Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to Washington, D.C.'s first Costco store on Thursday where his shopping haul included children's books, fire logs, a 32-inch TV and an apple pie.
Excited shoppers whipped out cell phones to snap photos of Biden, who was there on the day of the big-box store's grand opening.
Getty Images
AP
AP
According to the White House pool report, Biden did a loop of nearly the entire store, including the bakery and frozen foods sections, and partook in several Costco food samples. He turned down Costco employees trying to tempt him into the tire department, telling them, "Hey man, I don't need tires. I don't drive anymore."
AP
Getty Images
Biden flashed a Costco membership card at the store's entrance, telling the crowd it was his own card.
"In all honesty, I didn't have my own card, Jill wouldn't let me have one," he said, according to the pool report. "I went to get my wife's card, and she said, 'No, No, get your own card.'"
A White House official said the Bidens' Costco memberships were re-activated the day before and they paid $55 to receive new cards.
AP
Getty Images
Biden called for extending tax cuts for the middle class and said the new store's huge crowd was evidence of growing consumer confidence. He said, "consumer confidence is growing, the last thing we need to do is dash that" by imposing tax increases. The looming "fiscal cliff" will trigger a series of automatic spending cuts and tax increases unless Congress can reach a deal before the end of the year.
Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images
AP
Getty Images
