Will It Be an Obama-Bayh Ticket?
With an announcement due soon, some Democratic Party officials think Sen. Evan Bayh will get the nod
Top Democratic Party officials are expecting Sen. Barack Obama to select Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh as his running mate as early as midweek. "He brings state and federal experience, helps us in the Midwest, and is a good complement to Barack," said a top party source.
However, the source noted, Obama hasn't signaled yet who his pick will be, and a number of other candidates, including New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, are still under consideration.
Party officials are expecting the announcement earlier rather than later this week so that the Democratic ticket can capture the media coverage leading into next week's Democratic National Convention in Denver. "They'll want to show the new ticket off and give it a good walk-up to Denver," said the official.
The campaign has been ready for over a week to have the running mate on board, having hired a full staff to handle the new candidate.
On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain is still hiring his vice presidential nominee's staff, having just selected a spokeswoman, Maria Comella, the former spokeswoman for Rudy Giuliani. She worked for the Bush-Cheney 2004 re-election as part of Steve Schmidt's press show. He now runs McCain's campaign.
There is more uncertainty about who McCain will pick for a running mate, though Republican officials said that earlier expectations that he would spring a surprise pick are being muted by concerns that a newcomer to the political scene, such as former eBay boss Meg Whitman, would be too politically green to run on the national stage.
Reader Comments
Experience, experience, experience.
When it comes to experience, Senator Bayh outshines all others on the “short list”. Though he is known as Senator Bayh, many forget that he served two full terms as Governor prior to his entry into the senate. I feel that prior service as a State Governor is critical for a presidential or VP choice. Sadly neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain has this experience. Being the Governor of a state is akin to running a small country. Serving a term or two as a senator, one does not gain the broad experience necessary to lead this nation. Senator Bayh has performed well in both positions. I would like for our next president to have someone with Senator Bayhs experience to lean on during these troubled times.
Just my 2 cents…..
Bayh for VP
My first choice is Hillary Clinton. It's a no brainer. Second choice is Bayh. I was pleasantly surprised by his "debate" with Pawlenty on Sunday. He tore Pawlenty up. Obama needs a fighter as his running mate the way things have gone this month. But my guess is he will pick Richardson to put the West in play and get a governor with state and foreign policy experience. My concern is that Richardson did not have the fire in the belly during the priaries. The Democrats need to go all out. Talk about the Keating 5. Exactly what has McCain accomplished in 25 years in the Senate other than good press? What country is there that he doesn't want to go to war with? Why isn't he calling for the Congress to come back and vote on legislation for solar energy? At one point I was considering voting for McCain. But the Low Ball Express ended that option. Bayh proved Sunday he can be a pit bull. Hope he gets the pick.
Obama's "CHANGE" pledge and Bayh as VP
The man who many are tipping to become Barack Obama’s running mate is a pro-war, pro-patriot act, Bilderberg member who was an honorary co-chair of the neocon Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, a group that aggressively propagandized for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. So exactly where do the sympathies of Senator Bayh lie and do they jive with Barack Obama’s proclaimed platitude to be offering “change” in the upcoming presidential election?
In October 2002, Bayh joined President George W. Bush and Congressional leaders in a Rose Garden ceremony announcing their agreement on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, and was thanked by Bush and Senator John McCain for co-sponsoring the resolution.
Not only that, but Bayh served as an honorary co-chair of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq along with John McCain, Obama’s Republican adversary.
The Committee is a neo-con group that was formed to propagandize the country into war. It boasted such illustrious neocon members as Bill Kristol, former CIA director James Woolsey, and even McCain senior foreign policy adviser and Chalabi-bamboozler Randy Scheunemann.
In a February 2006 interview with the Washington Post, Bayh “refused, as some of his fellow Senators already had, to renounce his support for the war”.
Bayh also voted for the re-authorization of the USA Patriot Act in 2006.
The Senator is also a keen supporter of the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC, having previously described his “lifelong affection for the state of Israel” at an AIPAC luncheon.
Bayh has warned that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, despite the National Intelligence Estimate having refuted this claim, and the Senator has also introduced sanctions against Iran, repeatedly denouncing the country with heated rhetoric on national television.
I guess we now know why the Democrats took impeachment off the table...there's too much footsie going on underneath it!
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