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Biden is 'wise selection' by Obama: McCain
Republican White House contender John McCain said his Democratic rival Obama had made a "very wise selection" in picking Senate colleague Joseph Biden to be his running mate.
Republican White House contender John McCain said his Democratic rival Barack Obama had made a "very wise selection" in picking Senate colleague Joseph Biden to be his running mate.
"I know that Joe will campaign well for Senator Obama, and so I think he's going to be very formidable," McCain told CBS News in an interview yesterday from his Arizona ranch.
"Obviously, Joe and I have been on different philosophical sides, but we have been -- I consider him a good friend and good man," he said.
While Biden, 65, lost no time in attacking the 71-year-old McCain at his public unveiling alongside Obama at an event in Illinois, the Republican said: "I think he's a good selection.
"Joe and I have been friends for many, many years, and we know each other very well, and so I think he's (Obama's) made a very wise selection."
McCain, however, disagreed that Obama's choice of the foreign policy veteran would blunt his own attacks on the 47-year-old Democrat's relative inexperience in national security questions.
"Well, I've always respected Joe Biden, but I disagreed with him from the time he voted against the first Gulf War to his position where he said you had to break Iraq up into three different counties (countries)," McCain said.
"I never agreed with that. But I appreciate very much his dedication to trying to solve this genocide that's going in Darfur and other things that Joe Biden has done.
"But we really have different approaches to many national security issues. I look forward to whoever my running mate will be having a respectful debate with him on that as well.
