GRIST FOR THE MCCain campaign: using Biden's history against him

HIS MOUTH Biden loves a microphone and sometimes speaks without thinking. For example, he called Obama "clean" and "articulate" and said customers cannot go into 7-Elevens unless they have a slight Indian accent.

HIS SPEECH SCANDAL The allegation of plagiarism that drove Biden from the 1988 presidential race.

HIS LOBBYIST TIES Biden's son, Hunter, is a Washington lobbyist. Also, Biden has received campaign donations totaling more than $200,000 in the past two decades from Delaware-based MBNA, the credit card company, and a similar amount from trial lawyers, including Richard (Dickie) Scruggs, implicated in the Mississippi bribery scheme.

HIS OBAMA COMMENTS Plenty of videotape of Biden tearing down Obama on the campaign trail in the Democratic primaries. One Republican favorite: Biden's comment a year ago that he didn't think Obama was ready to be president.

NEWS SERVICES