Biden Will Be in Tampa for GOP Convention

Joe Raedle/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- As Republicans converge on Florida next week to formally nominate Mitt Romney, Vice President Joe Biden plans to be in town.

Biden will be in Florida on Monday and Tuesday, including a visit to the Tampa area, site of the 2012 Republican National Convention, the Obama campaign said today.

His presence in the state – the largest electoral battleground – is part of a coordinated effort by Democrats and President Obama’s re-election campaign to bracket the Republican festivities and steal some of the spotlight.

Democrats are planning a “counter convention” in downtown Tampa to be orchestrated out of a “rapid response war room” steps from where Republicans are huddled, the Democratic National Committee announced.

Party officials said that DNC chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida would play a key role in the effort, leading the rebuttal from the left as each GOP speaker takes the stage.

“While the RNC will focus on burnishing Romney’s biography as a so-called Mr. Fix It, the DNC/OFA [Obama for America] response will be to highlight how his work in the private sector and as governor was a disaster for the middle class,” the DNC said in a statement.

A representative for the Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Biden’s appearance or Democrats’ efforts in Tampa.

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