Aggressive Conservative Media Lobbying For VP

by: Chris Bowers

Tue Aug 12, 2008 at 13:49


Remember back when Tim Kaine as VP was all the buzz? Remember when we at Open Left complained vociferously about Kaine as a possible VP? Matt summed it up pretty well:

Kaine is a very bad choice for VP.  He's done nothing as Governor except turn a functional state government into a partisan cesspool of giveaways to the rich and anger everyone in the process.  And on national positions, the only thing he brings to the table is that he can play the Lieberman as VP role again.  And sequels usually suck, especially if the original was bad.
Chris Bowers :: Aggressive Conservative Media Lobbying For VP

Well, the buzz around Kaine faded, and was quickly replaced with lots of speculation about Evan Bayh as Vice-President. As it turns out, Evan Bayh is probably an even worse pick than Tim Kaine:

Mr. Bayh's support of authorizing force in Iraq stands in sharp contrast to Mr. Obama's oft-stated view that he showed the good judgment to oppose the conflict from the start. After his vote, Mr. Bayh in early 2003 joined Mr. McCain as an honorary co-chairman of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, which made regime change in Iraq its central cause.

"He was not only wrong, he was aggressively wrong," said Tom Andrews, national director of the Win Without War coalition, referring to Mr. Bayh. "In my view, he would contradict if not undermine the Obama message of change, turning a new page on foreign policy and national security."

After Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh might be the biggest Iraq hawk in the Democratic caucus in the Senate. Co-chairing a committee on the "liberation" of Iraq is straight out of Syriana. Given that Evan Bayh co-chaired the organization with John McCain would mean that by picking Bayh as Vice-President , Obama would essentially be admitting that McCain is right on Iraq. Or wrong, since Obama made Iraq judgment so central to his campaign. Or really, it would be impossible to tell what Obama was saying about Iraq anymore.

But at least we would get a guy who chaired the DLC, founded the centrist caucus in the Senate, has the third worst voting record of any Democrat in the Senate, and who was only elected in the first place because his father was an 18-year Senator from Indiana. Basically, an insider, conservative, status-quo tool.

That Kaine and Bayh have received the most media buzz as Vice-Presidential picks also means that they and their staffs are probably doing the most aggressive lobbying for the spot. That the media has gone along with it indicates that there is a big push on to have Obama select someone very conservative for VP, probably because Obama's fairly tepid brand of change is even too much for many Villagers to swallow. The whole thing reminds me of when Democratic insiders were pushing Gore to choose Zell Miller, and we ended up with the more "progressive" Joe Lieberman as a compromise choice of sorts.  

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Aggressive Conservative Media Lobbying For VP | 60 comments
Kathleen Sebelius (4.00 / 14)
I think that the longer this goes on, the more clear it becomes that the Governor of Kansas is a good pick and the best pick for Obama's VP.  I would admit that she does not have the strongest positives (ie it would be hard to win Kansas this year), but to my mind she has no negatives.

She reenforces Obama's message on Iraq and on achieving progressive goals through bipartisan negotiations.  She should strengthen Obama's ticket in Missouri, parts of Colorado, Iowa and put Kansas in play.

I have been for a Sebelius by Obama since last fall, and nothing has changed to weaken the argument for her.

My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington- Obama
Philly for Obama

Same here (4.00 / 8)
And my roommate who's from Kansas wholeheartedly agrees.  My second after her would be Brian Schweitzer.  The names most frequently mentioned in the press shouldn't even be considered when compared to these two.
[ Parent ]
Schweitzer, Sherrod Brown and Sebalius (4.00 / 4)
In that order, are my preferences.

Incidentally, Sebalius has been out in front a lot recently, talking about the details of the convention.  That strikes me as some evidence that she may NOT be the pick.  Not sure if this makes sense.

[ Parent ]
Sherrod's wildly underrated (4.00 / 6)
Brown has held both executive and legislative positions, winning Ohio statewide for federal and state office.  He's a multiple term congressman who won a so-called "deep red" state on a populist message, not unlike Jim Tester.

We need to get away from the DLC-Schumer strategy of appealing to rural voters by advancing "moderate" (read socially conservative, anti-civil libertarian) positions.  Democrats can win back the country by appealing to the Bill of Rights and populist economics.  Brown would be a big winner and drive the corporate controlled MSM "village" crazy.

[ Parent ]
Yeah, Brown's my first choice (4.00 / 1)
But I haven't heard his name floated anywhere except Openleft.
[ Parent ]
If he picks Brown (4.00 / 3)
Obama gets an immediate contribution from me.  I would be ecstatic with that selection.  What a great young voice in the party to promote.

And he's even good on TV

[ Parent ]
I agree (4.00 / 8)
In fact I'm starting to believe that Sebelius might not only be the best under consideration but pretty damn good. Here we have a red-state governor standing up to Big Coal (as opposed to Kaine), rock solid on choice (as opposed to Kaine) and good on labor issues (opposed to Kaine, who goes out of his way to praise Virginia's right to work law.) I don't have a full read on Sebelius on worker issues but I like this:

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who introduced Sebelius, praised her as a "passionate, authentic leader, a true friend of working families."  

Every day, she shows that a progressive leader can act on principle and commitment-and bring people together in a way that cuts across red states or partisan divides. And she has a record of achievement on our behalf.  

Sebelius, who supports the Employee Free Choice Act, last year signed an executive order granting collective bargaining rights to more than 7,000 home child care providers. She's also worked closely with the Kansas Association of Public Employees, an affiliate of AFT, to improve public schools in Kansas. In 2006, Sebelius vetoed legislation that would have made it easier for companies to lay off injured workers.  

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/06...


[ Parent ]
She's very damn good (4.00 / 3)
If you look at each states political leanings and then look at there governors Sebelius is by far the most progressive compared to her state. She's probably one of the top 5 overall and she does it with a Republican legislature.

Seriously, name more progressive governors. Maybe David Paterson, maybe Martin O'Malley, maybe Jon Corzine. Who else?

She's been able to accomplish a lot of progressive stuff and do it with huge approval ratings. What she's done in Kansas is exactly what I hope Obama does nationally.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

[ Parent ]
Her one negative... (4.00 / 1)
...and I hate to be shallow here...is that she is dull. Now, if BO needs someone really dull to counterbalance his persona, then she fits the bill...but she doesn't excite anyone to get up and go out and work for the ticket.

[ Parent ]
Well said Chris. (4.00 / 2)
I agree: Bayh is even worse than Kaine.

I prefer Sebelius, Clark, or my totally crazy longshot, John Kerry.

John Kerry?? NO!! (4.00 / 4)
He's been a mediocre surrogate and was an even worse candidate for President four years ago.  He needs to focus on his job in the Senate for a while.  Clark is a difference matter altogether.  He's not in my top two, but he might be number three for me. ;-)
[ Parent ]
I'm not afraid of Kerry. (0.00 / 0)
I think he's been a good surrogate on foreign policy issues and he has the experience thing going for him that Obama lacks.  Many people voted for him and many wish they had.  As a VP candidate, I think he aids Obama.  But I don't think it will happen.

I think Clark and Sebelius are best.  

[ Parent ]
Kerry lost to the worst president in our country's history (4.00 / 3)
I'd hate to think of him being one heartbeat away from the Presidency.  Kerry makes me sick, thinking about how we got stuck with another four years of the Bushies because of his terrible campaign, and that he folded instead of challenging what happened in Ohio.

You said that many people voted for him.  I think many (most?) of those people were voting against Bush, not for Kerry.

As for this topic, I vote for Schweitzer, Clark, or Sebelius.  Not that Obama is going to be asking me what I think.  :)

[ Parent ]
Kerry lost to a wartime incumbent, (4.00 / 4)
who also had 9/11 to make people stupid and deluded with fear.

Wartime incumbents are unbeatable. 2004 was no exception.

The bigger surprise is that Bush didn't win reelection by 10 points or more, as did Reagan and Nixon. But he won by 2.4% of the popular vote, which is the smallest margin ever for a winning incumbent, smaller even than Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

What happened in 2004 was entirely predictable, if depressing.

[ Parent ]
I like and admire Kerry. (0.00 / 0)
But an old candidate can't bring a new message. People will always remember him as the 2004 Kerry.  
[ Parent ]
Exactly (4.00 / 7)
Which is why we need to counteract that with a push for the only progressive VP choice who is you know, actually under consideration, namely Kathleen Sebelius.

She's still very much in the veepstakes but she doesn't have many allies in the conservative media, time that we give her some help.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

Bayh and Kaine (4.00 / 3)
Bayh and Kaine are only being discussed so much because of the states they are from.  I agree that on policy, each would be a terrible choice.  Is it possible that Obama really is limiting himself to someone who can turn a big state that Kerry lost (Nunn fits too)?

I have never heard Sherrod Brown mentioned, but I think he, as well as Wes Clark (or even Biden or Dodd), would make fine picks.  Frankly, Hillary and Daschle are better than the names we have been hearing.

The Obama campaign is doing well on saying nothing.  I hope that means we could get someone they have not been speaking of in the media.  

Don't go all hysterical but (4.00 / 3)
The person I think the Georgia situation strengthens most besides Joe Biden is Tom Daschle.  He's experienced and a very close Obama confidant.  He understands the federal government thoroughly and can help both with the Exec Branch minefields and with peeling off the necessary GOP votes in Congress.  He is a reassuring presence.  And he doesn't have Biden's problem of running off at the mouth occasionally.

Contrary to popular belief he did NOT undercut Biden's alternative Iraq War resolution--that was Gephardt.  Daschle was working with Biden. He was  very skilled in working first as minority then majority then minority leader in the Senate.  He has worked as a lobbyist since his defeat but not for foreign powers IIRC and Mike Lux, who worked with him, says that he is fundamentally a decent person.  He's also temperamentally like Obama in not being fond of drama but just quietly getting things done.  And he's a midwesterner.  So he's a reinforcing pick in terms of midwest common sense, low drama quotient and high competence.  He's also Catholic but has a mixed record on choice and has voted pro-choice at times and mostly kept the issue as low-key as possible.  (NARAL considers him 50/50.)  He would certainly not be a crusader on the issue; for example, he voted against a ban on abortions at military installations and for stem cell research.  

He might not be my first choice (although at this point I don't really have one any more) but he wouldn't be bad for the country and would probably be good for Obama.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

Daschle would suck. (4.00 / 6)
He's experienced and a very close Obama confidant.  He understands the federal government thoroughly and can help both with the Exec Branch minefields and with peeling off the necessary GOP votes in Congress.

Sounds like he would make a good chief of staff. And for the very same reasons, he undermines Obama's change message because he's the ultimate Washington insider. Bad choice. Not being as violently sucky as Bayh is setting the bar pretty low. We can do way better. Sebelius would be way better.

miasmo.com

[ Parent ]
Better aas Chief of staff (4.00 / 1)
Daschle did say he doesn't want to be VP.  But I'm going by the fact that the two most important things to Obama evidently are someone who can help him govern and someone who he feels comfortable with.  He is strong on both of these.  When I said "god for Obama" I meant on a personal level.

Daschle is a DC insider, but I don't really see how being a governor of a relatively small state, particularly an interior one, gives one much experience with the federal gov't or foreign policy.  But then, Bush II and Clinton were in much that position as Pres, so there will be no shortage of people to help out.  And both of them picked VPs with DC and fopo experience.

The one way that Daschle does represent change is that while he is a DC insider, he represents a different kind of politics than we've had for the last 16 years.  He is is kind of a throwback to the pre-Clinton years.  And he's at an age when he can finally make some positive changes on the issues he cares about.

Sibelius (like Kaine) just doesn't really seem ready to be Pres.  But as I said, neither did Bill Clinton or GW Bush, especially Bush.  And I don't know if she might be seen as too risky (too much change).

As I said, I'm trying to predict here, not wishing.  Biden's the other one whose stock has probably gone up, and Clark if he is indeed under consideration.  I don't really want Kaine or Bayh.  I see Daschle as superior to either of them.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

[ Parent ]
Let's all eat dryer lint! (4.00 / 6)
I don't really want Kaine or Bayh.  I see Daschle as superior to either of them.

I don't really want to [eat dog shit or arsenic.]  I see [eating dryer lint] as superior to either of them.

Yay! Let's all eat dryer lint!

miasmo.com

[ Parent ]
this analogy made me smile a lot (4.00 / 1)
Thanks for the vivid comparison.
[ Parent ]
Next to the definition of "weenie Democrat" (4.00 / 3)
is a picture of Daschle.

John McCain won't insure children
[ Parent ]
I don't think the Georgia situation makes much of a dent (4.00 / 1)
One thing the tracking polls have been good at even while they've been lousy at being consistent with topline horserace head-to-head real numbers is picking up movement from events (Wright, Hillary dropping out, Berlin, the McCain ad barrage). If anything Obama has improved since it kicked off over there.
[ Parent ]
Daschle supported Bush's unlimited wiretapping program (0.00 / 0)
he was just angry that Bush hadn't run it by Congress first. He wanted Bush to maintain the pretense of Congress as an independent and coequal branch of government. But as long as Congress gets to pretend it's still got any real power to check the president, Daschle has no problem with letting the president do whatever he wants.

Of course, now our Congress, with Obama's help, has granted a veneer of legality to Bush's unconstitutional spying programs. So now Daschle's happy.

Daschle is a power broker. Plain and simple. His job has always been to make sure that the people with the money to spend get hooked up with the politicians in the position to help them.

He's the epitome of the soulless "centrist" Beltway insider, who has no particular ideology except profit and power. And he will most likely have a high position in the Obama administration, even if he may not be VP.

[ Parent ]
We're stuck with Daschle but we don't have to laud him (0.00 / 0)
or like him. Daschle is emblematic of everything that was wrong with a pliant and "bipartisan" Democratic caucus in the Senate.  He represents everything the netroots was against as it fought for a more partisan and proud Democratic party.  Daschle is the side of Barack Obama we should try to militiate against not yield to.

Daschle as minority and majority leader was basically always a carpet for Republicans and the press to walk all over.

When George Bush took office in Jan 2001, all Tim Russert had to to was glare with those popeyes of his ( sign of a man who is susceptible to heart attacks by the way) and say " You're not really saying George Bush is illegitimate. are you?"  And Daschle gulped, stared and said "of course not"  and for the rest of his time as Leader never again challenged the legitimacy of George's presidency.  I know you all hate Terry Mcauliffe but at least in that same time, he had the balls and the grit as chairman of the DNC to never back down on challenging George Bush's legitimacy.

He voted for the 2003 Federal Abortion Ban.

When he took over as Majority Leader in the Senate after Jeffords left the Republican caucus, he ALLOWED the vote to go forward on George Bush's huge tax ccut bill.  He had the power to stop it but he  didn't.

The man is a pushover and he's proud of it. He has round heels when it comes to the Republican party. He's certainly no progressive on economic or social issues.  His idea of an attack is to say I disagree but let me give you most of what you want anyway.


"Incrementalism isn't a different path to the same place, it could be a different path to a different place"
Stoller

[ Parent ]
Convention theme for that day not helpful... (4.00 / 1)
With the whole foreign policy theme that day, I think Jerome Armstrong is right in that it'll be someone that the gasbags in the media deem properly a "foreign policy guru" (or whatever that means to them).  That probably disqualifies Sebelius, unless the idea is to prove that she can hang with the best of them as far as FP goes (which the gasbags in the media won't care about).  

So, I guess I'm hoping for Clark, although not holding out all that much hope for it... which probably means maybe Bayh or Biden.  I'm just hoping we can avoid Hagel, as Leach is proposing.  No Republicans for important positions, please... it only feeds into the narrative that Democrats are weak on FP.

Yes, and Bayh has such an awesome track record on foreign policy! (4.00 / 5)
corporate media dictionary:

awesome - adj.  Being spectacularly and tragically wrong and promoting enormously tragic blunders. Having terrible judgement.

miasmo.com

[ Parent ]
In a word, yes... (0.00 / 0)
Sorry to say... Perhaps, more accurately, "good" FP cred basically means "conservative" right now to the village, as Chris basically points out.  I haven't been watching the news, but I'm guessing that they're talking about how awesome McCain is right now just itching to start a war with Russia.
[ Parent ]
Picking a VP to pander to that nonsense (4.00 / 1)
would be deeply depressing. Talk about the Audacity of Cynicism!

miasmo.com
[ Parent ]
Yes, yes it would... (4.00 / 1)
Honestly, to me, I would obviously prefer that it not be someone from that list (Bayh, Biden, or Kaine), but there are still worse picks.  Any Republican, for instance, Nunn... etc.  I'm not going to sit around and mope if it's one of them, but yeah, not my preference.  Of those 3... I dunno, maybe Biden because he seems like he'd at least be a good attack dog.
[ Parent ]
I thought .. (0.00 / 0)
Biden was itching to take Condi's job .. besides .. he could get more done there .. then VP .. since he'll be too old in 8 years
[ Parent ]
It seems to me (0.00 / 0)
It seems to me that one of the implicit things that the Obama campaign has to sell America on is that "foreign policy credentials" of that particular type are not useful or even undesirable-- I.E. the Obama campaign has to convince America that you'd rather trust someone like Obama on foreign policy than someone like Biden or Bayh... or McCain.

So it seems that picking someone like Biden or Bayh with the explicit goal of "shoring up" foreign policy credentials would be basically the same thing as admitting that Obama lacks foreign policy credentials, that foreign policy credentials are something you get only by buying into the establishment and that being a Biden or a Bayh or a McCain is better on the foreign policy front. Is this a good idea? Is it something the Obama campaign would tend to do?

[ Parent ]
Sebelius (4.00 / 3)
has done tons of work on vets affairs in Kansas, she's visited Kansas's troops in Iraq multiple times, crafted a military bill of rights. Kansas has a high population of veterans and Sebelius is very popular among vets.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power
[ Parent ]
I don't think you have to worry about Bayh (4.00 / 1)
Seems unlikely that Democrats would want to give up a seat in the Senate.
http://www.in.gov/legislative/...

Now, it's possible that it will be a new Governor making that decision and not Mitch Daniels (R), since the Governor inauguration takes place before January 20.
http://www.in.gov/legislative/...

However, recent polling indicates that Jill Long Thompson (D) is slipping a bit, so I wouldn't want to bet the farm on that.

a long shot: Tom Daschle (0.00 / 0)
that pick would reiterate Obama's intention not to rock the boat too much.

As for the rest, Bayh or whatever, I don't know. Isn't Bayh always on the short list?

See discussion above (0.00 / 0)
I think he's got a good shot, like it ior not, for the reasons I suggested above and yes, he is a reassuring pick.  Obama is in a bind between people who want to vote for him but need to be reassured he is ok and people who will probably vote for him but want him to be more radical.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.
[ Parent ]
how about Bill Richardson? (0.00 / 0)
Any reason why Obama shouldn't pick him?
He's bad in debates (4.00 / 1)
and supposedly can't keep his hands to himself.

I like the guy although for someone with such a fantastic resume, he sure comes off as not so terribly alert when he's speaking at times.

[ Parent ]
isn't he supposed to be some kind of master of diplomacy? (4.00 / 1)
I saw him on the Daily Show. He talked about how he pissed off Saddam Hussein during a meeting by not following some kind of Iraqi custom. I was not impressed.
[ Parent ]
Re: how about Bill Richardson? (4.00 / 1)
Any reason why Obama shouldn't pick him?

1. The Goatee
2. And the things that are spoken through it

Laugh hard. Its a long ways to the bank.  

[ Parent ]
Oh Come On (0.00 / 0)
Goatees rock.
[ Parent ]
Evil Spock (4.00 / 1)
Check and Mate.

Wait. I just undermined my own arguement.


Laugh hard. Its a long ways to the bank.  

[ Parent ]
Exactly (0.00 / 0)
Everyone knows that Evil Is Sexy!
[ Parent ]
Bayh is the only one on the 'short' list (0.00 / 0)
that would piss me off. I'm not crazy about Kaine but could get used to him, I suppose.

Sebelius, Clark, and Schweitzer -- any of these would make me very happy. Biden and Reed would be pretty good as well.

My way-the-hell-out-of-the-box pick remains Anthony Zinni. He's not my favorite, mind you; it just wouldn't surprise me to learn it's him.

IN + IA + Kerry States = President Obama (0.00 / 0)
That is the only countervailing argument to Bayh being a horrible pick.

John McCain won't insure children
Amen (0.00 / 0)
My opinion is that VP Running Mate Bayh would go a pretty long way to getting IN blue this cycle. He has the infrastructure, the appeal and the successful campaign track record. And let's not forget he may bring that white-bread no frills base model Ford perspective to the ticket's messaging that will help bring in more swing voters than his legislative record would repel strong lefties.

The gamble here is that those of our persuasion will still vote for the ticket so they need to do something to bring in the swingers. A good looking tall white guy that can pull off rolled up sleeves and a loose tie might just do the trick.

And honestly, his record only tweaks our nipples while I think he may be a VERY acceptable candidate to those that make "gut" decisions on who the leaders of the free world should be.


Laugh hard. Its a long ways to the bank.  

[ Parent ]
VA + IA (or NM) + Kerry States = President Obama (0.00 / 0)
The same argument works for Kaine.  And that's the ONLY argument for Kaine (and for Bayh).

If you use that argument, there are lots of non-shortlisters that could be considered.  Other "checkmate" states include Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, in addition to the old standards of Ohio and Florida.

But always remember that the VP will usually be the presumptive front runner in one or two cycles.  That outweighs small bump in a state that some (not even all) VP picks give the tickets.

[ Parent ]
Like Lieberman and Edwards? (0.00 / 0)
Seems those guys flamed out. Plus Obama came out from nowhere. I dunno, just questioning whether that POV is sort of obsolete now in the Democratic party.

As for the other states mentioned, I agree, but I think a VP Salazar would be even more offensive here than Bayh. Tactics versus strategery, yes I get it, but in this case I think Bayh might be a good match personality wise and image wise.

Big tent is all I'm saying. I'm a west coast transplant here in Denver and the brand of left is a bit (not much) different. Just think a Bayh type candidate would be a nice offset to Obama's coastal allure. Sebelius would be a great choice too. Richardson, well, he tends to come off as a bit smug if you ask me. But that just may be me.


Laugh hard. Its a long ways to the bank.  

[ Parent ]
Another name that occured to me is Jon Corzine (0.00 / 0)
Jon Corzine has been a Senator as well  as a Governor and Wall Streeter.  It might signal wanting to do something on the economy.  He was at Obama's economics summit.  He is pretty liberal on many issues, has tried to get things fiscally under control in NJ, even if he didn't have the sense to wear a seatbelt.  But I gather he's recovered?  What's the knock on him?

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.
Kaine (0.00 / 0)

I'm warming up to Kaine.  He was pretty good on
Face the Nation this past Sunday.  Certainly better
than recent Obama surrogates have been.  

Obama only plays a winning hand (0.00 / 0)
At this time, he's playing everything close to the vest, and has his people saying so-and-so is being vetted to hide his true pick.  Kaine and Bayh are classic smoke screens.  So whoever he picks for VP it'll be the person he thinks works best with him.  That means it has to be fairly thoughtful person.  After all, that's how Obama picked Wright.

Bayh certainly doesn't fit the bill (stuffed shirt alert), nor does Kaine to some extent.  Plus, picking Kaine means we lose the Virginia statehouse, and I don't see Obama giving up Virgina.

So maybe Selebius, maybe Clark. Corzine wouldn't be a bad pick either, though I think Obama is going to go with a Midwesterner.  And he's going to think its a winning pick.

Oh, and I'm dead certain that Lieberman is going to McCain's pick.

[ Parent ]
Let's hope your right about Lieberman (0.00 / 0)
McCain and the republicans deserve the rich flavor of defeat the Joe-mentum would promise. It satisfies the T-Zone!

Seriously though, my ubber-wingnut father in law loves Lieberman. Thinks he's the template all Dems should follow. And this has been his POV for a few years and not just lately. So I don't think he would be as devistating as some would think.  

Laugh hard. Its a long ways to the bank.  

[ Parent ]
Well at least that would settle (0.00 / 0)
The issue of whether Joe is in the Dem caucus next year or not.  Not would seem to be the answer.

And all just remember I suggested both Daschle and Corzine.  I agree it is going to be someone not Bayh or Kaine and probably not Sibelius.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

[ Parent ]
Agree with Chris (4.00 / 3)
Bayh supported the war. Ixnay armongersway

John McCain doesn't care about Vets.


Being born and raised a Hoosier.... (4.00 / 2)
....I most sincerely pray Senator Bayh doesn't get the VP nod.

And as for aggressive lobbying on his own behalf, a story.

There's a certain person on the rise in my state (Washington) who I worked for on their first campaign.  Every once in a while we talk.  He knew where I came from, and asked me once in early 2007 what I thought of Senator Bayh.

I wasn't sure if he was going to ask for me to support the man or asking for completely honest answer, so I fudged a bit and said, "Well, he certainly as a lot of cash on hand to get his point across."

Dead silence for five seconds, then a sigh.  "Yes.  Yes he does."  

The sigh of a man being pushed hard, back when Bayh was looking at being a Presidential candidate.  

Not unless it's Birch (4.00 / 1)
The VP is the presumed leader-in-waiting. Letting it be Evan fucking Bayh would be an indication that the bad old days are going to be returning are a short intermission.

I'm starting to think that next time we get the opportunity, we should try to spike the worst possible VP nominees. I don't know how. Publically heckling them? Chasing up stories of dodgy practice on committees in years past? The problem is that it's hard to find something to remove them from contention that a) gets the media interested and b) doesn't get you branded as a DFH and make the screw-you-guys pick more likely.

Forgotten Countries - a foreign policy-focused blog

Whatever it is (0.00 / 0)
Obama isn't the type to follow the media's lead.

Personally I have no idea who it is.  I doubt it is bayh or a "media foriegn policy expert" as Obama has said that he thinks he is good on foriegn policy.

The liberal wiki
Send an email to terra@liberalwiki.com

What about Chafee? (0.00 / 0)
Random thought, but I just read the thing about Chafee endorsing Obama.  As Republicans go, he's pretty liberal, and he lost his Senate seat because of misplaced party loyalty.  Plus, he was on the right side of Iraq.
That would reinforce the "elitist" charge. (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
Aggressive Conservative Media Lobbying For VP | 60 comments
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