Biden ‘nailed this decision’ in picking Harris: Obama

Washington, Aug. 12: Former US president Barack Obama has joined top Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, to praise Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris’ selection as the party’s vice presidential candidate in the November election, saying Joe Biden has “nailed this decision”.

Presumptive Democratic party presidential nominee Biden on Tuesday named 55-year-old Harris as his vice presidential running mate, making history by selecting the first woman of colour to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket. Harris, whose father is from Jamaica and mother an Indian, is currently the US Senator from California.

“Choosing a vice president is the first important decision a president makes. When you’re in the Oval Office, weighing the toughest issues, and the choice you make will affect the lives and livelihoods of the entire country — you need someone with you who’s got the judgment and the character to make the right call,” Obama said in a statement.

Obama, who served in the White House with Biden for two terms, said the former vice president “nailed this decision” and by choosing Harris he “underscored his own judgment and character” — attributes that are “requirements of the job” of president. Obama said that he has known Harris for a long time.

“She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake,” he said. Harris is the first woman of colour and the first South Asian woman to be picked as a vice-presidential candidate for a major party in the US.

Prior to being a Senator, she served as California’s attorney general and was the district attorney in San Francisco. She herself was a presidential aspirant until last year before she dropped out of the race because of lack of popular support. —