Foreign policy to take stage with Joe Biden, Bill Clinton tonight

DENVER --The Democratic National Convention turns its attention to foreign policy tonight when Delaware Sen. Joe Biden takes center stage as Barack Obama's running mate and former President Bill Clinton gives his blessings to the Democratic ticket.

The convention will also take a roll call of state delegations, a further attempt to soften opposition to Obama from backers of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who last night roused the convention floor when she said, "No way, no how, no McCain."

In keeping with tonight's theme of "Securing America's Future," Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is expected to criticize the Bush administration on foreign policy. In a major address on the subject at Georgetown University in April, Biden accused the administration of mishandling the war on terrorism, turning "a deadly serious but manageable threat -- that is, a small number of radical groups that hate America -- into a 10-foot-tall existential monster that dictates literally every move we make."

In the same speech, Biden said, "When it comes to Iraq, there is no daylight between John McCain and George Bush. They are joined at the hip." In what will likely be a theme of tonight's speech, Biden added, "We cannot afford another four years of Republican stewardship of our national security."

Mindful of the Democrats' theme of the night, Republicans sought to undercut their message and portray Democrats as wrong on foreign policy.

The McCain campaign unleased a new television ad quoting Obama as saying Iran "doesn't pose a serious threat" and calling the Illinois senator "dangerously unprepared to be president."

And former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, in appearances many viewed as his audition for a possible vice presidential nod from McCain, said on MSNBC this morning that Biden's lengthy foreign policy record is riddled with mistakes.

"He has had 30 years of foreign policy experience, but he has 30 years of usually being wrong," said Romney. "Everything from our buildup to defeat the Soviets. He was wrong on that. He voted against the first Gulf War. He was in favor of dividing Iraq into three different nations. Where would we be now if we had done that? So he has been wrong time and time again."

On the campaign trail today, Obama is also talking about foreign policy with military families and veterans in Billings, Montana. He arrives in Denver later today and gives his acceptance speech Thursday night at Invesco Field.

The Obama campaign announced today that after the convention, Obama and Biden and their wives will set off on a battleground state tour dubbed "On the Road to Change." First stops: Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

bob.drogin@latimes.com

johanna.neuman@latimes.com

Barabak reported from Denver, Neuman from Washington.