Kerry Focused on 5 Possible Running Mates, People Say

[Freddie Stubbs]

Kerry Focused on 5 Possible Running Mates, People Say

By Richard Keil and Bill Roberts

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is focusing on five potential running mates, including former party nomination rivals Senator John Edwards and retired General Wesley Clark, according to campaign and party officials familiar with the selection process.

The others under consideration are Representative Richard Gephardt of St. Louis, Senator Bob Graham of Florida -- both of whom also made bids for the Democratic nomination -- and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Kerry won't name his choice until next month, the officials said.

``With the exception of Vilsack, this is a very safe, predictable list,'' said Stu Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. ``You have here a number of people who ran for president, who have already been vetted, who are something of known quantities.''

Naming a running mate before the Democratic National Convention in July would add another fund raiser to the campaign and another voice to promote Kerry's proposals and criticize President George W. Bush. Vice President Dick Cheney has been raising money for the Republican re-election effort and has been using speeches to say voters should have ``ample reason to doubt'' Kerry's judgment on national security.

more: http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aO5l0bz0ytJ8&refer=us

[mike_c]

1. *sigh*

Not a one of them has called for ending the occupation of Iraq, and since the sole REAL justification of the invasion was in support of the PNAC objective of "maintaining a large force presence in the Middle East," one can only assume that the eventual Democratic ticket will be comprised of PNAC wannabes. This is so disgusting.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Why would he pick someone who disagrees with him on an important policy

issue? Do you really think that he wants a runningmate who will say that John Kerry was wrong on Iraq?

[mike_c]

6. no, but a whole lot of voters do....

eom

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Those voters had a chance to vote for someone against the Iraq war

in the primary. But they did not.

[MontecitoDem]

13. Have you read anything about Wes Clark?

He disagrees fundamentally with the PNAC philosophy (I think he mentions this in the Washington Monthly article this month - sorry no link now).

Although he has said we need an immediate increase in force in order to protect our troops, his plan is to draw down and out as soon as possible. On MTP on Sunday he said there is a high likelihood that the Iraqi people will soon be marching in the streets asking us to leave, and when they do that we must go home. Our mission there, which he disagreed with, is completely dependent on the will of the majority of the Iraqi's, in his opinion. SO....

I think your logic is flawed as you're missing some facts here.

[WI_DEM]

2. I strongly feel Kerry will pick Gep

Kerry has made it clear he wants someone who is ready to be president if something happens to him. He will pick someone experienced and has paid his dues to the party. He wants someone who will help him lead the country and fit in the role of VP the way Cheney is preceived to. Finally he will want someone who he thinks can help him carry an important swing state--Gep's Missouri has 11 electoral votes and went only narrowly for Bush in 2000. It is probably a safer bet that a Kerry/Gephardt ticket will win Missouri than a Kerry/Edwards ticket will prevail in NC or Kerry/Clark in Ark.

[Wright Patman]

3. OMG, I hope not!

Gephardt is a proven loser in repeated campaigns for the White House.

If Kerry does as you say, I would tend to believe he is a handpicked RNC stooge and this election is even more staged than it appears to be on top of the Diebold issue.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Wright Patman?

That's the name of my credit union!

http://www.congressionalfcu.org/index.htm

[Wright Patman]

8. That's ironic

since he was a famous populist Democratic congressman from Texarkana, Texas, who spent much of his career fighting the Federal Reserve and big banking in general.

He was longtime chairman of the House Banking Committtee and was a real thorn in the side of the money-center banks.

Either he thought of credit unions as different and thus he or his family was okay if it was named after him or this is a posthumous slander of his good name.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. He was instrumental in the passing of the Federal Credit Union Act of 1934

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USApatmanJ.htm

I can tell that this credit union is bery different than a bank.

[mike_c]

7. Gep, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Bush...

...to announce bipartisan support for the invasion of Iraq, thus handing U.S. ME policy over to the neo-cons for the foreseeable future UNLESS an opposition candidate has the courage to hand them their hats in January by ordering an immediate withdrawal.

People don't seem to get it. Electing someone who will continue the misadventure in Iraq-- in ANY form-- maintains the ultimate neo-con wet dream: U.S. colonial occupation of a resource rich ME country. That's the only thing that the invasion of IRAQ was about.

[Adelante]

9. They've changed the title and expanded the piece

Kerry's Running-Mate Review Weighs War, Economy, Regional Votes

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is focusing on five potential running mates who may help him attract voters concerned about the war and the economy or who have appeal in states such as Florida and Iowa that were decided by less the 1 percent in the 2000 election.

~more~

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=ag6w_GCY5So0&refer=us

10. Of that list, Graham rides highest!

I like Clark, and Edwards is popular, but Graham has experience at the state AND the national level, has experience in both Governing and Legislation, is very popular in Florida (with its 27 electors!)

He voted NO on using military force in Iraq, and has all but called Bush a damn liar regarding WMDs!

His DLC connections are the source of my greatest doubts, but his outspokeness regarding Bush tends to alleviate those doubts.

He balances the ticket in the south, would rip Cheney a new ass in a debate, and if anything ever happened to Kerry, Graham would be able to step in to the job without hesitation.

On a superficial level, the two look good together, and their names sound good together as well.


Kerry/Graham 2004 - Sounds good!

[CreekDog]

14. I want to see Dick Durbin on these lists

He's a terrific choice. His geography is great and his ability to campaign is great. He's a likable articulate guy and one of the rare Democrats that rose up during the 1990's after holding his house seat in 1994 (in rural Illinois).

Durbin has knowledge and experience and he's got the delivery that Graham can't match and the energy that Gephardt seems to lack. Both good guys, but Durbin's the best choice.

[aldian159]

15. only one problem

We're gonna win IL no matter what, so we don't need Durbin there, and that is an important function of the VP in an election.

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. But Cheney proved to be a good choice for Bush

despite the fact that he was probably going to carry WY anyway.