Vice-president Joe Biden doesn't think there's anyone who agrees with presidential hopeful Rick Santorum when it comes to higher education.
Biden, who spoke at Iowa State University Thursday, defended the Obama administration's push for more people to attend at least one year of college or vocational training after high school in an interview with Radio Iowa. Santorum recently said President Obama was a "snob" for encouraging more people to go to college.
"I think there’s an ideological divide between Rick Santorum and all of America on this," Biden said. "I don't think it's between the parties.
Biden is hardly alone in criticizing Santorum's "snob" comment.
Earlier this week, a number of prominent Republican governors like Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) and Chris Christie (R-N.J.) said they didn't agree with Santorum. Former House Speaker and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich also came out in support of Obama's push for higher education after high school. Gingrich went so far as to say anyone getting unemployment should be required to enter vocational training or a community college.
Santorum claimed Obama wanted more students to enroll in public colleges because they are "indoctrination mills" that would cause students to lose their faith -- a statement that has been debunked.
"Look," Biden said, "I've been going college campuses and high schools all across America for the past six months talking about what the facts are. Six out of the 10 jobs over the next 10 years are going to require…either a certificate or a degree beyond high school. It’s that simple."
Biden spoke to a crowd of college students Thursday afternoon, touting the excellence of American universities and promising to get more companies to engage in "insourcing" rather than "outsourcing."
"Any country that out-educates us is going to out-compete us," Biden said. "It's not about snobbery. It's about allowing people to live a life like their parents lived, in a middle-class environment, decent home, good school, a promise to send their kids to college and being able to take care of their parents and not have to be taken care of themselves by the time they're their parents' age."