Obama Calls His Pick, Biden, Both a Statesman and Fighter

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Obama and Biden Rally Together

Barack Obama introduced Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as his choice for vice presidential candidate at a rally Saturday in Springfield, Ill. Obama and Biden spoke together for the first time as the 2008 Democratic ticket.

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Biden, in characteristic language, noted that some people accuse him of speaking too colloquially -- and then proceeded to do so.

"There's something about this guy, there's something about Barack Obama, that allows him to bring people together," Biden said. "It's been amazing to watch him, but then again, that's been the story of his whole life."

He said Obama has the "vision and courage" to improve the country, calling him a "clear-eyed pragmatist who will get the job done."

Biden is also running for reelection and, under Delaware law, can remain on both the presidential and Senate ballots. He is expected to cruise to reelection, and if the Obama-Biden ticket prevails, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner would appoint his replacement in the Senate.

His son, Beau, Delaware's attorney general, is considered a favorite for that potential appointment.

Throughout the selection process, the Obama campaign had kept a close watch on Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine as a potential running mate. Kaine told associates that he had "very serious" conversations with Obama about joining the ticket and that he provided documents to the campaign about his background.

Speculation over Kaine reached a fever pitch last week when Obama spent two full days campaigning across Virginia and spent the night Wednesday in downtown Richmond, a few blocks from the governor's mansion.

On Friday, with a swarm of reporters parked outside, Kaine sneaked out of the mansion through an underground tunnel to help his son move to George Washington University. Kaine was notified of Obama's decision late Thursday night or early Friday, though he declined repeatedly Saturday to reveal when. He then flew to Denver.

Wayne Turnage, Kaine's chief of staff, sent an e-mail to the governor's cabinet at 11:09 p.m. Friday with the subject line "Vice President."

"The Governor has indicated that Obama did not select him as a running mate," it said.

A few hours later, at 3:10 a.m., the Obama campaign sent out a text message to an estimated 3 million supporters nationwide with the official news. But details had already begun to leak as Secret Service agents were dispatched to Biden's home in Delaware, and as Kaine and the others on the shortlist were informed they did not get the job.

In keeping with its secretive approach to the vice presidential rollout, Obama's campaign said it will release no details on how he made his decision. Obama also did not take questions; he has not done so for at least two weeks.

Staff writers Shailagh Murray and Perry Bacon Jr. in Denver, Anita Kumar in Richmond and Michael D. Shear, with McCain in Sedona, Ariz., contributed to this report.