White House race heats up as Democrats await Obama VP pick

AFP, Raleigh

The US presidential race gathered momentum Wednesday, with Barack Obama set to announce his running mate at any moment, ahead of his coronation as the Democrats' standard-bearer.Obama will be crowned his party's presidential nominee in Denver, Colorado next week. Before then however, he is expected unveil his choice for vice president-a decision that for weeks has been cloaked in secrecy and swathed in high drama. The Illinois senator has been coy about names in the frame for his pick of vice president and his aides have put up a wall of silence, after promising to divulge the news to supporters first with a blitz of emails and text messages.The New York Times-which predicted earlier this week that Obama's choice would be announced Wednesday-also reported that the White House hopeful has winnowed down his list of finalists to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and Delaware Senator Joseph Biden, who is a foreign-policy veteran.Amid frenzied speculation about his selection heading into next week's Democratic nominating convention, Obama said Tuesday that he wanted a running mate who is not afraid to speak his mind."I want somebody who has integrity, who's in politics for the right reasons," Obama said Tuesday. "I want somebody who's independent, somebody who's able to tell me 'you know Mr. President, I think you're wrong on this and here's why'."Above all, he said, "I want somebody who is capable of being president, who I trust." Despite suffering from a heavy cold, Obama was in fighting mood Tuesday at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina-one staunchly Republican state that his campaign is fighting hard for."I'm a big believer in winning. I don't intend to lose this election. John McCain doesn't know what he's up against right now," the Democrat said, after facing criticism for not taking a tougher line against his Republican rival.Prior to going to the Democratic convention, Obama was set to return Saturday to Springfield Illinois-the city where he launched his improbable White House quest-for a pre-convention tour of battleground states. Obama will speak at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, the hometown of venerated Civil War president Abraham Lincoln and the same site he began his bid way back in February 2007 -- and quite possibly will be accompanied by his vice presidential pick.Meanwhile, next week's Democratic convention will proclaim party unity, although disaffected supporters of Obama's defeated rival Hillary Clinton plan to put on a show of protest, although Obama has said talk of Democratic division has been "hyped by the media."He is set to deliver an nomination acceptance speech at a Denver sports arena Thursday that will be heard by a crowd of up to 80,000 supporters.Meanwhile, the Republicans' convention, set for early September, comes after a long, hot summer of charge and counter-charge on the economy and national security.A Los Angeles Time/Bloomberg survey had Obama on 45 percent and McCain on 43 percent-a statistical dead heat.McCain, battling to carve an opening on the economy, flew to a Gulf of Mexico oil rig 220 kilometers (130 miles) off New Orleans to demand expanded offshore drilling.