With just days to go before the Democratic National Party convenes in Denver, CO for the 2008 Democratic National Convention (where the party will formally select its candidate for President of the United States of America) the presumptive nominee, Senator Barack Obama, has announced that he has chosen Senator Joseph Biden to be his Vice Presidential nominee. For weeks now, there has been speculation that Biden (known and respected for his foreign relations expertise) might be Obama’s choice and late yesterday we learned that that speculation was correct. For the Dems, it’s gonna be Obama/Biden in the 2008 Presidential election come November:

Senator Barack Obama introduced Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his running mate on Saturday, a choice that strengthens the Democratic ticket’s credentials on foreign policy heading into the general election against Senator John McCain. In Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama selected a six-term senator best known for his expertise on foreign affairs — Mr. Biden spent last weekend in Georgia as that nation engaged in a tense confrontation with Russia — and his skills at political combat. Mr. Obama passed over other candidates, including Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who might have brought him a state or reinforced the message of change that has been central to his candidacy. He also bypassed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, his main challenger in the primaries. It was perhaps the most critical decision Mr. Obama has made as his party’s presumptive nominee … Mr. Biden is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is familiar with foreign leaders and diplomats around the world. Although he initially voted to authorize the war in Iraq — Mr. Obama opposed it from the start — Mr. Biden became a persistent critic of President Bush’s policies in Iraq. Mr. Obama’s acquaintance with Mr. Biden is in no small part a result of the fact that the two serve together on that committee, aides said. Mr. Biden, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination himself this year before pulling out after performing poorly in the first contest, in Iowa, has shown himself to be a tough political brawler, a characteristic that many Democrats say Mr. Obama has not displayed against Mr. McCain. That is something that presidential candidates typically look for in a running mate. Mr. Biden seems likely to fill in other gaps in Mr. Obama’s political appeal that became increasingly clear during the primary season and going into the fall. He is a Roman Catholic, a group with which Mr. Obama had trouble during the Democratic primaries; he has a blue-collar background, potentially giving him appeal among working-class voters, another bloc in which Mr. Obama ran poorly in the primaries; and he was born in Pennsylvania, a battleground state that could be vital to both parties. Mr. Obama announced his choice in text and e-mail messages that began streaming out of his Chicago headquarters at 3 a.m., hours after news of his decision began leaking out. “Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee,” read the text message. “Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!” His e-mail announcement began: “Friend — I have some important news that I want to make official. I’ve chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate.”

With this choice, Obama chooses a running mate who is well seasoned and who brings to the ticket sort of knowledge and expertise that will help Barack Obama lead our country forward in a new direction away from the failures of the current administration. This is a very exciting time for the Democrats, the campaign is getting more solidified and very soon, things can be full steam ahead into November. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming Democratic National Convention … and I’m very much looking forward to watching the Obama/Biden ticket bring much needed change to the good o’l U S of A.

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