The Hill News

Vice President Joe Biden got a laugh from his audience at a Wisconsin fundraising event Thursday when he tried to rile the crowd about the economic collapse of 2008. 

“We want to reward people who manufacture things in the United States, in Wisconsin, not to take them overseas to China and to other countries!” he said
to a silent room at the event for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tom Barrett, according to a White House pool report. 

He continued, saying “You’re the dullest audience I’ve ever spoken to," at which point he got applause and laughs. "Do you realize how many jobs Wisconsin
lost? It’s staggering!"

Biden and President Obama have made frequent campaign stops in recent weeks in an attempt to jolt Democrats who are lagging Republicans in voter enthusiasm measures, in part due to the slowing pace of the economic recovery under the administration's watch. 

Biden's appearance Thursdsay was in the Wisconsin's state capital Madison, which hosted a crowd of 26,000 to see President Obama speak at rally targeted at young voters the week before.

The vice president has argued at previous that Democrats have begun to reverse the momentum that had them sliding to large losses on Election Day. He has also taken several pointed shots at the GOP, jokingly saying this week that he would "strangle" Republicans who talk about the deficit.

On Thursday, he took a jab at the House GOP's "Pledge to America," governing agenda.

“The pledge half baked…folks, we’ve been in that oven before," he said. "This pledge is a threat to America."