Barack “America” Obama and Joe Biden VP Announcement Speech Live Blog

11:37 CT: Obama and Biden are scheduled to appear at Springfield, IL at 3 ET / 2 CT. You can track Biden’s flight to Springfield here. He’s scheduled to touch down in Illinois less than an hour before then, so it might get pushed back a bit.

11:50 CT: The Springfield event will be Biden’s only appearance with Obama until the convention. That makes sense. No reason to blow your wad now, or to force Biden to write a stump speech overnight. They’ll need to work for as much coverage during the Republican convention as they can.

12:35 CT: Chris Matthews clearly did not get a lot of sleep. He’s already broken out the phrase “political striptease” with an hour and a half longer to go before Obama and Biden are even scheduled to appear.

1:55 CT: We’re still here. Not much has been going on. None of the analysis is worth writing down to remember. In terms of logistics, it turns out that Obama notified Biden Thursday night.

2:02: Obama takes the stage. DICK DURBIN is the first person to get thanked, followed by some local dignataries. He offers thoughts and prayers for Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

2:06: Focuses on a theme of making Washington work for working people, and looking for a leader to help in that, who is also qualified to step in as President. Says Biden has brought change to Washington, but Washington hasn’t changed him. Segues into a discussion of Biden’s character, and growing up in Scranton as a Catholic, even mentioning Biden’s stutter, and nickname: “Buh-buh-buh-Biden.” And then mentioning Biden’s family being in the car accident before he was even sworn in. Mentioned Biden’s aneurysm and near death experience as something else he has overcome.

2:13: Segues into policy discussion. Mentions the crime bill, and the Violence Against Women Act. Talks about his work on the judiciary committee, college tuition, and family leave. Finally talks about his experience in foreign policy. Says Biden has been a powerful critic of the “Bush/McCain” foreign policy. Mentions his trip to Russia where he met “quietly” with Saakashvili.

2:16: Says Biden will give America “straight talk,” and juxtaposes him with Cheney. Says Biden “gets it.” Basicall, Obama is just trying to cover his bases, while basically baiting McCain into overreacting.

2:19: Obama finishes on a really strong rhetorical flourish, and almost accidentally calls BIden the next President. Biden seems ecstatic just to be there, running across stage.

2:20: “It’s great to be here!” Biden talks about a Lincoln quote about standing firm in the right place. Biden starts by talking about character as well, mentions Obama’s upbringing and his as well, and that it’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how often you get up. He says that the Bush/McCain dream is making the American dream slip away. Talks about not being able to afford tax cuts for the rich, or doing nothing about the housing market collapse.

2:24: Biden is great at framing issues; that it’s not about foreclosures only, it’s about housing markets collapsing. And that while he and others are sitting at the kitchen table figuring things out, McCain doesn’t know which of his kitchen tables to even sit at. Says McCain is literally putting the country at risk. Biden goes on a rhetorical flourish of his own. He’s also saying everything with the word “literally” when critiquing McCain.

2:27: Biden says that he’s never seen Washington so broken, but that “the reckoning is now” and that “the times require more than a good soldier, they require a wise leader.” Says McCain is a friend of his, but “the harsh truth” is that you can’t change America when, as he quotes, he agrees with George W. Bush. Calls privitizing Social Security a “scheme.” Repeatedly quotes McCain on agreeing with Bush and says that will not work.

2:30: Says the choice is clear … the candidate to bring change is “Barack America.” Talk about an interesting sort of gaffe. Says Obama has steel in his spine, but that he’s been disappointed in McCain giving into Swift Boat politics.

2:33: Talks about Obama’s record in Washington, mentioning the ethics bill and Obama’s record on veterans. Compliments Obama’s character again, reviewing his biography. Calls Michelle Obama “drop dead gorgeous” and mentions his wife and family. Biden’s personality just shines through, more than almost any other politician around.

2:37: Michelle and Jill take the stage and there it is. We’ll post the video in a few minutes.

2:38: Chris Matthews says that Biden administered a shotgun marriage to Bush and McCain, and that McCain will want a divorce. And that Biden used a daisy chain to McCain, and that he handcuffed McCain to economic problems. Matthews literally has some issues he needs to go to therapy over…

2:43: Matthews compares Obama today to the angry version of Denzel Washington. I am not making this up.