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
Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates Justices. On May 26, 2009, Obama announced Second Circuit appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor as his choice to replace retiring Associate Justice David H. Souter. Sotomayor's nomination was submitted to the United States Senate on June 1, 2009, when the 111th Congress reconvened after its Memorial Day recess. Sotomayor was confirmed by the Senate on August 6, 2009, by a vote of 68–31, and was sworn in as an Associate Justice on August 8, 2009. Long before the election of President Obama, Associate Justice David H. Souter had expressed a desire to leave Washington, D.C., and return to his native