Addressing a fundraising audience in Boston, Senator Biden defended Senator Clinton after one questioner said he was glad she wasn’t selected as Senator Obama’s running mate.

“Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States. Let’s get that straight,” Mr. Biden said. “She is qualified to be president of the United States of America. She is easily qualified to be vice president of the United States of America, and quite frankly, might’ve been a better pick than me.”

Associated Press

S.C. DEMOCRAT APOLOGIZES FOR PALIN ABORTION REMARK

South Carolina’s Democratic Party chairwoman said yesterday that Governor Palin’s top qualification seems to be not having had an abortion. She later apologized. In an interview posted on the political Web site Politico, Chairwoman Carol Fowler said Senator McCain picked a running mate “whose primary qualification seems to be that she hasn’t had an abortion.” Ms. Fowler later apologized, saying she made the statement during an interview about single-issue voters. “I personally admire and respect the difficult choices that women make every day, and I apologize to anyone who finds my comment offensive,” Ms. Fowler said in a statement.

Associated Press

BILL CLINTON TO CAMPAIGN FOR OBAMA

Senator Obama said yesterday that President Clinton, once the presidential nominee’s nemesis, will campaign for him during the weeks leading up to Election Day. “There’s nobody smarter in politics,” Mr. Obama said on CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” scheduled to air last night. “And he is going to be campaigning for us over the next eight weeks, which I’m thrilled by.” The two were scheduled to have lunch today at Mr. Clinton’s office in New York. A Clinton spokesman, Matt McKenna, said the former president would campaign for Mr. Obama at a yet-to-be announced site in Florida on September 29, with plans for more fund raising and events in the works.

Associated Press