Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign with some speculating that Biden was on Obama's shortlist of vice presidential candidates. On August 23, 2008, the Obama campaign that Biden would become Barack Obama's running mate. Following U.S. Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama's selection of Biden, the Senator's vice-presidential general election campaign began. During the campaign, he used his political experience to complement Obama, and debated Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Biden was elected Vice President on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. On July 16, 2010, the Federal Election Commission fined the Biden presidential campaign $219,000 for campaign finance violations. The
Vice President of the Maldives President Gayoom on 7 August 2008, the post of Vice President was once again created with the duties described above. Under the new constitution, Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan of the Gaumee Itthihaad Party became the first "elected" Vice President of Maldives and was sworn into office on November 11, 2008. Mohamed Nasheed was elected into office as the President of the Maldives and together they effectively ended the 30 year rule of then Asia's longest serving ruler President Gayoom. Dr. Waheed was the senior most Maldivian in the United Nations when he retired from it in June 2008, in order