It could have been much worse -- Evan Bayh or Tim Kaine. And it does seriously cover Obama's foreign policy flank, so in that respect it's a good thing.

I sincerely hope all the Hillary supporters now get on board in states like Ohio and Florida, or this election will be very, very tight.

Yesterday, a right-wing smear group launched a full-fledge attack against Barack, pulling in every baseless lie and re-hashed false assertion in their playbook.

Not only that -- it turns out the ad may be illegal. Campaign finance experts are weighing in about violations of election law. And the ad is so ridiculous that CNN and even Fox News have both refused to run it.

This is exactly the kind of politics Barack is running to change.

Unfortunately, some TV stations in Virginia are running the ad right now.

Contact stations in Virginia and tell them this kind of garbage shouldn't be run on the public's airwaves -- no matter how much money they are making to run it.

John McCain claims he had nothing to do with this attack, but a former McCain consultant leads the so called 'third-party' group behind these lies.

The primary funder of the ads, Harrold Simmons, is one of the main culprits behind the Swift Boating of John Kerry and a top bundler for John McCain. The spokesman for the group also has ties to the Kerry Swift Boat attacks.

The McCain camp and the Swift Boaters must be truly desperate to change the subject from John McCain's shocking disconnect with the economic struggles of the American people.

Take action right now to make sure this trash doesn't pollute another election:

http://va.barackobama.com/offt...

Keep fighting the good fight,

Obama Action Wire

Consumer crusader Ralph Nader submitted more than 15,000 signatures yesterday to get his name on the Virginia ballot as the presidential candidate of the Green Party.

Loraine Thompson, an official with the State Board of Elections, said the board is checking the signatures to see whether they qualify.

"I am very excited that Senator Obama has selected Senator Biden to be his running mate.  Senator Biden is a tremendous leader and a great complement to Senator Obama and his candidacy.  He has worked as a committed public servant, has a proven track record, and understands the complex challenges facing our nation.

"The Obama-Biden ticket provides the United States with a new and meaningful dialogue with world leaders and will improve America's standing with our allies and the global community.

"As a governor, I know the value of having reliable partners who are willing to tackle tough challenges in Washington. The failed economic policies of the last 8 years have left states across the country struggling with budget shortfalls.  Even here in Virginia, we are facing tough economic times.  An Obama-Biden administration will give me and governors across the country the kind of partnership we need to deliver results for America's working families.

"While families across America are looking for results and solutions-oriented leaders, Senator John McCain offers more of the same failed policies of the last eight years.  The Obama-Biden ticket offers Americans a clear choice and a real opportunity for change."

But he DOES bring 3 critical things. In order of importance (as I see them, particularly for a Presidential-level campaign): 1. energy/personality, 2. foreign policy expertise, and 3. a willingness to take it directly to the opposition.

There were no perfect choices here, but I think Biden was the strongest. People talked about a "safer" pick, but let's remember that the safe pick is only safe if he/she ABSOLUTELY produces a victory. I don't think any of the VP contenders were in that category.

There's the first McCain ad.

Biden does not bring any EVs.  There are 3 in DE.  And Kerry carried it fairly easily last time.

And here's what Biden said about Obama's foreign policy experience, from a Politico report on a press release Biden sent out during the primary:

Sen. Biden has been talking about this for over 6 months. Dating back to January 5th, Sen. Biden said America Should Surge Troops in Afghanistan. He told the Washington Post, "If we're surging troops anywhere, it should be in Afghanistan," Biden said. Adding troops there would give the United States "the moral high ground" in its quest for more forces from NATO allies. [Washington Post, 1/5/07]

"We find it a little disingenuous that Sen. Obama is hailing this as a new bold initiative when he has neglected to join his colleagues in the Senate when the opportunities have been there to redirect our forces into Afghanistan" said Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro. "It's good to see Sen. Obama has finally arrived at the right position, but this can hardly be considered bold leadership."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/...

And then there's Biden's plagiarism problems:

Then in September 1987, the campaign ran into serious trouble when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party.[27] Though Biden had correctly credited the original author in all speeches but one, the one where he failed to make mention of the originator was caught on video.[28] Within days, it was also discovered that, while a first year law student at Syracuse Law School, Biden had plagiarized a law review article in a class paper he wrote. Though the then-dean of the law school, as well as Biden's former professor, played down the incident of plagiarism, they did find that Biden drew "chunks of heavy legal prose directly from" the article in question. Biden said the act was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and Biden was permitted to retake the course after receiving a grade of F, which was subsequently dropped from his record. Biden also released at the same time the record of his grades as an undergraduate which were C's and D's with the exception of two A's in physical education, one B in a course on English writers and an F in ROTC during his first three semesters.[29] His grades improved later in his undergraduate career but were not exceptional.[29] Further, when questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school Biden had claimed falsely to have graduated in the "top half" of his class, (when he actually graduated 76th in a class of 85) that he had attended on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees.[30] In fact he had received two majors, History and Political Science, and a single B.A., as well as a half scholarship based on financial need.[30]

Faced with these revelations, Biden withdrew from the nomination race on September 23, 1987, saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his mistakes.[31]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B...

So there you have it, an academic underachiever from a state smaller than many eastern counties, who cheated in law school and flunked ROTC.

Also, let me remind you of a time back in 1980 when George Bush called Ronald Reagan's economic plan "voo doo economics" in the Republican Presidential primary. Did they fail to win the White House? No. So people who run in the primary together can work together.

And I'm simply stunned that you found out about his plagiarism "problem". Dang it why didn't the Obama campaign go to wikipedia and find this out?

And McCain no matter how hard he tries to finesse it is trying to effectively gain a 3rd term for Bush Jr., who bumped Bart Simpson as the poster child for underachievers.

And compared to Biden's tepid scandals, McCain himself admitted to screwing up his first marriage and offers no excuses.  And anything more than a cursory look at the Keating Five scandal makes McCain look very bad.  I'm not sure McCain's opposition will even have to do the hard work of educating the masses about how phony McCain's reformer maverick image was.  And, look at the unscrupulous lobbyists and neocons that are dictating McCain's current campaign.

Now, let's look at the top of the Dem ticket.  Oh my.  The head of Harvard Law Review.

There are a lot of factors that will be important in this race.  Biden's shortcomings won't be among them.

Further, when questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school Biden had claimed falsely to have graduated in the "top half" of his class, (when he actually graduated 76th in a class of 85) that he had attended on a full scholarship, and had received three degrees.[30] In fact he had received two majors, History and Political Science, and a single B.A., as well as a half scholarship based on financial need.[30]

It's a welcome change that the smart one will be the President.  Obama is the steak, Biden is the sizzle ;-)

You should have sent the page out yesterday during business hours.  It would have been the talk around the office, and we would have felt a bit more special knowing first.

This was a total spoiler, thanks to the media catching the secret service pulling into Biden's driveway.

The idea to send out an email or page to supporters first was brilliant.  The delivery was horrible.

I'm too tired right now to be excited about the whole thing.  It was probably a good political choice.  I would never want Biden to be president - hopefully Obama never drops dead.

Reporters and opposition researchers are already salivating at the verbal grenades yet to be launched.

More substantively, Biden supported the 2002 resolution that authorized the war in Iraq - a resolution that Obama opposed and, in the primaries at least, painted as "the most important foreign policy decision in a generation."

Biden was on the wrong side of that thinking, by Obama's lights. In 2002, he said that America had "no choice but to eliminate" Saddam Hussein.

While preparing for his own run at the party's nomination last year, he took several shots at Obama's inexperience, warning that "if the Democrats think we're going to be able to nominate someone who can win without that person being able to table unimpeachable credentials on national security and foreign policy, I think we're making a tragic mistake."

When Obama gave a speech saying he'd send troops into Pakistan if he had actionable intelligence and the Pakistani government was unwilling to act, Biden told NPR that "It's a well-intentioned notion he has, but it's a very naive way of thinking how you're going to conduct foreign policy," adding of his then-rival, in a remark Republicans are sure to revive, "Having talking points on foreign policy doesn't get you there."

Biden also said last year of his now-running mate, that "I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." He may also see clips from his 1988 presidential run, when he ran an ad in which the narrator warns:

"The White House isn't a place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power ... the economic future of the next generation,' the narrator of Biden's 1988 ad for the Democratic nomination said. "The president has got to know the territory."

I like that matchup.

Biden's selection clearly says that Barack Obama is committed to winning.  Down the road there will be more important things.  Right now, this is a game changer.  We go on the offensive now with economics and we have a strategy.

I think the delivery was inadvertently terrible.  They were trying to take it to the end but as soon as SS was sent to Biden's home the email should have come out. Can't win them all.