Obama set to announce running mate
Barack Obama announcing his vice-presidential candidate today
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Friday, 22, Aug 2008 10:51
Barack Obama will announce who will be his running mate in the United States' presidential election later today.
The Democrat party's presumptive nominee is expected to announce Delaware senator Joe Biden as his vice-presidential candidate to take on Republican rival John McCain in November.
Mr Obama's campaign will announce the decision via a text message sent to supporters later today.
Earlier Mr Obama told reporters he had made his decision but that "that's all you're gonna get" for now.
Mr Biden has served as senator for Delaware since 1972 and so has a wealth of political experience backing him.
His most notable achievement is 1994 legislation setting up shelters and a national hotline for abused wives in the US.
And Mr Biden is currently working on a crime bill which will add 50,000 new police officers to focus on local crimes.
More recently his role as chair of the Senate's foreign relations committee from January 2006 has kept him prominent in the public eye. Critics say he can be excessively outspoken, however.
He has previously been criticised for plagiarising British politician Neil Kinnock's speeches.