Biden Says Back Off His Pastries
(PHILADELPHIA) - Do Joe Biden a favor, will you?
"Stay away from my eclairs," Biden warned as he climbed back into his vehicle after visiting The Dining Car diner in Philadelphia.
Biden had dropped in to meet some locals and kept his hand on the low side of wife Jill's hip as he walked her around the restaurant, with most diners delighted to say hello to the VP pick and Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa.
"Joe Biden? He's here? I thought you guys with the cameras were from the Food Network!" said Shirley, a patron who lives around the corner.
As waitresses juggled coffee mugs and squeezed between photographers, Biden went table to table with hugs and handshakes.
One man, obviously annoyed by the attention, looked up from his reading material and whispered to the hostess, "I can't stand these people."
"Granddaughters are better than daughters," he told two women who were introduced by his wife after she chatted with them about breast cancer for a minute.
"My granddaughter said 'Pop, can you hold my hand?' as we walked down the street. She's fifteen. What fifteen year old daughter would ever say that?"
"We got some goody-bags for you," said a chef as Biden walks back from the kitchen.
Biden thanked him and ribbed Rendell over a sports conversation they appear to have had earlier.
"See, this guy's a Cincinnati fan.," Biden said, matter of factly.
Quick to grab shoulders and dish out the kisses to diners, Biden hoisted up several grocery bags of pastry on his way out.
While guarding his sweets tightly, he cautioned customers of the press corps, as if they were concerned reporters would pull any fast moves with the treats.
"I know this outfit," he said, grinning.