This weekend the junior senator for Illinois, Tammy Duckworth, is due to have a meeting with presumptive nominee, Joe Biden, about the possibility of her being on the ticket in November.

What is striking about Duckworth is her extraordinary backstory and the way she’s triumphed over some terrible injuries incurred while serving in the US armed forces. Back in 2004 she was a helicopter pilot in Iraq which got attacked the result of which left her having to have both legs amputated and losing the power of one arm.

Since then she’s managed to recover her mobility while at the same time developing a political career which now sees her sitting in the US Senate as the junior senator from Illinois.

It is that extraordinary background in a country that has high regards for veterans that marks her out compared with with some of the other women who are said to be being considered by Biden.

There’s been quite a fuss about her in the US media this weekend and she could be just the choice for Biden as he tries to differentiate his campaign even more from Donald Trump. The President, it will be recalled, managed to avoid the draft during the Vietnam war because of “bone spurs”.

It is hard not being impressed with Tammy’s background and her fight back from what must have been a terrible experience. Tammy, from my brief checkout on YouTube, seems to be an effective communicator and could be a major addition to Biden as he seeks to unset the president.

At the current betting price she looks great value.

Mike Smithson