Chet Edwards praises Biden choice, says John Edwards hurt his chances

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (The Dallas Morning News) — Rep. Chet Edwards made Barack Obama’s final short list for vice president, and for that he feels honored. He called Sen. Joe Biden a “perfect running mate for Barack Obama” and, after Russia’s invasion of Georgia, probably the only choice.

“Once Russia invaded Georgia I would have bet it would be Sen. Biden,” Mr. Edwards said by phone Saturday afternoon.

The Waco congressman kept so mum during two months of secret vetting that Washington’s pundit class never believed he was a serious contender — until Friday, when the Obama team finally let slip that he’d been thoroughly vetted, and it became clear he was rejected only at the last stage.

But more than a lack of buzz, Mr. Edwards blamed Russia’s aggression and another surprise development for dooming his shot at the vice presidency: the peccadilloes of a similarly named politician, John Edwards.