Senator Barack Obama introduced Senator Joe Biden of Delaware on Saturday and immediately the newly named running mate quickly converted his debut on the Democratic ticket into a slashing attack on Republican Senator John McCain. The Republican presidential contender will have to "figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at" when considering his own economic future, said Biden, jabbing at the man who has constantly attacked Senator Obama for the past month.
It was a reference to Senator McCain's recent untimely admission, in a time of economic uncertainty, that he was not sure how many homes he owns.
Before a huge crowd spilling out from the front of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, Senator Obama said Senator Biden was "what many others pretend to be — a statesman with sound judgment who doesn't have to hide behind bluster to keep America strong."
Democrats united quickly around Senator Obama's selection of a seasoned veteran of three decades in the Senate, a choice meant to provide foreign policy power to the party's ticket for the fall campaign against Senator McCain and the Republicans. Senator Biden is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with extensive experience in that area.
Senator Obama chose the same site that he launched his quest for the White House more than a year ago to introduce his running mate. The Democratic National Convention opens in Denver Monday to nominate a Black man who out distanced a crowded field of candidates who were far more well known than he was. A security fence sprung up overnight around the Pepsi Center as the pace of preparations accelerated in advance of Monday night's opening session, and police on bicycles patrolled nearby streets.
Responding to Obama's pick, the McCain campaign quickly produced a television ad featuring Biden's previous praise for McCain and comments critical of his new benefactor. In an ABC interview last year, Biden said he stood by an earlier statement that Obama wasn't yet ready to be president and "the presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."
As Senator Obama brought Senator Biden on stage with a glowing introduction, the newly named running mate moved center stage in shirt-sleeves at a brisk trot that contradicted his 65 years, and embraced Obama. Both men spoke for 16 minutes, with Senator Obama's remarks carefully crafted to emphasize Senator Biden's accomplishments in the Senate, his blue-collar roots and — above all — his experience on foreign policy. Senator Biden blended praise for Obama and criticism of McCain.
Senator Obama recounted the personal tragedy that struck Senator Biden more than 30 years ago, within days of his election to the Senate, when his first wife and their child were killed in an automobile accident. He said Senator Biden raised his surviving children as a single parent, commuting between the Capitol and Delaware daily on the Amtrak train.
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