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Barack Obama chooses Biden as running mate
Barack Obama on Saturday named veteran Senate colleague Joseph Biden as his vice-presidential running mate, adding foreign policy heft - but also a loose tongue - to his ticket for November's election.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:16 August 23, 2008
- Barack Obama listens as vice presidential running mate Joe Biden speaks at a rally in Illinois.
- Image Credit: AP
Chicago: Barack Obama on Saturday named veteran Senator Joseph Biden as his vice-presidential running mate, adding foreign policy heft to his ticket for November's election.
Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, brings decades of experience that could help counter GOP attacks on Obama's lack of experience in foreign policy.
The Democratic White House hopeful announced the news in an early-hours e-mail and text message sent out to his supporters.
Obama's Republican opponent, John McCain, criticised the Democrat's choice, saying it was an admission by Obama that he was not ready to serve as president himself.
Biden also launched an attack against McCain. "John McCain...served our country with extreme courage, and I know he wants to do right by America," he said of his Senate colleague during a rally with Obama in Illinois.
"But the harsh truth is loud and clear: You can't change America when you supported George Bush's policies 95 percent of the time," he said.
The McCain camp criticised Obama for introducing Biden as "the next president of the United States" before quickly correcting himself to say "vice president."
"Barack Obama sounded as though he turned over the top spot on the ticket today to his new mentor, when he introduced Joe Biden as the next president," said McCain spokesman Ben Porritt.
"The reality is that nothing has changed since Joe Biden first made his assessment that Barack Obama is not ready to lead. He wasn't ready then and he isn't ready now," he said.
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