`Biden fits like a glove with Senator Obama'.

Byline: Donna Boynton

WORCESTER - Local Democrat leaders are praising presidential hopeful Sen. Barack H. Obama's selection of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his running mate, saying the choice of the Delaware Democrat shows strength in leadership and is the perfect choice for a ticket based on campaigning for change.

"I think Joe Biden fits like a glove with Senator Obama," said Frederick C. Rushton, vice chairman of the Worcester City Council. "There are people that analyze and spin, and then there are people who lead."

Mr. Obama's supporters say Mr. Biden brings economic experience, foreign policy knowledge, experience with the legislative process, a unique toughness, and a personal story that can appeal to many working-class Democrats.

Mr. Rushton said he was leaning toward Hilary Rodham Clinton for a vice presidential choice, but said ultimately Mr. Obama knows what he needs in a running mate to polish off the Democratic presidential ticket.

Mr. Rushton pointed out that Mr. Obama has long said he would choose a running mate who would not be a yes man, but someone who would not hesitate to disagree with him. In Mr. Biden, Mr. Rushton said, Mr. Obama has found someone who can be an active partner in the executive branch.

"Mr. Obama has always said this isn't his presidency, but America's presidency," said Mr. Rushton. "He put a lot of thought into the qualities he wanted, and Joe Biden is his person. America needs someone who is in touch with what is going on, someone who has a sense of the trials and dreams and hopes of the average American."

Mr. Biden comes from a blue-collar Catholic background and supporters say he is one of the least affluent members of the Senate.

"Joe Biden brings with him a certain toughness," said William J. Eddy, District 5 city councilor and head of the Worcester Democratic Committee. "He can be a combative guy when he needs to be, and he understands the give and take."

Mr. Eddy said that despite the good qualities of other rumored finalists, Mr. Biden is a solid choice.

"Does he have the drama or the star factor of Hilary Clinton? Of course not," said Mr. Eddy. "But he brings a lot of strength, and not some of the liability that she might have brought."

Mr. Eddy added that Mr. Biden clearly was not chosen to win a particular state, a strategy that has not worked well as the basis for vice presidential choices in the past.

Mr. Eddy noted that Mr. Obama's pick was a different choice, when contrasting that pick to the Clinton-Gore ticket in the 1990s.

"When Bill Clinton chose Al Gore, he chose someone that was cut from the same cloth. They were both Southern moderates," said Mr. Eddy. "Mr. Obama has chosen someone who is not like himself; he has chosen someone who complements himself. (Mr. Biden) is not a shy guy. And a strong leader looks for someone that is different from himself."

Name: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

Age, birth date, location: 65, born Nov. 20, 1942, Scranton, Pa.

Experience: U.S. senator, 1972-present; New Castle County Council, 1970-72; sought presidential nomination, 1988, 2008.

Education: Bachelor's degree in history and political science, Unversity of Delaware, 1965; law degree, Syracuse University, 1968.

Family: Married Neilia Hunter in 1966; three children, Beau, Hunter and Naomi. His wife and daughter Naomi died in car carash in 1972. Married Jill Jacobs in 1977; one daughter, Ashley. Beau Biden is now Delaware's attorney general.

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr.