(The following story by Esteban Parra appeared on The News Journal website on August 26.)
WILMINGTON, Del. — Sen. Joe Biden arrived to a rock star welcome Monday morning at the Wilmington train station, where the new presidential running mate shook hands, shot some one-liners and purchased a small coffee from Primo Cappuccino — no sugar, no milk.
“Way to go, Joe,” a man shouted at Biden, as he greeted people lined outside the station’s Front Street entrance. “My son loves you.”
“You better love me,” Biden shot back as he walked into the station accompanied by his wife, Jill, and an entourage of about a dozen Secret Security agents sporting shades, dark suits and the famous earpieces.
Delaware’s senior senator stopped at the 101-year-old station for about 20 minutes to say hello before being whisked away to the New Castle Airport, where a private plane flew him to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Biden is scheduled to be the prime-time speaker Wednesday — the day before his running mate, Barack Obama, accepts the Democratic presidential nomination.
“He fights for everyone,” said Mike “Mickey” Annone, who got Biden to autograph his yellow hard hat. “He loves being a politician and a good politician and he wants to get it right.”
Annone, a diesel electrician and former Biden campaign worker, said he was retiring his helmet: “That helmet is in my car, locked up. I already got a new hard helmet.”
Annone said he would place his hard hat next to a cap also autographed by Biden earlier this year at Jameson’s Irish Pub in Iowa. Biden signed, “Mike you are the best — 1/3/08,” the morning of the Iowa Caucus.
Inside the station, Biden was again greeted by lobby workers and train passengers. Biden shook their hands, briefly stopping to talk to them before heading to Primo Cappuccino, where he paid $1.45 for his small cup of coffee.
Brandy Wilson, an ING Direct employee, stood outside the coffee shop snapping photos of Biden with her camera phone.
“I got like a side profile and a back profile. I did pretty good. I got his face,” she said, calling the event history-making. Wilson said she was saving the pictures as memorabilia she could one day show her great-grandchildren.
Biden walked out of the coffee shop praising his coffee, but complaining he had missed “Jimmie,” the conductor of the Washington D.C.-bound train.
“I’ve been coming in here every single day for the last 35 years, and these guys have become my family,” he said.
Biden, however, shunned reporters’ questions concerning comments he made about Obama not being ready for the Oval Office, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
As reporters tried to pry campaign fodder from Biden, his wife made her way to the newsstand.
JoAnne Johnson, a newsstand clerk, said Jill Biden walked into the shop and said, “Oh, look at this,” when she saw the cover of Newsweek magazine featuring photos of her husband and Obama.
“Next week he’s going to be in People, so look for him in People next week,” Johnson said.
Jill Biden returned from the newsstand holding up a copy of Newsweek for her husband to see.
“Obama looks good, man,” Biden said repeatedly.
Shortly thereafter, Biden exited through the French Street doors and into a motorcade of SUVs, leaving behind some star-struck people.
“It’s very exciting,” said Heidi Dillon, who was in from Dedham, Mass., with her children Amber, 10, and Ross, 8.
The Dillons were in town visiting her husband, Peter, who is at the Amtrak Training Center outside Wilmington.
“My husband is a big Democrat and he works for Amtrak, and Joe is a big proponent of Amtrak,” she said, adding that she had joked with her husband earlier in the morning about seeing Biden at the train station.
Biden’s stop also captured the attention of two British men who are touring America.
Matt Simpkims and Mitch Burgess, both of North London, said it was exciting to have met Biden, even if they didn’t know much about him until they asked around.
“He shook my hand at the top of the stairs,” the 22-year-old Simpkims said, adding that he wished the senator good luck and then got a few “snaps” of Biden. “I understand he is from around here. What a friendly character. He just seemed like a genuine guy.”