America’s image around the world has never been worse, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Portland) said the best person to help Sen. Barack Obama improve this is Sen. Joe Biden, who was tapped as the Vice Presidential nominee this morning.

“I think it’s a great choice,” Allen said in a phone interview Saturday. “Barack Obama and Joe Biden make a well balanced team – young and experienced at the same time. This was the best possible choice.”

Allen said Biden’s greatest asset is his foreign policy experience, which comes from years of leading the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate.

Also, Biden is also very knowledgeable on Constitutional issues from his work on the Judiciary Committee – necessary with the abuses of power that have occurred in the Bush Administration.

Allen said it was difficult to evaluate the political effect of the choice. Obama is strong in Maine, regardless of who the VP is, he said.

Allen said he has had some interaction with Biden in Washington.

“He’s a very engaging guy, smart, and he has tremendous energy,” Allen said. “A lot of people thought he was the best debater of all the Presidential candidates.”

The election of Obama and Biden will help the country regain the respect of its allies and regain its authority around the world, Allen said.

“Biden seems to make a great deal of sense for the very difficult challenges that this team will have governing,” Allen said.