Washington, Aug 24 : Democratic vice presidential nominee and running mate of Barack Obama, Senator Joseph Biden, began his campaign by launching a verbal attack on Republicans seeking four more years in the White House.

He criticised President George W Bush’s policies, and said: “... You can’t change America and give our workers a fighting chance when after 3 million manufacturing jobs disappear, you continue to support tax breaks for companies who ship our jobs overseas.”

Quoting Republican nominee John McCain, he said “You can’t change America and end this war in Iraq when you declare that no one has supported Bush in Iraq more than I have, you can’t change America when you know your first four years as president will look exactly like the last eight years of George Bush’s presidency.”

The 65-year-old Senator from Delaware, who was picked up as the running mate by Obama barely two days before the Party starts its national convention in Denver, said “We don’t have to have four more years of George W Bush and John McCain.”

“The next US President is going to deliver the most significant moment in American history since Franklin Roosevelt. He will have such an incredible opportunity, not only to change the direction of America, but literally, to change the direction of the world.”

Kicking off his election campaign at Springfield, Illinois, Biden, said: “This is no ordinary election and this may be our last chance to reclaim the America we love. America gave Jill and me our chance. It gave Barack and Michelle their chance to stand on this stage today. It''s the time for all of us, as Lincoln said, to put our feet in the right place and to stand firm.”

Obama used the occasion to shower praise for his running mate.

"... Joe Biden is what so many others pretend to be – a statesman with sound judgment who doesn''t have to hide behind bluster to keep America strong. Joe won''t just make a good Vice President - he will make a great one," Obama said. (ANI)