Biden in GR; White House race picks up

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden told workers Wednesday at American Seating Co. they are an example of how U.S. companies can prosper by keeping production at home.

"I'm absolutely convinced, because of you workers on the floor, America is absolutely coming back and will lead the world in the 21st century," Biden told about 200 employees gathered in chairs on the factory floor.

The 125-year-old Grand Rapids company makes seats for busses, desks and stadiums. It has never moved production overseas and most of its parts come from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

John Burns, American Seating plant operations manager, said before Biden spoke that the company's tradition is to keep jobs at home.

"We in American Seating are proud of doing our part to rebuild the American economy," Burns said.

Biden's main message was that the White House wants to eliminate incentives to ship jobs overseas that put U.S. companies that keep jobs here at a disadvantage. Instead, the administration wants to offer tax breaks to companies that close overseas factories and return jobs to the United States.

"You give people a moving expense to come home, you don't give them a moving expense to go abroad," he said, earning applause. "That's why I'm so proud of this company. They did not budge."

Biden's visit comes less than a week after President Barack Obama visited the University of Michigan to call for more affordable higher education. Although the White House denied that the trip to Ann Arbor was a campaign stop, the president and vice president's visits are another sign that the election season is well under way in Michigan.

The state's Republican primary is on Feb. 28.

"The Obama administration's weekly visit to Michigan today is nothing but a reminder to voters that the past year has been nothing but broken promises and failed economic policies," Republican National Committee spokesman Ryan Tronovitch said in a statement. "Instead of another campaign trip to a battleground state for a speech filled with rhetoric, empty promises and more words for Michigan voters, Vice President Biden should be concentrated on working to get the economy back on track."

Michigan native Mitt Romney is expected to do well in the state after his big win Tuesday in Florida. But the three other candidates in the race aren't ceding Michigan to Romney.