Free Republic

Nothing is up on the website yet, but I heard this during the morning drive about two hours ago.Quinn and Rose are nationally syndicated on satellite radio, but have local coverage in the Pittsburgh region and other Clear Channel Markets.Quinn has a inside Washington souce who he calls "Son of Deep Throat" who, while unidentified, has seldom if ever been wrong.According to this source, Ed Rollins was heard bragging at a DC gathering that his man Huckabee would definitely be McCain's VP pick because that was the plan from the beginning. Huckabee was to ensure that anyone whom the Rockerfeller...

Does Hillary Clinton want to be the Democrats vice presidential candidate? Probably. Could she get on the ticket by dropping out before the last states vote on June 3rd? Definitely not. Does Barack Obama want her on the ticket? Absolutely not. Can he stop her if she wants it? Probably not. Why not? Super delegates are why not. When the last pledged delegates are totaled on June 3rd, and assuming the current demographic support continues for both candidates (and baring a major development they will), Barack Obama will have around 1690 delegates and Hillary Clinton around 1550. Add in their...

The NY Times tomorrow will announce John Edwards is on Senator Barack Obama's short list for V.P. Said a spokesperson, "We have been trying to run an above board primary campaign with no mention of race by us or our supporters against the white woman from N.Y., but regardless what pundits and political experts say, we realize after West Virginia, in order to win the general election, we need a white southerner on the ticket. It's not going to be easy for a black man to approach uneducated, lower class, blue collar, bowling alley-type whites with a promise of change....

Janesville Congressman Paul Ryan continues to attract serious attention as a prospective Republican nominee for vice president. And rightly so. One need not agree with Ryan's sincere-if-frequently-myopic conservatism to recognize the strengths he would bring to John McCain's ticket. Where McCain is ancient -- older than Ronald Reagan or Dwight Eisenhower when they attained the presidency -- and looks it, Ryan is so fresh-faced, upbeat and energetic that he sometimes seems a good deal younger than his 38 years. At that age, the Wisconsin Republican is almost young enough to be not McCain's son but the Arizona senator's grandson. Yet...

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is at the top of the list of John McCain’s possible running mates, according to a top McCain fundraiser with ties to his inner circle. Economic conservatives are likely to oppose the choice of Huckabee as McCain’s vice presidential candidate, given the populist tone of his campaign and his tax record as governor of Arkansas. But in his “Capital Commerce” column for U.S. News & World Report, James Pethokoukis points to the fundraiser’s disclosure and cites several factors that could make Huckabee a strong asset for McCain. For one thing, the former Baptist minister...

"Me? I'm just hangin' out, listening for McCain's phone call and waiting for reporters..." Mike "The Huckster" Huckabee, is at the top of the short list of John McCain's vice presidential candidates. At least according to a top McCain fundraiser. Economic conservatives are likely to oppose the choice of Huckabee as McCain’s vice presidential candidate, given the populist tone of his campaign and his tax record as governor of Arkansas. But in his “Capital Commerce” column for U.S. News & World Report, James Pethokoukis points to the fundraiser’s disclosure and cites several factors that could make Huckabee a strong asset...

Was listening to Hannity, Susan Estridge said Obama will pick an old white guy as VP?She was referring to someone,but I missed his name.Anybody know who the old white guy is?

And the winner of the semi-final round is…Michael Huckabee. The former AR Gov beat Mitt Romney 81-13 percent, with JC Watts (4 percent) and Condi Rice (1 percent) taking third and fourth respectively. This means that it will be Huckabee v. Romney in the final round which will begin on May 19 right here. Come then and vote.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Barack Obama's victory in North Carolina and near-miss in Indiana last week remove much of the doubt about whether he will win the Democratic nomination for president. With Obama the likely Democratic nominee and Sen. John McCain long his party's presumptive nominee, the search for their vice presidential picks can now begin. Below, you'll find the five most logical veeps, assuming McCain and Obama are the candidates, ranked in the order of the likelihood of being chosen. No. 1 on each side is currently the likeliest to be named. REPUBLICANS 5. Mitt Romney: A few months ago,...

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign rejected suggestions Sunday that Sen. Hillary Clinton is staying in the race in hopes of brokering some kind of agreement with the likely Democratic nominee. "I don't believe that Sen. Clinton is looking for a deal," Obama's chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, told "Fox News Sunday," when asked about suggestions she may want the Obama campaign's help retiring her campaign debt. "I don't think that's what this is about," he said. Last week, Obama sparked rumors that his campaign would pay off Clinton's campaign debts once he secured the nomination. "I'd want to have a...

Friends and close associates of both Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are now convinced that, assuming she loses the race for the presidential nomination, she is probably going to fight to be the vice presidential nominee on an Obama-for-president ticket. Clinton "is trying to figure out how to land the plane without looking like surrender," a prominent figure in the Obama camp said Friday. This means, in all likelihood, bringing her campaign to a close in the next few weeks and trying to leverage her way onto an Obama ticket from a position of maximum strength, said several knowledgeable...

There's been much convinced talk that John McCain needs to add diversity to his ticket by choosing someone who's black, or at least brown (and Brown!) for the v.p. slot. But wouldn't that cost McCain his advantage among racists? In the current issue of TNR, John Judis estimates that Obama's race could cost him as much as "15 to 20 percent of Democrats or Democratic-leaning Independents," and Politico's Roger Simon thinks the race vote is worth upwards of 15 percent among the general electorate. By adding diversity to his ticket, McCain would just jeopardize his hold on these voters, while...

For Mitt Romney, the suspension of his campaign at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference two days after Super Tuesday marked the beginning of a new and promising campaign. As he ended his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, he staked for himself a position as leader for the conservative future. It's a good position to be in for a potential 2012 run for the presidency. And it's a position that makes him an attractive option for John McCain's No. 2 in 2008. In his withdrawal speech, Romney announced that "conservative principles are needed now more than ever" -- hitting...

You know, when I read about this CNN video via Allahpundit yesterday, I threw up a little in my mouth. The clip of female journalists on a plane moaning as they watch Barack Obama talking on a cell phone was actually filed under "breaking news video" on the CNN website with the caption, "Obama in jeans: Sen. Barack Obama surprises the press corps by wearing jeans."

Robert Novak May 10, 2008 -- CLOSE-in supporters of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign are convinced he never will offer the vice-presidential nomination to Sen. Hillary Clinton for one overriding reason: Michelle Obama. Obama's wife didn't comment on other rival candidates, but she has been sniping at Clinton since last summer. Obama sources say those public utterances don't reveal the extent of her hostility.

While Democrats duel, the unofficial Republican nominee considers a vice president. John McCain should start by asking what he needs. The admiral’s son fits two legs of his own party’s three-legged stool: foreign policy (zinging terrorism) and economic (scoring spending). Alas, he is out to sea with social and cultural conservatives, the one group without which national Republicans once routinely lost, and will surely lose again. According to a new Pew Research Forum poll, 44 percent of the electorate terms itself “born-again.” Politically, these Christian, mostly Protestant, evangelicals are the Republican Party’s largest block: 35 percent of George W. Bush’s...

Just announced on WABC radio on the Larry Kudlow show by Jimmy Pettatukis--US News and a blogger, (SP) that McCain is all but a lock for VP. INfo comes from his fund raising sources. Kudlow is using the info as "breaking news" on his show which just eneded at 1:00 Pm Eastern.

Hillary Clinton's superdelegate lead over Barack Obama has become razor thin. Ted Kennedy doesn't see a spot for Clinton on Obama's ticket. Ted Kennedy, the aging liberal lion of the Democratic Party, took a nasty bite out of Hillary Clinton Friday, saying she shouldn't be vice president because the job requires "real leadership." "I don't think it's possible," Kennedy, a Barack Obama supporter, told Bloomberg Television when asked about an Obama-Clinton ticket. Kennedy added that he hoped Obama would choose a running mate who is "in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people. "And I...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Close-in supporters of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign are convinced he never will offer the vice presidential nomination to Sen. Hillary Clinton for one overriding reason: Michelle Obama. The Democratic front-runner's wife did not comment on other rival candidates for the party's nomination, but she has been sniping at Clinton since last summer. According to Obama sources, those public utterances do not reveal the extent of her hostility. A footnote: Support is growing in Democratic ranks for Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland as vice president. He would bring to the ticket maturity (66 years old), experience (six terms...

It's fun to think about, but there are so many obstacles, and Ted Kennedy isn't buying, he said on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital With Al Hunt," which airs this weekend. "I don't think it's possible," he told Hunt of the joint ticket, continuing that: Obama should choose a running mate who "is in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people," Kennedy said. "If we had real leadership — as we do with Barack Obama — in the No. 2 spot as well, it'd be enormously helpful." Ouch.

I consider it a banner day when I can render my friend Ann Coulter speechless. The wonderful conservative warrior was a guest on my radio show this week (Ann is one of the best guests in the business) and I hit her with something so wild, so preposterous, and so outrageous, that she just, well, stayed silent for a few seconds. After a long pause, she laughed and said, “You know, he’s just stupid enough that he might do it!” The “he” in question is Sen. John McCain. Ms. Coulter has made no secret of her total and utter disdain...

There are a lot of obstacles to an Obama-Clinton "unity ticket." Maybe she doesn't want to be vice president. Maybe they or their staffs or their spouses can't get along. Maybe Clinton can't offer sufficient assurance of loyalty and subordination, or a practical plan to eat many unfortunate words she said about Obama during the primary competition. But if these obstacles can somehow be overcome, Obama should ask her to run with him, and she should accept. I know this is a deeply unpopular, even infuriating, suggestion to many Obama supporters who've watched the Clinton campaign savage their champion for...

Obama open to Clinton as possible running mate Thu May 8, 2008 6:13pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama on Thursday did not rule out selecting rival Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate if he ultimately defeats her in a race in which he has an almost insurmountable lead. "There's no doubt that she's qualified to be vice president, there's no doubt she's qualified to be president," Obama told NBC News. In a CNN interview, he said he had not wrapped up the Democratic presidential nomination, but when he does, he will start going through the process...

Virginia Senator James Webb should be the Democratic candidate for vice-president. Senator Barack Obama is close to winning the Democratic nomination for president. His overwhelming victory in North Carolina and virtual tie in Indiana, with a forthcoming tide of superdelegates, will bring him within a hundred votes of the nomination. Obama has victory in sight, unless the iron laws of arithmetic are repealed by superdelegates meeting in "smoke-filled rooms" in an age of "no smoking" edicts in air-conditioned retreats. Obama must soon turn to the choice of a running mate. The best choice, in my opinion, would be Senator Webb....

The success of radio talkshow host Rush Limbaugh’s ‘Operation Chaos‘ in helping Sen. Hillary Clinton edge out rival Barack Obama in the Indiana primary this week has spurred the former First Lady to move Mr. Limbaugh’s name to the top of the short list of potential running mates, according to sources.

For Mitt Romney, the suspension of his campaign at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference two days after Super Tuesday marked the beginning of a new and promising campaign. As he ended his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, he staked for himself a position as leader for the conservative future. It's a good position to be in for a potential 2012 run for the presidency. And it's a position that makes him an attractive option for John McCain's No. 2 in 2008. In his withdrawal speech, Romney announced that "conservative principles are needed now more than ever" -- hitting...

That's the ticket. by Fred Barnes 05/07/2008 The NOTION THAT BARACK Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate is crazy. She passes the first test of a veep selection: she's a plausible president. But she fails the second. She doesn't qualify as a partner on the Democratic ticket (and possibly in the White House) that Obama would be comfortable with--far from it. But there is someone who does meet these two requirements, plus a third one and maybe a fourth. That person is Democratic Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania. Yes, Rendell was the leading supporter of...

The NOTION THAT BARACK Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate is crazy. She passes the first test of a veep selection: she's a plausible president. But she fails the second. She doesn't qualify as a partner on the Democratic ticket (and possibly in the White House) that Obama would be comfortable with--far from it. But there is someone who does meet these two requirements, plus a third one and maybe a fourth. That person is Democratic Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania. Yes, Rendell was the leading supporter of Clinton when she trounced Obama in the...

Barack Obama said Friday, “We’ve had a rough couple of weeks.” Actually, he’s had a rough couple of months. He’s lost three big primaries to Hillary Clinton. And, should he hold on to win the nomination, he can no longer be considered a clear favorite over John McCain in the general election. In a New York Times/CBS News poll in late February, Obama was defeating John McCain 50 to 38. Two months later, the Times/CBS poll had McCain and Obama tied. The poll that came out yesterday showed Obama reopening a lead over McCain — but clearly over this period...

Barack Obama said Friday, “We’ve had a rough couple of weeks.” Actually, he’s had a rough couple of months. He’s lost three big primaries to Hillary Clinton. And, should he hold on to win the nomination, he can no longer be considered a clear favorite over John McCain in the general election. In a New York Times/CBS News poll in late February, Obama was defeating John McCain 50 to 38. Two months later, the Times/CBS poll had McCain and Obama tied. The poll that came out yesterday showed Obama reopening a lead over McCain — but clearly over this period...

We all hear the same names mentioned as prospective running mates for John McCain: former Office of Management and Budget Director and one-time U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and even former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Each one would bring something to the ticket. Some come from crucial swing states that could help McCain reach 270 electoral votes. A number are governors, adding a non- Washington, D.C., piece to the ticket. By most standards, all are good-looking and articulate. And yet, none of them would change the partisan...

O'Reilly thinks McCain will tap Romney for V.P. Just heard on Shep Smith interview. JMHO. McCain will not pick him now, because of the opinion.

For the first time since our Vp Stakes began, former AR Gov. Michael Huckabee leads. In our semi-finals polling so far, Huckabee leads Mitt Romney 49-34 percent, with JC Watts (14 percent) and Condi Rice (3 percent) making up the final two spots. Of note, our Vp stakes started with 16 'candidates' which our readers have narrowed down to just four. The top two vote getters following our semi-final vote will move onto the final round next month. Vote today!

Alan Keyes on short list to become John McCain VP pick for the Republican ticket. McCain camp will not deny.

Nearly 12,000 people have voted in our Vp Stakes in the first two rounds. Next up: the Semi-final round pitting the top four vote-getters against each other. The top two will move onto the finals. Vote today!! Pick from the following: Michael Huckabee Mitt Romney Condi Rice JC Watts Who should McCain select????

I’m disappointed, but not surprised.That’s not in the cards,” Thompson said. “That’s not what I want. Well…and I don’t think that call [from McCain] would ever happen. I think John needs somebody else. I would advise him if he asked me that he needs someone else, of a different profile. The presidency is the only job in town that’s worth going through what you got to go through to get it, including the vice presidency….”

Setting off speculation about his possible VP pick, Barack Obama may have unnerved his MSM cheerleaders. They’d already been dismayed to find that the Chosen One a mite “self righteous” as one Washington Post columnist described him and “arrogant” as a Slate blogger mused. (What was their first clue? I mean aside from the cult-like music videos, Obama girl and his wife’s insistence that he is the only source of pride in America in the last generation?) Last weekend Obama piped up with this when asked about his VP pick: “I would like somebody who knows about a bunch of...

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Ohio shows John McCain leading Barack Obama 47% to 40%. He also leads Hillary Clinton 47% to 42%. Last month, McCain led both Democrats by six percentage points. Former Ohio Congressman Rob Portman has been mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential candidate for John McCain. Eleven percent (11%) of the state’s voters say they’d be more likely to support the ticket with Portman on it while 19% hold the opposite view. Republicans are evenly divided. Among unaffiliated voters, 6% would be more likely to vote for McCain with Portman on the ticket and...

GOP Vice-President Slot Still Open, But Is Huckabee Getting Serious Cconsideration? RFFM.org Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza Yes, I know. Supposedly there are no bosses in the Republican Party any longer. But even though the smoke-filled back room may be a thing of the past, there is an elitist faction of the GOP who makes decisions for all who believe in the Republican brand. Well, they try to make decisions. But as an institution starts to crumble, power brokers have less and less command over what goes on. Such was evidenced during the past presidential primary season. I believe Party...

...Condoleezza Rice described herself as "mildly pro-choice." ...(T)here is nothing "mild" about having your arms and legs ripped off your body in that "choice" we call abortion. ...Washington Times correspondent Bill Sammon pressed Rice, "But it sounds like you do not wish to change the laws that now allow (abortion). ..." Rice responded, "Well, I don't spend my entire life thinking about these issues. … What I do think is that we should not have the federal government in a position where it is forcing its views on one side or the other." ...Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, summarized...

McCain Veepstakes: Portman Potential by John Gizzi Just before my interview with possible McCain running mate Rob Portman, former Office of Management and Budget and onetime Ohio congressman, I was at lunch with another Buckeye State Republican -- Rep. John Boehner. Boehner described his profile for an ideal running mate for John McCain. “Has to be younger than McCain,” Boehner said, amid chuckles, “a solid conservative, and someone people could see as President.” Taking it a step further, the top House Republican said that since the two major party nominees will both be U.S. Senators, it was less likely McCain...

More 34% 6236 Less 66% 11967 Total Votes: 18203

WASHINGTON (AP) - Condoleezza Rice has plans to head West after her time as secretary of State—not plans to be vice president. She stressed Tuesday that she has no aspirations to join John McCain as his running mate on the Republican presidential ticket this fall. McCain, an Arizona senator, has wrapped up the GOP presidential nomination. "Senator McCain is an extraordinary American, a really outstanding leader and obviously a great patriot," Rice said at a State Department news conference with the foreign ministers of Canada and Mexico. "That said, I am going back to Stanford, back to California, west of...

I have done three searches and have found no discussion of this. Surely there have been some 'leaks' or 'trial balloons floated'.

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- A group of conservatives has taken out an ad urging presumptive Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain not to tap Mitt Romney as his running mate. Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority, who once endorsed Romney, is among those calling on McCain to look beyond Romney, his former rival and past governor of Massachusetts, the Los Angeles Times reported. SNIP- In a newspaper ad, conservatives said Romney is "utterly unacceptable" as a vice presidential pick. The ad questions Romney's commitment to fight abortion and gay rights. "To be clear, we all welcome anyone who...

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has exhibited interest in becoming John McCain's vice presidential running mate, a Republican strategist says. Dan Senor revealed during Sunday's edition of ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that Rice has been seeking support to be considered for the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket this fall. "Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this," Senor said.

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a candid interview with The Washington Times Friday expressed her position on abortion as “mildly pro-choice.” Asked, “Are you pro-life? Are you pro-choice? What is your thought on abortion?”, Rice responded: “I believe if you go back to 2000, when I helped the president in the campaign, I said that I was, in effect, kind of Libertarian on this issue, and meaning by that that I have been concerned about a government role in this issue. I'm a strong proponent of parental choice, of parental notification. I'm...

ABCNews’ Mary Bruce Reports: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is actively courting the Vice Presidential nomination, according to Republican Strategist Dan Senor. “Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this,” Senor said this morning on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” According to Senor, Rice has been cozying up to the Republican elite. “There's this ritual in Washington, the Americans for Tax Reform, which is headed by Grover Norquist, he holds a weekly meeting of conservative leaders, about 100, 150 people, sort of inside, chattering, class types,” Senor explained. “They all typically get briefings from political conservative...

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has exhibited interest in becoming John McCain's vice presidential running mate, a Republican strategist says. Dan Senor revealed during Sunday's edition of ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that Rice has been seeking support to be considered for the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket this fall. "Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this," Senor said. The party strategist said Rice could represent an ideal vice presidential candidate when paired with the Arizona senator, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "What the...

Friday, April 04, 2008 Huckabee Jealousy Behind Anti-Mitt for VP Movement? Posted by: Matt Lewis at 9:10 AM Some conservative leaders are now publicly opposing Mitt Romney's consideration for VP.  This is from the Government is not God PAC website:More than 20 leading social conservatives signed an open letter to Senator John McCain expressing their displeasure over the prospect of an “M&M” ticket being pushed by Karl Rove, Sean Hannity and others in the economic wing of the Republican Party. Among the signers are those, such as Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, who once supported Mitt Romney and now publicly regret it. ...