The vice president’s wife made a last-minute stop in Colorado Springs Monday morning, as a semi-surrogate for President Barack Obama, who canceled a Tuesday appearance because of Hurricane Sandy.

Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, spoke to a crowd of 100 supporters at Colorado College. She focused on higher education, military families and women’s rights.Jill Biden has a doctorate in education and her son, Beau Biden, is the Delaware Attorney General and a major in the National Guard.

“I’ve seen Barack and Joe stand up for our rights and our freedoms every single day,” Biden said to applause.

Biden urged the crowd to do as much as possible to get out the vote on Election Day, Nov. 6.

“’Forward’ doesn’t happen just on its own. It’s going to take every single one of us,” she said, invoking the campaign’s signature phrase. “We’re working as hard as we can, but we need you, because you are the ones who are going to take us forward.”

Obama had been scheduled to speak at Red Rock Canyon Open Space on Tuesday, but decided on Saturday to stay in Washington, D.C. because of the immense storm. Biden’s appearance was announced mid-day on Sunday.

“Nobody’s going to begrudge the president for not making it, but it helps that he’s sent a dignitary who’s almost as good,” said Grady Williams, a California activist with ProgressNow who was at the rally.

Before launching into her speech, Biden told the crowd that her sister was evacuated from her home in New Jersey because of Hurricane Sandy. She that her son, Beau Biden, has been called up by the National Guard to help in Delaware.

Biden, an English professor at the Northern Virginia Community College, said she has a personal connection to many of the issues the president focuses on. She reminded the crowd that her son had served in the Iraq War.

“One of the things, as a mother, that you can imagine I felt, on of my wishes was that President Obama was going to end the war in Iraq, and he kept that promise,” she said.

“I see how much (troops) have really sacrificed for all of us, for the safety of all of us,” Biden said. “So as a military mom, I want to keep moving our country forward on issues that pertain to military families, and not just with words but with real actions.”

Several audience members called Jill Biden “an inspiration,” and said they loved that the campaign had sent her to the school.

Laura Westfall, a 34-year-old sales representative, said she had been looking forward to seeing the president speak on Tuesday, and was going to take her daughter out of school for the rally. But she was happy that the campaign had sent Jill Biden.

“I would have brought more people if I had known,” said Westfall. “She’s really solid. She’s obviously someone who cares about regular women.”

Jill Biden’s past as an education activist and professor struck home with supporter Victoria Heim, a local writer.

Heim, 60, said, “Her focus is exactly where it needs to be.”—Contact John Schroyer: 476-4825Twitter: @JohnschroyerFacebook: Gazette John Schroyer

Dr. Jill Biden spoke to grassroots supporters at Colorado College during a campaign stop in Colorado Springs Monday, October 29, 2012. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette Photo by

MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE