By Caren Bohan
presidential candidate Barack ObamaJoseph BidenRepublican John McCain
Outside the Old State Capitol in Illinois where Obama
launched his historic bid for the White House in February 2007,
Obama said Biden "won't just make a good vice president, he
will make a great vice president."
Obama tapped the Delaware senator, a leading voice on
international affairs, as his vice presidential running mate
earlier on Saturday.
"This man is a clear-eyed pragmatist who will get the job
done," Biden said of Obama.
He repeatedly linked McCain to President George W. Bush and
said the Arizona senator would be more of the same in the White
House. "The times require more than a good soldier, they
require a wise leader," Biden said.
Obama ended days of speculation about his No. 2 with a
middle-of-the-night announcement on his Web site, featuring a
photo of the two, and his campaign sent a text message and
e-mail to supporters.
Biden, a Roman Catholic originally from the battleground
state of Pennsylvania, will bring not only foreign policy
expertise to the ticket but strong working-class roots.
That could help Obama connect with the blue-collar voters
he has failed to attract in the run-up to the November 4
election against McCain. Obama and McCain are neck and neck in
opinion polls.
Biden's 2008 presidential bid fell flat but he was a
forceful and aggressive debater, firing off some of the
toughest criticisms of Bush.
The choice of Biden, who was first elected to the Senate in
1972, indicates Obama was more interested in filling gaps in
his foreign policy experience than in finding someone who could
reinforce his message of bringing change to Washington.
Biden's record includes outspoken opposition to U.S.
government support for South Africa's apartheid system in the
1980's, agitation from the Senate for stronger U.S.
intervention in the Balkans in the 1990s and close involvement
with U.S. policy on Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.
Biden voted in 2002 for a resolution that authorized the
invasion of Iraq after failing to secure support for another
resolution to that would have allowed military action only
after diplomatic efforts had been exhausted. Obama was not in
the Senate then, but spoke out against the invasion.
Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, beaten by Obama in a
bitter struggle for the Democratic nomination, welcomed the
selection of Biden, who she described as "an exceptionally
strong, experienced leader and devoted public servant."
"Senator Biden will be a purposeful and dynamic vice
president who will help Senator Obama both win the presidency
and govern this great country," she said.
HEADING FOR DENVER
(Writing by John Whitesides; additional reporting by Jeff
Mason and Vicki Allen; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
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