Biden comes out punching

Obama's No. 2 ties McCain to Bush policies, faults judgment

Barack Obama embraced running mate Joseph Biden Jr. at the end of last night's convention session. Jill Biden is at right. (Stephan Savoia/Associated Press)

DENVER - Senator Joseph Biden Jr. accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination last night and immediately attacked GOP candidate John McCain, slamming him for what he called failures of judgment and questioning whether his military experience qualified him to lead the country. Biden repeatedly linked McCain to what he called the "catastrophic" policies of President Bush.

It was red-meat stuff for the 4,233 Democratic delegates packed into the Pepsi Center for the party's national convention, many of whom were looking to Biden to fill a role they say presidential nominee Barack Obama badly needs - that of an aggressive and experienced attacker.

"The choice in this election is clear," Biden said. "These times require more than a good soldier. They require a wise leader."

He added later, "Again and again, on the most important national security issues of our time, John McCain was wrong and Barack Obama had been proven right."

Biden's speech last night capped the third day of the Democrats' highly choreographed convention, which concludes tonight with a speech by Obama in front of an expected crowd of more than 70,000 at the outdoor Invesco Field. Yesterday's proceedings began with the formal nomination of Obama and Biden as the presidential and vice presidential nominees; Obama made a surprise appearance on stage with Biden at the end of the night, and was greeted by a thunderous cheer.

Hillary Clinton, whom Obama narrowly beat for the nomination, brought the crowd to a roar by personally halting the roll call and calling on the convention "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory" to nominate Obama en masse. It did, and the Pepsi Center erupted into chants of "Yes we can!"

"It is with great pride that I announce that Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for the president of the United States," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Convention.

The other highlight was former president Bill Clinton, who implored his wife's millions of supporters to follow his lead and get behind Obama, the man he said just months ago was too green for the Oval Office.

"Last night, Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she is going to do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us," Clinton said, and the crowd roared. "Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States."

Biden, 65, one of the senior Democratic statesmen, brings much to the party's ticket that Obama lacks, notably a deep foreign affairs resume and a familiarity with white, working-class Rust Belt communities such as Scranton, Pa., where Biden was born. But the selection of Biden, of Delaware, also gives Obama an outspoken teammate who, his acceptance speech showed, will not pull his punches.

The attack-dog role, often filled by the vice presidential nominee, could prove especially significant for the Democratic ticket this cycle. Many Democrats including those close to Senator John F. Kerry in 2004 were disappointed four years ago that Kerry's running mate, former North Carolina senator John Edwards, was not tougher on President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

At the same time, Obama routinely decries what he calls the "divisive politics that is all about tearing people down instead of lifting this country up." That means that the Illinois senator, more than past Democratic presidential nominees, cannot afford to come across to voters as overly negative, or he risks undermining the premise of his campaign.

"Senator Obama tries to elevate the dialogue in this country," said David W. Tandy, a lawyer and delegate from Louisville, Ky. "By no means will Joe Biden take it in the gutter, but what he will do is point out the clear distinctions between the parties."

Still, Biden has a delicate task ahead of him as he figures out how to trim McCain's sails without stepping over the line into personal attacks and nasty campaigning. Ruth Ann Palumbo, a state legislator and delegate from Lexington, Ky., said he is the man for the job.

"The American people want negative sometimes. They want contrasts," Palumbo said. "Biden will point out the contrasts."

The McCain campaign immediately struck back at Biden last night, saying, "Joe Biden is right. We need more than a good soldier, we need a leader with the experience and judgment to serve as commander in chief from day one. That leader is John McCain."

Biden last night emphasized his humble beginnings, drawing a connection with middle-class families suffering economically.

"Millions of Americans have been knocked down, and this is the time as Americans, together, we get back up together," he said. "These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready, and Barack Obama is ready."

Biden's verbosity is legendary in Washington, where he has served in the Senate since he was 30 years old. He is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a past chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He has earned a reputation for quotable lines. Before dropping out of the Democratic presidential primary race earlier this year, Biden memorably attacked Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and unsuccessful Republican presidential candidate, by saying: "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11."

Appearing with Obama as his running mate for the first time Saturday in Springfield, Ill., Biden took a shot at McCain's recent comment that he could not remember exactly how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.

At the same time, Biden's unpredictability as speaker and as a politician has gotten him into trouble. As a presidential contender in 1988, he was forced to drop out of the race after charges of plagiarism and embellishing his academic record.

Last year, Biden spent his first official day as a presidential candidate explaining his comment that Obama was the "first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean." Biden said he regretted his words, and Obama later said he took no offense.

After the convention, Obama and Biden will campaign together through key states that could determine who wins the White House in November. Obama, Biden, and their wives are scheduled to leave tomorrow for Pennsylvania. They are also slated to make stops in Ohio and Michigan, according to the Obama campaign.

The new Democratic ticket will look to steal some media attention from McCain and the Republicans, who gather Monday in St. Paul for their convention. McCain may also unveil his running mate as soon as tomorrow.

After Biden finished his speech last night, Obama walked out and joined him and his wife, Jill, in a hug. "That was wonderful," Obama could be seen saying to Biden. Then Obama took the microphone.

"I want everybody to now understand why I am so proud to have Joe Biden and Jill Biden and [son] Beau Biden and Mama Biden and the whole Biden family with me on this journey to take America back," Obama said, before offering a brief preview of tonight's closing night at Invesco Field. "I look forward to seeing you there."

Scott Helman can be reached at shelman@globe.com