GOP Eyes Obama-Biden Split on War Funding

ABC News' Teddy Davis, Arnab Datta, and Rigel Anderson Report: The GOP is planning to step up its attacks on Barack Obama's war funding record if the presumptive Democratic nominee taps Joe Biden to be his running mate.

"Our argument will be that the Biden pick only underscores how inexperienced Barack Obama knows he is," a Republican official told ABC News, previewing the GOP's possible line of attack. "Obama's vote against funding our troops was an example of inexperience and poor judgment. The fact that his more experienced running mate made the right call highlights Obama's mistake."

"Whereas to date that vote hasn't gotten a lot of attention," the Republican official added, "now it will."

Obama national security spokesperson Wendy Morigi declined to comment when contacted by ABC News, saying, "We're not commenting on any aspect of any potential V.P."

Biden, who serves as chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, is not the only vice presidential prospect who was at odds with Obama on the May 24, 2007 war funding vote.

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., for example, also broke with Obama by voting to fund the U.S. missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Biden, however, is seen by Republicans as offering more ammunition on the war funding issue.

That's because Biden, as a former White House hopeful and staple on the Sunday morning talk shows, has been more pointed than any other Democrat in contrasting his views on war funding votes with those of Obama.

"I am not going to fail to protect these kids as long as we have a single, solitary troop in Iraq," said Biden during a Sept. 9, 2007 appearance on "Meet the Press."

"This isn’t cutting off the war," he added. "This is cutting off support that will save the lives of thousands of American troops."