Biden VP Talk Reflects Worries About Obama

Long-Time Delaware Senator, Former Presidential Candidate Can Address Obama's Biggest Weaknesses

(AP)  Sen. Joe Biden's emergence at the center of speculation about who will be Barack Obama's running mate may say more about Obama's challenges in the presidential race than it does about the final selection.

Obama is keeping his decision quiet, but his staff in Chicago and party activists are buzzing about Biden, in large part because he can address two of Obama's biggest weaknesses - his lack of experience, especially on world affairs, and his reluctance to attack his opponent.

Obama plans to appear with his newly selected running mate Saturday, with the pick announced via text message to supporters. Obama also is believed to be considering Govs. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana.

But Biden is at the center of much speculation now. Biden, 65, first was elected to represent Delaware in 1972. Obama was 11 at the time; half the people living in the U.S. were not born when Biden arrived on Capitol Hill. He is a curious front-runner to join a ticket headed by Obama, who prevailed during the primaries by making the case that he is an outsider who can bring change to Washington.

Biden has a compelling personal story: His wife and daughter were killed in a car accident a few weeks after he was first elected, but two sons survived serious injuries in the crash. Biden commuted home to Wilmington daily to care for them, a practice he continues to this day. The oldest son, Beau, is now Delaware's attorney general and a National Guard member whose unit is being deployed to Iraq in October.

Biden got another scare 10 years ago, when two brain aneurysms kept him out of the Senate for several months.

This week Biden returned from a trip to the former Soviet state of Georgia that he made at the invitation of the embattled country's president, a well-timed reminder of the value he could bring to Obama's ticket.

Fighting between Georgia and Russia has only increased the sense that Americans will turn to the candidate they believe will be a strong international leader.

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, brings a military background and a leading role on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Obama only has served three years in Washington, but Biden is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Polls suggest the race between Obama and McCain is tightening, and Obama is responding by stepping up his attacks in speeches and commercials targeted to key states. Obama has never been entirely comfortable going negative, but Biden is always ready for a fight.

Obama could have been describing Biden when he said in a speech Tuesday that he wants his running mate to be "somebody who is mad right now" about the state of the economy, an independent spirit who will speak out when Obama's wrong and help him through major issues.

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VP Hot Sheet: CBSNews.com Tracks Veepstakes Buzz:
McCain's Top 10 Contenders
Obama's Top 10 Contenders

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During the Democratic primary, when he also sought the presidential nomination, Biden often made the most memorable impression in debates even though he was barely registering in the polls. He got big laughs for accusing Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani of mentioning three things in every sentence - "a noun, a verb and 9/11" - and also leveled barbs at Obama, questioning his experience.

He said he didn't think Obama was ready to be president yet, saying it's "not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." He offended some blacks when on the first day as an official presidential candidate he tried to compliment Obama as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean."

Biden dropped out of the race after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses.

[luvienne]

Mccain''s political team of karl Rove operatives are the ones who slandered Mccain in his previous bid for president. This time Bush gave Mccain the go ahead with a pat on the head. Good boy.

[byethepeople]

"...the true believers who would have marched if Hitler was a Dem..." (Posted by obamaisaho2)

But Hitler wasn''t a Democrat. He was right-wing fascist, like you!

[obamaisaho2]

When Americans put 1 and 1 together and sees what kind of colossal anal retentive Joe Biden is, and knowing what they know about Stepin Fetchit and his wifey, friends and advisers, with the exception of the brain dead, the Hollyweirdos and Flakes like Scarlett and Kate Walsh, and the true believers who would have marched if Hitler was a Dem, they''ll run as far away from these two cowards as humanly possible.

[obamaisaho2]

Pick a Plagarizer to buck up a Coward and Racial Hypocrite.

Go Obama-Biden - right down the toilet bowl where the two of you belong.

LOL.

[armydog2]

Actually Biden is a good choice, he has foreign policy experience,which you all claim Obama does not have.Obama/Biden 08 they will win cause the USA is fed up with the republicans and all their corruption.

[shameonbush]

Joe Biden is brilliant. This would be an excellant choice for Obama. Biden has always impressed me with his tenacious personality. I feel confident with Biden.

[ragnar30066]

Obama needs a VP who shares his values, his commitment, his vision of the future.

Vladimir Putin.

[liberty_1776]

Those aneurysms must have short circuited Biden''s brain. I have always wondered why people in Delaware vote for him. Now I know it is because they feel sorry for him and his family. Still, it seems reckless to elect someone to Congress due to pity or tradition. Joe Biden is an embarrassing person. He says and does a lot of ridiculous things that people in Delaware should be very embarrassed about.

[c0mm0n_sense]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1047399/Barack-Obamas-half-brother-discovered-Kenya-living-dollar-month.html

[dasfarg]

Sources say the international bankers and financiers will install Al Gore as the Prez (bumping Obama out) and billionaire NYC Mayor Bloomberg the VP for either party. Both will continue the agenda to privatize the US government, programs, infrastructure and jobs for big $$$ profits as the economy tanks and currency goes down. Gore has about 100 superdelegates in his back pocket to prevent anyone candidate to get the number needed to be nominated. That is the plan for him to step in and appear above the fray and take advantage of popular discontent, confusion and chaos at the convention.....

[dasfarg]

Sources say the international bankers and financiers will install Al Gore as the Prez (bumping Obama out) and billionaire NYC Mayor Bloomberg the VP for either party. Both will continue the agenda to privatize the US government, programs, infrastructure and jobs for big $$$ profits as the economy tanks and currency goes down. Gore has about 100 superdelegates in his back pocket to prevent anyone candidate to get the number needed to be nominated. That is the plan for him to step in and appear above the fray and take advantage of popular discontent, confusion and chaos at the convention.....

[c0mm0n_sense]

The youngest of Barack Obama%u2019s half siblings has told of his shame about living in a shack and existing on a dollar a month whilst his brother plans to become the most powerful man in the world.

With the Democratic Convention in Denver just days away, Italian Vanity Fair magazine tracked George Hussein Onyango Obama to a 6ft by 9ft wooden shed in Kenya.

The difference in the men''s lifestyles could not be more dramatic. Mr Obama, 47, travels the world with an army of bodyguards, whilst his brother defends himself with his own bare hands on the rough streets of Haruma, a Nairobi shanty town.

%u201CIf anyone says something about my surname, I say we are not related. I am ashamed,%u201D George told the magazine.

"No-one knows who I am. I live here on less than a dollar a month.

"I live like a recluse, no-one knows I exist."

George, at 25 the youngest of Obama%u2019s father%u2019s seven children, has met his famous big brother just twice.

He was just five when Mr Obama visited Kenya for the first time in 1988 and made a special trip out to his mother Jael%u2019s shanty home.

[downsteamjim]

P.S. I hope I didn''t offend any horse lovers.

[downsteamjim]

I would like to see Obama and Biden in a reality TV show. The goal would be to see who is the more self righteous and pompus horses but t.

[zykracosmos]

And more... if people think *** Cheney is Bush''s hatchet man, wait till they see Biden go to work.

[zykracosmos]

Furthermore, Sebelius as a VP pick would automatically make half of Hillary''s supporters jump ship to McCain in retribution.

[zykracosmos]

First of all, the absolute gutter talk by the rightwingers in here completely reassures me about voting Democratic this year. There''s no way I want my fingers on the same lever any one of these people touched. About the VP pick, Hillary seems to be out because of the big shadow she and Bill cast. Sebelius will be rewarded as a cabinet appointee, maybe education. Kaine''s value is limited to a few extra votes in Virginia, while giving up a valuable senate seat that may not automatically go back to the blue side, and he has no experience either, just a big mouth. Bayh is like a clone, and he''s not "mad right now." He doesn''t show the drive, just the same cute-look that Edwards had that won''t translate to a win in November. Biden, on the other hand, while playing into the "I need a big brother" appearance people are already snickering at, would, in fact, bring a very strong partnership to the campaign strategy, and he really does have the crucial experience in foreign policy that immediately cancel''s out McCain''s advantage. Biden''s foreign policy positions actually make sense! I''ve wanted Biden to be the pick for months, before he climbed the ladder. I hope it happens.

[semperfi2008]

It doesn''t matter who Obama picks as his running mate or what strategy he pursues, he cannot win in November. If the DNC had half a brain, they would select HRC as the nominee. At least she would give McCain a good fight. In the parlance of software development, Obama is "vaporware", a term meaning that what you thought you bought is nothing like what you get. In the end you end up throwing the whole project in the trash and starting over --- Just like the DNC will have to do after the election

[wellhell3]

Obscamma will never pick a VP that has more experience or competence than he does. It would allow him to look like the smirking chimp first grader he is.

[wellhell3]

Obama''''s experience as a community organizer is closer to a management position than anything McCain has done in the last 30 years. Look at all the financial difficulties and staff changes with his campaign.


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Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:43 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Obscamma''s position as a community organizer using the Alinsky methodology to teach people to hate their government is enough for me. Alinsky was nothing but a pinko commie. And Obscamma''s ties to anti-American groups is notorious! ACORN, ALINSKY, JOYCE FOUNDATION, WOODS FUND (funds anti-American groups, including the PLO), DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA.

NO THANKS! NO some anti-American shill in the White House!