Biden Aide Named As His Senate Replacement

There's been speculation that Vice President-elect Joe Biden's son -- Beau Biden, Delaware's attorney general -- would replace his father in the U.S. Senate. But with the younger Biden recently deployed to Iraq for a year with the National Guard, Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner had to make a choice (one obviously influenced by Senator Biden). Today she announced that longtime Biden aide Ted Kaufman would fill the seat that the senator has held since 1973.

Vice president-elect Biden said in a statement, "I can say with absolute confidence that with Ted Kaufman in the Senate, Delaware will be in very good hands."

Kaufman has been with Biden for 21 years, 19 of them as chief of staff. Most recently he served as a senior campaign adviser and is co-chair of the vice-presidential transition team.

The appointment stands for two years, when the seat will be up for election. Then the question will be whether Kaufman will want to keep the position or step aside and let Beau Biden run.

Now all eyes turn to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, who is charged with naming a Senate replacement for Barack Obama.