McGrath and Biden hold campaign fish fry in Bath County

Former Vice President Joe Biden joined Lt. Colonel Amy McGrath, candidate for Congress, during a Democratic rally held last week at Bath County High School auditorium.

The Bath County High School gymnasium filled to overflowing as supporters gathered to hear Amy McGrath, the democratic candidate for Congress and former Vice President, Joe Biden speak following a fish fry in Owingsville last Friday afternoon.

As McGrath and Biden took the stage, the crowd cheered and waved Amy McGrath for Congress signs and chanted “Amy, Amy, Amy.”

“Hello Bath County, this is awesome, it’s such an honor to be out here barely three weeks before election day,” McGrath began. “This region was so crucial to winning the primary and I am counting on all of you all on Nov. 6. I know you have seen a great deal of me, but this time I have brought a guest,” McGrath said as she nodded in the direction of former Vice President, Joe Bidden.

McGrath began her campaign speech with a promise to represent all counties in the 6th Congressional District.

“When I embarked on this campaign a little more than a year ago, I pledged not to be one of those candidates who spend most of their time in Lexington and Frankfort, or one of those candidates who considers the rural counties as an afterthought. I pledge to be a member of Congress who represents all 19 counties of this district, not just the biggest counties or the counties with the most democrats. I hope you think I have walked the walk,” McGrath said. Then went on to say, “Aside from getting out to all the counties a great deal, we also have field offices in 19 counties now. We’ve run an old school style campaign with billboards, localized yard signs and Op-Eds about my values and the issues facing our country and Kentucky.”

During her speech, McGrath recounted the phone call she received from Biden and how he had congratulated her on her victory in the May Primary.

“Vice President Biden told me he was impressed that we were able to win so well in the rural areas and that we had won 18 of the 19 counties. And he told me that is how we regain the trust of democrats in America, by going out there and being present. That’s how we win back what we lost in 2016. The Vice President also told me he would love to help me in any way he could. I said to him, I would be honored to have you stand on stage with me in one of the rural counties. So, I thank you again sir for coming out and helping this first-time candidate. I also thank you for your decades of incredible service to our country. I am so humbled and honored to be on stage with you,” McGrath said to Biden.

McGrath continued her speech as she spoke about the issues this country continues to face as a nation and why she has chosen to run for Congress.

“The reason I have chosen to run a race that is focused entirely on my values and your values, is because first, I trust the voters to see through the sad, worn-out tactics of negativity and lies. Folks, it is not who we are. Second, because we desperately need change in our political system and our country and we desperately need change in the country that we love, the country that I fought for and so many others fought for. I got into politics not because it was my childhood dream, but because I believe our country deserves better leaders than we have, leaders who have the courage to tell the truth and not play into peoples fears and continually lie about the other side. We badly need people in Congress that thoughtfully weigh the problems our nation faces and are eager to try and fix them. You should know, that I do not believe the democratic party has all the answers. Both sides need to learn to work together again,” McGrath maintained.

McGrath went on to say, “I don’t think our current disfunction in Washington is beyond repair. I just think we need to elect new people who are committed to working together to fix some of the issues facing our nation. If I am elected, I will never forget who I work for, EVER! It is you! I will work for the people of the 6th Congressional District and for our country. When I was a United States Marine my oath was to the U.S. Constitution, it was not to a President, it was not to a political party and that’s the same attitude I will bring to Congress. So, I thank you all for coming out this Friday afternoon because you all are also serving your country right now by being a part of this political process and doing what you can in the next 25 days.”

As Amy McGrath welcomed Joe Biden to take the stage, the crowd began to chant, “Run Joe Run, Run Joe Run.”

Biden opened with “My name is Joe Biden, and I used to work for Wendell Ford. Its good to be back in Kentucky again,” he said.

After speaking of the obstacles of polio and breast cancer Amy’s mother had overcome to become a doctor and later a psychiatrist, Biden praised those same traits that Amy had inherited from her mother — honor, duty and determination and service, traits he said add up to one thing, character.

Biden said, “character is the single most important thing that Amy brings to this race in my view” and “character is the single most lacking commodity for many of those serving us in the United States Congress today. Amy is using all her skill, her knowledge and determination to level the playing field for people in Bath County, for people in Kentucky and all-around America. Because so many people have been left behind, giving hate no safe harbor, committing to something bigger than ourselves,” he said then added, “I want to talk about something that has been on my mind for a long time. Folks, you know what I know, this election is bigger than politics, no matter how young or how old you are, you’ve never been through an election quite like this. Our basic American values are under assault. Kentucky values, values right here in Bath County that folks teach their children every day such as decency, respect and leaving no one behind. The world is watching us,” Biden said. “They see a President who has debased our values and ceded world leadership to tyrants and thugs.”

In his closing statement Biden told the crowd of nearly 2000, “Folks, this is America, GET UP, TAKE IT BACK, it’s time.”