Joe Biden got the VP call Thursday night (and never spilled the beans)

DENVER -- Barack Obama's actual VP offer to Joe Biden came in a telephone call Thursday night, according to Linda Douglass, the former-newswoman-turned-campaign-aide for the (almost) official Democratic presidential nominee.

Douglass, chatting with reporters on Obama’s campaign plane shortly before its arrival in Springfield, Ill., for the big photo-op pairing of the new ticket -- unfortunately provided no other tidbits, The Times' Michael Finnegan relates.

“We’re not going to get bogged down in the process of the selection,”  she said, leaving us to wonder, at least for now, how quickly Biden said yes or whether -- indulging himself -- the sometimes off-message Biden said asked something like. "What took you so long, young man?"

Speaking of off-message, the various branches of the Republican campaign apparatus have been anything but in responding to Biden's selection.

As The Ticket noted this morning, John McCain's media shop almost instantly unveiled an ad featuring a soundbite Biden provided last year, during the heat of the battle for the Democratic presidential nod, that scoffs at Obama's foreign policy credentials.

Today, Alex Conant of the Republican National Committee sent off one of his patented sharp-edged e-mails headlined thusly: "OBAMA'S OFF-MESSAGE MAN ... Is Obama Ready To Be President? Biden Says No."

The lengthy (and we do mean lengthy) memo includes sections (complete with citations) on differences between Obama and Biden on foreign policy, on regulating lobbyists and on "post-partisan politics" (not exactly a red-meat issue). For good measure, it adds they are "on message" when it comes to being "against energy solutions and for higher taxes."

Now comes a fundraising pitch from the McCain campaign asserting that Obama's "choice in a running mate once again brings up his questionable judgment when faced with making major decisions." The reason: he picked someone who, through the prism "doesn't believe that Senator Obama is ready to serve as president."

Folks who agree are asked to "make an immediate donation of $25, $50, $150, $250, $500, $1,000 or even $2,300" to the McCain camp (the latter amount is the maximum allowed by law).

Not to be found in any of the GOP missives is any reference to Biden's status as one of the least affluent denizens of Capitol Hill. But that's getting a fair amount of attention elsewhere, including an item by Steve Clemons on Huffington Post with this headline: "Joe Biden Won't Forget the Number of Houses He Owns."

On top of the flap over McCain's real estate holdings, some pundits are wondering whether the Biden pick might decrease the chances of the super-wealthy Mitt Romney getting the VP call from McCain.

-- Don Frederick

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Comments

[mike]

it'll be vs. lieberman-mccain. i put it in that order because we all know which creepo will be pulling those strings... ugh.

[Tom Holden]

Good job Obama.....now, let's hear it from the hater Republican/Hillary supporters

[Morris]

Obama-Biden 2008!

That is the best ticket on the planet!

[Paul Stewart]

I like that he is not wealthy. And from Scranton. And with so much good experience, And has a mind of his own. And can speak even if long winded. Means he thinks in context not in sound bites.

I like that he has foreign and judicial policy experience ad nauseum. And has been vetted in two Presidential races. And does not have a closet full of skeletons. And understands life is fundamentally about your family.

I like that he fully complements Obama. And is a fit for America. And is Catholic. And is plain spoken, direct and honest.

If he said Obama was too inexperienced to lead, perhaps it is different now that he, himself would be his VP and his right hand.

I like that he is not a maverick. And that he is a man of few houses.

[Hilary Smith]

What explains a working-class person's decision to favor McCain over Obama? I just can't understand. McCain is of the ruling-class and he will protect ruling-class interests, not the interests of the everyman. Can someone explain to me how on earth, if not for racial prejudice, a working-class person can see fit to vote for McCain? Please share your reasoning.

[Steve]

I well not vote, I can't stand Biden, and well not vote for McCain. Why the hell did Obama pick Bided, I really got to wonder about his judgment, and I supported Obama, but not anymore, Oh well, life goes on.......

[Beltway Greg]

This was a Fete Accompli for about a week. I heard about it from a source on Capitol HIll last weekend and the only question I have is why? To govern one has to first win the election and in choosing Biden, Obama has put that in doubt.
I can't stand the egomaniac Clinton but she would've been preferable to Biden. Biden brings very little to the ticket. His state is small and is comfortably democratic. Hillary would've brought a ton of votes and she's from New York. McCain will pick Romney. Romney was the governor of Massachusetts and his father was the governor of Michigan. Name recognition is key and Romney has great name recognition in two key states. Plus, he founded an outfit called Bain Capital, made scads of cash, and is plenty smart. He'll be the frontman on economics, McCain's weak point; he'll be Wall Street's darling. Biden has been in the senate forever and has cast innumerable votes and thus provides tons of gunpowder for the opposition's cannon.
If Obama has choosen Hagel or HIllary he could've been assured a victory. Now things get rough. His campaign has got to be better than perfect. I doubt that'll happen.

Beltway Greg

[Bill]

McCain has promised a pro life ticket and that leaves only Romney, who McCain hates. A McCain-Romney ticket would be a sham and there has to be thousand flip-flops between the two.

Biden was a great choice. The republicans are through for AT LEAST the next eight years.

[ted in pdx]

Although I have always liked Joe Biden, my first reaction a few days ago to this was to wonder if "the gaffe machine" would derail the Obama express with some ill-considered remark, or just running on too long on one thing or another.

BTW, I'm a Republican now and will be after the election, but I'm voting for Obama-Biden. Today, after reading Obama's introduction of his new Vice-President, I'm applauding the choice, and feeling a sense of enthusiasm again for the prospect of having two guys in the White House who are driven more by their ideals than their egos.

I thought about why Joe Biden always seems to get into trouble when he's making off the cuff remarks: it's because he, like me (and I think like Senator Obama), has a passion for doing the right thing, and for trying to persuade others what the right thing is. So any time anyone gives (us) a chance to explain why we believe what we believe, we tend to try and cram as much of what we know, into that limited opportunity to make our case. And since I've made my share of gaffes in those situations too, I'm inclined to say: it's okay, let him misspeak now and then, as long as he's delivering the message.

Today I'm thrilled that Joe Biden will be standing next to this very talented, albeit much less experienced candidate for President, because I know that for both of them, it's the somewhat naive belief that doing the right thing matters more than doing the most expedient thing that binds them together, and will make them a potent force to recapture the moral purpose upon which this country was founded.

Never in our history, has this country faced such a monumental array of challenges, nor has our human civilization ever faced such a perilous future. Given our rather spotty historical record of living up to the ideals enunciated in our Declaration of Independence, many of us thirst to see this country get it right, once and for all. Perhaps now, with two men who are defined by their ideals aspiring to lead us through this dangerous passage, we Americans will have an opportunity to deliver on all of those ideals, for ourselves, and for our fellow inhabitants of this good Earth. I pray that it will be so.

[pete]

a great choice. makes obama stronger. im not worried about obama continuing his mission of change. he is a leader. his choice of biden shows he's on path to achieve it by selecting a partner who appeals to other voters, a fighter for the (apparently) dirty campaign to follow and an insider that can provide counsel on how to get things done in government. i was concerned about how it was going to turn out . . . with the secretive workings of an odd selection committee, but i couldnt be more pleased with the results.

[Beltway Greg]

Turns out I'm the idiot. Obama ran a perfect campaign. Say hello to Vice-President Joe. McCain doubled down on dumb. Actually, sweet woman but unprepared. Could've been a great candidate but like her daughter she had to growup a little too fast.

Hey I'm just sayin'