Obama picks Biden for VP

Barack Obama has picked Joseph Biden, a six-term U.S. Senator from Delaware and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as the Democratic nominee for vice president. Obama and Biden are expected to appear for the first time as running mates this morning at a rally at the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.

Among his rumored finalists, Obama had choices that would help him with swing states (Bill Richardson, Evan Bayh, Tim Kaine) or that would please the base (Hillary Clinton).

But in Biden he chose one of the most experienced politicians in the country as well as one of its most respected in foreign policy circles.

Biden, 66, ran for President this year, but dropped out of the race after losing the Iowa caucus to Obama. He has served in the Senate since January 1973.

It was on experience where John McCain's campaign criticized the pick.

"There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden," said McCain spokesman Ben Porritt. "Biden has 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."

The Biden pick is a good bridge for Obama to Clinton, whose supporters make up a significant wing of the party. Throughout the primary season Biden did not endorse either of the candidates and even when he was in the race he would defend both at debates.

If there is one thing that the Biden pick does not help Obama with is the charge that he is too liberal. Biden has a 100 percent voting record with Americans for Democratic Action. National Journal rating him voting with the liberal agenda 87 percent of the time in 2006 and not once with he conservative agenda.

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