowa Politician Gets Phone Call From Biden While He's At Applebee's
By 

Politics Reporter, The Huffington Post

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WASHINGTON -- Recently elected state representatives don't usually get calls from Vice President Joe Biden. That wasn't the case with Iowa state Rep.-elect Brian Meyer (D-Des Moines), who was watching the World Series at Applebee's Wednesday when Biden called.

"I was obviously surprised, and I didn't think anyone was paying attention to a little special election in the middle of Iowa. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from the vice president," he said in a brief interview with The Huffington Post.

When asked why he thinks that Biden called him, Meyer laughed and said, "Well it is Iowa." He added, "I supported him in the 2008 caucuses, and I've always liked Joe Biden. I don't know why he called other than to congratulate me and wish me well."

Meyer said there was "no discussion" of Biden running for president in 2016. "I hope he does again, and I certainly will support him when he does," Meyer said. He added that no other potential 2016 candidates, such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, have called him.

Meyer posted on Facebook about the call. "At first I thought it was a joke, but it was definitely him," he told HuffPost.

Meyer won a special election in House District 33 Tuesday to replace House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Des Moines), who resigned after taking a position in the Iowa attorney general's office. He beat Republican Michael Young by 1,380 votes to 363.

Biden has not ruled out a 2016 run, and stoked speculation by attending Sen. Tom Harkin's (D-Iowa) steak fry in September. In response to a reporter's question about 2016, Biden responded, "I’m ready to win some House and Senate seats -- now."

Biden's past presidential runs have not gone well. A 1988 bid ended in September 1987 after he was accused of lifting passages in his speech from British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. He dropped out after the Iowa Caucuses in 2008 after winning less than 1 percent of the vote.

The vice president's office confirmed the call but declined to offer details.

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Before You Go

Biden's Greatest Hits
"Oops!...I Did It Again" (Britney Spears)(01 of10)
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(May 23, 2010) -- As President Barack Obama prepared to announce the passage of his landmark health care legislation, Vice President Joe Biden had a memorable slip of the tongue, dropping an F-bomb on live television. "This is a big f*ck*ng deal," he said. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty )
"Cleanin' Out My Closet" (Eminem)(02 of10)
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(March 28, 2011) -- A journalist covering Biden's appearance at a Florida fundraiser found himself in a sticky spot. The vice president's communications staff kept Orlando sentinel reporter Scott Powers in a closet prior to Biden's speech for Bill Nelson. The VP's team offered its "sincere apologies" to Powers "for the lack of a better hold room." (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty File)
"Sleeping With The Television On" (Billy Joel)(03 of10)
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(April 13, 2011) -- Was Biden catching some z's? Cameras appeared to catch the vice president dozing during President Obama's speech at George Washington University. (credit:CBS)
"Save Me, San Francisco" (Train)(04 of10)
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(Jan. 19, 2012) -- During a speech in San Francisco, Biden made an embarrassing error with the city's sports teams. In advance of the 49ers' NFC Championship game with the New York Giants, Biden said: "The Giants [are] on their way to the Super Bowl." His confusion possibly stemmed from the fact that the San Francisco's Major League baseball team is also called the Giants. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (credit:Getty File)
"Thanks For The Memories" (Fall Out Boy)(05 of10)
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(March 28, 2012) -- While campaigning in Iowa, Biden blasted GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's record on jobs. He charged that Romney is "consistently wrong" on manufacturing, pointing to a photo album factory that closed under Bain Capital's watch. "Mitt, thanks for the memories," Biden quipped. (Photo by Andrea Melendez-Pool/Getty Images) (credit:Getty File)
"Say My Name" (Destiny's Child) (06 of10)
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(March 28, 2012) -- On another Iowa campaign stop, Biden flubbed the name of a local school leader, referring to Scott Community College President Dr. Theresa Paper as "Dr. Pepper." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:CNN)
"Feeling Good" (Michael Bublé)(07 of10)
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(May 6, 2012) -- In an interview with NBC's "Meet The Press," Biden announced his support for gay marriage. "I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties," he said. (credit:NBC)
"Trouble" (Coldplay)(08 of10)
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(May 10, 2012) -- Immediately before Obama revealed his own support for gay marriage, Biden apologized to the president for making his announcement ahead of the president's moment. The AP reported that the duo met in the Oval Office, where Obama accepted Biden's apology, knowing that the VP was speaking from his heart. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:Getty File)
"Feel Like Makin' Love" (Bad Company)(09 of10)
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(July 11, 2012) -- At the National Council of La Raza's annual conference, Biden turned heads with a sex joke surrounding his home life growing up. "By the way -- having your grandpop living with you, having your great aunt, your uncle, for real," Biden remarked. "Those walls were awful thin. I wonder how the hell my parents did it. But that's a different story." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (credit:Getty File)
"The Chain" (Fleetwood Mac)(10 of10)
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(August 14, 2012) -- At a campaign rally in Virginia, Biden accused Romney of looking to loosen regulations on Wall Street. "They're going to put y'all back in chains," Biden told the crowd, turning heads. Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul said the comment was "not acceptable in our political discourse," while Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley added that it was an "indelicate choice of words." (credit:5min)
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