Indiana Republicans wasted no time in criticizing Democrat Sen. Barack Obama's choice of vice presidential candidate.

"Obama has spent millions on his change message in Indiana," state Republican Chairman Murray Clark said in a news release. "(Sen. Joseph) Biden has held onto a seat in the Senate since 1972. How does that represent change?"

Clark theorized that Obama's campaign staff chose Biden over Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh because not even the selection of a popular Democrat from their own state would persuade Hoosier voters to swing Democrat in November.

"This is the most cynical, artificial presidential campaign in Indiana's history," Clark said. "From bogus storefront offices, to false negative ads, to the VP tease, we now know that Barack Obama doesn't truly respect Hoosiers."

Ben Porritt, a spokesman for presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, said Biden appeared to be at odds with Obama when the two senators ran against one another in this year's primary.

"There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden," Porritt said. "Biden has denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing -- that Barack Obama is not ready to be president."

Meanwhile Indiana's senior U.S. senator, Dick Lugar, a Republican, broke from his party's negative stance and issued a congratulatory message.

"I congratulate Senator Barack Obama on his selection of my friend, Senator Joe Biden, to be his vice presidential running mate," a release from Lugar's office said. "I have enjoyed for many years the opportunity to work with Joe Biden to bring strong bipartisan support to United States foreign policy."