ATLANTA -- Georgia Republicans criticized Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's choice for vice president, saying he has effectively written off the South by picking U.S. Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate.

During a conference call Saturday morning, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and U.S. Rep. Tom Price said that Obama chose a vice presidential candidate with a record nearly as liberal as his own, which will not appeal to the conservative South.

"This is not a ticket who will garner the support of the majority of American people," Price said. "It's not anywhere close to the center."

The Obama campaign sent a text message announcing his choice to supporters' phones and e-mail addresses about 3 a.m. EDT, the latest innovation by a tech-savvy operation that has deftly used the Web as a fundraising and organizing tool. A meticulously planned rollout was pre-empted when word of Obama's choice was reported on Friday night.

Campaign officials said Obama had called Biden on Thursday to offer him the spot on the ticket.

Obama has said he wants to compete in Georgia, a heavily Republican state despite a Democratic stronghold in Atlanta. He won easily in Georgia in the Feb. 5 presidential primary with overwhelming support of the state's large black population.

"The Obama campaign remains committed to Georgia as evidenced by the 27 offices we have opened across the state as of today," Obama spokeswoman Caroline Adelman said. "The McCain campaign has yet to open their first. There is enormous enthusiasm here for the Obama/Biden ticket because Georgians know they can't afford four more years of the failed Bush policies that John McCain is offering."

The Obama campaign was running ads in Georgia on Thursday connecting McCain with Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed. But Republicans say the Obama campaign pulled the spots, a signal he has given up on Georgia.

Georgia Republicans said the VP choice showed questionable judgment by Obama, who has butted heads with Biden on the Iraq war. Biden, a Democrat from Delaware, represents the Washington establishment because of his 35 years in the Senate, the very structure that Obama has pledged to change with a fresh, new perspective, Chambliss said.

"There's a lot of irony in this pick," said Chambliss, who is up for re-election in November, a race that could be impacted by turnout in the presidential contest.

Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat, had been mentioned as a possibility for Obama's vice presidential candidate, a move widely seen as an overture to Southern Democrats. Nunn, a conservative Democrat, has strong national security credentials.

Nunn, who was traveling out of the country, issued a statement Saturday, saying Biden is "an excellent choice."

"He is a man of experience and high integrity," Nunn said in his statement. "He will be a valuable running mate to Sen. Obama."