T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY On Monday, a Japanese television crew filmed former U.S Secretary of State John Kerry’s campaign stop for Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden at the United Auto Workers Hall in Marshalltown.

The “We Know Joe” bus tour rolled into Marshalltown Monday headlined by former U.S. Secretary of State and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Speaking before a crowd of 40 at the United Auto Workers Hall, Kerry called former Vice President Joe Biden “by far the most qualified candidate in the race.”

He urged attendees to not only caucus Feb. 3 for Biden, but to recruit others to canvas, phone bank and propel his friend and former Senate colleague to the top.

With three weeks until Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, Kerry is one of the race’s highest-profile advocates.

“The sooner Joe wins the nomination, the sooner he can begin organizing a national campaign to defeat President Donald Trump,” Kerry said. “In 2004, I won the Democratic nomination in March and spent the months leading up to November raising money and organizing.”

Kerry said Biden’s age, 77, is not a liability.

“Sen. Sanders is 78 and Trump is in is 70s,” Kerry said. “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 79, soon to be 80, and look at the job she is doing. Running for President of the United States is one of the toughest physical challenges one can do, and Joe is out there every day getting the job done.”

Kerry, 76, served in the U.S. Senate with Biden 24 years.

Kerry saluted the former Vice-President Biden for steering the Affordable Care Act through Congress.

“President Obama said selecting Joe Biden for vice-president was the smartest thing he did as President,” Kerry said.

In Iowa, Biden has picked up key endorsements from former Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba and current Mayor Mike Matson.

A poll released Monday by Monmouth University showed Biden the first choice followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

However a Des Moines Register poll released last week showed Biden in fourth place behind Sanders, followed by Warren and Buttigieg.

Biden leads a number of other national polls.

“I can feel the Iowa blood getting rolling,” Kerry said. “It always starts to cut in close to caucus time. I know you respect the process. You listened to me in 2004, and you are listening now.”

Members of the press from Japan and England also covered the Marshalltown event.

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