ITS BIDEN, GO BACK TO SLEEP.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/...servi.html

August 22, 2008 10:50 PM

The United States Secret Service has dispatched a protective detail to assume the immediate protection of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., a source tells ABC News, indicating in all likelihood that Biden has been officially notified that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has selected him to be his running mate.

Sources also tell ABC News that two others said to be finalists for the position of Obama's running mate -- Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Virginia Gov Tim Kaine -- have been told they have not been selected for the vice presidential slot.

Kaine flew to Denver earlier today, is in Denver tonight and has no plans to leave in the next 24 hours. Bayh is at his Washington, DC, home with his family.

Biden was last seen minutes ago at his Wilmington estate where his extended brood is gathering.

The Obama campaign would not comment, but Obama mentioned Biden twice in speeches on the trail this week, both times heralding his legislative leadersip in East Asia.

At the VFW convention in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, Obama said, "we must help Georgia rebuild that which has been destroyed. That is why I’m proud to join my friend, Senator Joe Biden, in calling for an additional $1 billion in reconstruction assistance for the people of Georgia."

And in Chesapeake, Virginia, Friday night, Obama heralded Biden's efforts to provide economic assistance to Afghanistan.

"I joined with people like Joe Biden to increase a billion dollars of investment," he said.




The Secret Service is obviously part of the federal government so it ain't a ploy.

That was a waste of text.

Yeh, I've been hearing this for the past half hour. Sounds like it's confirmed. There seems to be no doubt that Biden is the guy. I'm happy with this decision. Although, Obama has made a big mistake in not choosing Hillary. For a Democrat, Obama has a very small female vote. He could have secured that female vote by choosing Hillary. If McCain chooses a female, such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, it's all over for Obama.

I still say Barry should have done this thursday afternoon. this midnight breaking news is lame and can't be the excitement that the campaign was going for.

Though I hear he's popular in germany.

DarlingDiana said:

SUPRMAN said:

Where's my text?

babynoz said:

Where's my text?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/veepstakes



WASHINGTON - Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.
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Obama announced the pick on his Web site with a photo of the two men and an appeal for donations. A text message went out shortly afterward that said, "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee."

Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

Across more than 30 years in the Senate, he has served at various times not only as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee but also as head of the Judiciary Committee, with its jurisdiction over anti-crime legislation, Supreme Court nominees and Constitutional issues.

In selecting Biden, Obama passed over several other potential running mates, none more prominent than former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, his tenacious rival in dozens of primaries and caucuses.

Obama's campaign arranged a debut for the newly minted ticket on Saturday outside the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill.

Obama's decision leaked to the media several hours before his aides planned to send a text message announcing the running mate, negating a promise that people who turned over their phone numbers would be the first to know who Obama had chosen. The campaign scrambled to send the text message after the leak, sending phones buzzing at the inconvenient time of just after 3 a.m. on the East coast.

Hundreds of miles to the west, carpenters, electricians, sound stage gurus and others transformed the Pepsi Center in Denver into a made-for-television convention venue.

Tucked away in one corner were thousands of lightweight rolled cardboard tubes, ready-made handles for signs bearing the names of the Democratic ticket — once the identity of Obama's running mate was known.

While Obama decided against adding Clinton to his ticket, he has gone to great lengths to gain the confidence of her primary voters, agreeing to allow her name to be placed in nomination at the convention and permitting a roll call vote that threatens to expose lingering divisions within the party.

Biden slowly emerged as Obama's choice across a long day and night of political suspense as other contenders gradually fell away.

First Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine let it be known that he had been ruled out. Then came word that Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana had also been passed over.

Several aides to Clinton said the Obama campaign had never requested financial or other records from her.

Other finalists in the veep sweepstakes were Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Texas Rep. Chet Edwards.

Among those on the short list, Biden brought the most experience in defense or foreign policy — areas in which Obama fares relatively poorly in the polls compared with Republican Sen. John McCain.

While the war in Iraq has been supplanted as the campaign's top issues by the economy in recent months, the recent Russian invasion of Georgia has returned foreign policy to the forefront.

In addition to foreign policy experience, Biden, a native of Scranton, Pa., has working-class roots that could benefit Obama, who lost the blue-collar vote to Clinton during their competition for the presidential nomination.

Biden was elected to the Senate at the age of 29 in 1972, but personal tragedy struck before he could take office. His wife and their 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were killed when a tractor-trailer broad-sided her station wagon.

Biden took his oath of office for his first term at the hospital bedside of one of his sons.

On Friday, he spent the day at his home in Delaware with friends and family. The normally loquacious lawmaker maintained a low profile as associates said they believed — but did not know — he would be tapped. They added they had been asked to stand by in case their help was needed.

No sooner had word spread of his selection than McCain's campaign unleashed its first attack. Spokesman Ben Porritt said in a statement that Biden had "denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing — that Barack Obama is not ready to be president."

As evidence, Republicans cited an ABC interview from August 2007, in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.

Biden is seeking a new Senate term in the fall. there was no immediate word whether he intended to change plans as he reaches for national office.

Michael Silberman, a partner at online communications firm EchoDitto, said the campaign gambled when they made such a high-stakes promise and find themselves in a precarious situation where they could risk a great deal of trust with supporters.

"For Obama supporters, this is like finding out from your neighbor instead of your sister that she's engaged — not how you want or expect the news to be delivered," Silberman said.

Biden dropped out of the 2008 race for the Democratic presidential nomination after a poor finish in the Iowa caucuses, but not before he talked dismissively of joining someone else's ticket.

"I am not running for vice president," he said in a Fox interview. "I would not accept it if anyone offered it to me. The fact of the matter is I'd rather stay as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee than be vice president."

He had stumbled on his first day in the race, apologizing for having described Obama as "clean." Months later, Obama spoke up on Biden's defense, praising him during a campaign debate for having worked for racial equality.

It was Biden's second try for the White House. The first ended badly in 1988 when he was caught lifting lines from a speech by British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

In the decades since, he become a power in the Senate, presiding over confirmation proceedings for Supreme Court nominees as well as convening hearings to criticize President Bush's handling of the Iraq War.

Biden voted to authorize the war, but long ago became one of the Senate's surest critics of the conflict. Ironically, perhaps, his son, Beau, attorney general of Delaware, is due to spend a tour of duty in Iraq beginning this fall with his National Guard unit.

Obama worked to keep his choice secret, although he addressed the issue broadly during the day in an interview.

"Obviously, the most important question is: Is this person ready to be president?" Obama told "The Early Show" on CBS. Second, he said, was: "Can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at home and guiding us through some dangerous waters internationally?"

And, he added: "I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a yes person when it comes to policymaking.

lazycrockett said:

I still say Barry should have done this thursday afternoon. this midnight breaking news is lame and can't be the excitement that the campaign was going for.

Though I hear he's popular in germany.

I would rather have had Hillary. I liked Biden a lot during the primary, though.

lazycrockett said:

babynoz said:

Where's my text?

sunshine you got screwed, but thanks for the info digits, cause you're gonna love getting charged with text messages bout some democrat in Maine that needs your support in a couple of years.

lazycrockett said:

babynoz said:

Where's my text?

sunshine you got screwed, but thanks for the info digits, cause you're gonna love getting charged with text messages bout some democrat in Maine that needs your support in a couple of years.

There was only one name that I wasn't at all in favor of and since that name wasn't picked, I'm content with Biden. The whole war issue is going to be very interesting, especially when they win, considering he voted for it and now his son is going to fight in it and he's not happy about that.

noimageatall said:[quote]

lazycrockett said:

Obama's decision leaked to the media several hours before his aides planned to send a text message announcing the running mate, negating a promise that people who turned over their phone numbers would be the first to know who Obama had chosen. The campaign scrambled to send the text message after the leak, sending phones buzzing at the inconvenient time of just after 3 a.m. on the East coast.

Hey, it wasn't his fault, babynoz. It was the leaker's.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

noimageatall said:

Hey, it wasn't his fault, babynoz. It was the leaker's.

I don't know...it may have leaked just a bit earlier than it was supposed to but I think the phones were going to ring at 3am anyway. Senator Obama has wicked sense of humor.

Think about it for a minute...the press was all a flutter with anticipation all day long, what better time would there have been to show the country he was ready, with one of the most important decisions he's had to make to date, than at 3AM?
[Edited 8/23/08 6:50am]

I am happy with Joseph Biden, now lets win this thing!

noimageatall said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I don't know...it may have leaked just a bit earlier than it was supposed to but I think the phones were going to ring at 3am anyway. Senator Obama has wicked sense of humor.

Think about it for a minute...the press was all a flutter with anticipation all day long, what better time would there have been to show the country he was ready, with one of the most important decisions he's had to make to date, than at 3AM?
[Edited 8/23/08 6:50am]

Damn...I forgot about that ad! Tooooo funny!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

noimageatall said:

Damn...I forgot about that ad! Tooooo funny!

I couldn't help but think about it...when my husband heard my phone ringing, he joked and I quote, "The only person calling you at this time of night had better be the President!" I looked at my phone, burst out laughing and said, "It was!!!"

Man, I'm glad I didn't sign up for the text. If my phone went off and woke me up for this shit, I probably would have broken it.

I mean... what an energizing move this is sure to ZZZZZ.

Mars23 said:

I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. And now we can add this guy to the ticket! I mean, that's a storybook, man.

Biden scares me.

Wave your wildsigns high!!

Biden is so racist that he is willing to be VP for a black man.

2freaky4church1 said:

Maybe the Democrats will win this election.

I was hoping that he would not pick Biden.

HiinEnkelte said:

I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. And now we can add this guy to the ticket! I mean, that's a storybook, man.

babynoz said:

Where's my text?