Thread by @mikememoli

.@JoeBiden about to take stage at US Conference of Mayors.

One of his favorite jokes is that mayor is toughest job in politics, in part "because they know where you live."

@JoeBiden And there it is. "I was a local official," Biden says at start of his remarks. "I ran for the United States Senate because being a local official was too hard. You think I’m kidding? I’m not kidding. They know where you live."

No surprise: Biden using remarks to Mayors Conference to tout the Recovery Act, which he led implementation of. "It literally saved us from sliding into a recession."

Biden, after railing against "dysfunctional" Washington. "I read in the New York Times that one of the problems I'd have if I ran for president is I like Republicans. Bless me father for I have sinned."

"The more dysfunctional this town has become, the more consequential local officials become," Biden says. "Not a joke. It’s a reality. ... All the innovation in America is coming from the governors, the mayors, the county executives."

An important glimpse at Biden potential candidacy. Most will run to left, some stake out center. Biden will try to run above it all

Biden: "The America people are capable of doing anything given a chance. They’ve never ever ever ever let us down."

That's a 3.0 on the Biden Everometer

Biden leans into the green energy component of Recovery Act, which Obama admin feels it didn't get enough credit for. "The threat we face in climate change is existential."

Biden talks about one of first meetings with military leadership he attended with Obama. "You know what the military said was our greatest threat? Global warming!"

Biden's closing riff: "I think we need to start believing our people again … They’re looking to be lead."

Tough hits coming in against Biden for that Upton event. But in midterms VP did events in 22 states for 65 Democratic candidates, including multiple Michigan stops.