I have to admit, when I checked the news this morning and saw that Senator Joe Biden (D-Del) had been chosen by Barack Obama as his running mate, I felt confused.

It was kind of confusion I felt during the pivotal scene in ‘The Crying Game’.

Factoid: Biden’s middle name is ‘Robinette’ -?

But when I read the analysis of it, it all made sense. Obama lacks experience and avoids mud-slinging, so he hired a 35-year Senator as his pit bull. Makes sense. I think Biden also is appealing to a lot of McCain fence-sitters.

Biden has a sad family history – and, of interest to our readers, has commuted 90 minutes by train daily since 1972!

In 1966, while in law school, Biden married Neilia Hunter. They had three children, Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, Robert Hunter, and Naomi. His wife and infant daughter died in a car accident shortly after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. His two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured in the accident, but both eventually made full recoveries. Biden was sworn into office from their bedside. Persuaded not to resign in order to care for them, Biden began the practice of commuting an hour and a half each day on the train from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, DC, which he continues to do.

Kind of an interesting contrast to McCain’s early family tragedy.

Biden has no military experience but his son Beau is being deployed to Iraq in October – he is a lawyer for JAG (BTW who the hell watched that show that it was on for TEN seasons???)

Last election, I was a McCain supporter, but Obama won me over quickly. This has only gotten more solidified this campaign, as McCain seems to be having more and more ’senior moments’ in his speeches and interviews.

Most recently, he could not remember how many houses he owned, or what kind of car he owned.

For the record, he and Cindy own 4 homes of their own worth $9M, and also 4 other residential income properties for use by relatives. He drives a Cadillac CTS, which gets a whopping 17 MPG, “but”, he added, “I just bought my daughter a Prius”. Oh, ok – I’m appeased!

In more McCain gaffes, he defined America’s ‘rich’ to be those who make over $5M a year (!)

Factoid: Cindy is worth $100M

In related news, McCain sponsored a bill to send New Canaan a $5B economic stimulus package when told its 20,000 residents had a $169,403 median income.