Dinner with Biden, Questions About Coal

Mitt Romney spokesman Ryan Williams had an impromptu meeting with Vice President Joe Biden in Ohio last night.

Romney spokesman Ryan Williams told ABC News that he went to find a restaurant in Steubenville, Ohio, after the Biden event and came across Maples Spaghetti House. He and his dinner partner, Romney’s Ohio State Director Chris Maloney, walked into the restaurant, where they got swept by Secret Service, which Williams said tipped him off to Biden’s impending arrival.

Williams said he was seated at the “first available table” in the dining room when, moments later, Biden came down and sat at the table right next to him. Williams promptly tweeted a photo.

After a brief photo op with the traveling press, Williams said a staffer leaned over to Biden and whispered something, prompting the vice president to summon the Romney spokesman over to his table.

“Oh, there’s Ryan,” Williams recalled Biden saying. “He pointed me out and called me over, and we exchanged pleasantries.”

According to Williams, while there was no mention of Romney, Biden did ask if he’d like to join his table so he’d have a better chance of eavesdropping.

Williams said he asked the vice president why he was in coal country, challenging him on his support of the coal industry. According to Williams, Biden refused to answer when he asked the vice president why he believes coal is more dangerous than terrorism.

“He disagreed with that and didn’t want to answer my questions,” said Williams, who added that Biden was “very cordial” and “seems like a nice man.”

After the exchange, Williams said he returned to his table and Biden was relocated to another area of the dining room.

I’m not sure what part Biden could have disagreed with. This RNC video lays out the Obama/Biden opinion of coal, in their own words.

Ohio ranks 13th in the nation in coal production. About 90% of Ohio’s electricity comes from coal. Shut the coal industry down and you shut down the state of Ohio.

But as we blogged here a week ago, the Obama/Biden grand plan for American energy didn’t even mention coal at all until mockery made them add it.

Omitting and/or attacking coal, shutting down US offshore oil drilling, subsidizing offshore drilling when Brazil does it…no one has to accuse this administration of being hostile to proven domestic sources of energy to power our economy. Their policies stand as accusation enough.