Wow. Wow. There is so much back in forth going on with both campaigns right now, it’s hard to keep things straight. No sooner did I get off the phone with one of my sources that would be in a position to know who told me that Biden was “almost certainly” going to be VP pick then Biden himself has come out and said he’s “not the guy.”
As he pulled out of the driveway in the driver’s seat of his car he then said to the press gathered near his gate, “You guys have better things to do. I’m not the guy.”
If it’s not Biden after all, does that mean Obama would really go with Kaine? He wouldn’t be that stupid, would he? Or as Sean alluded to, does this mean that a Hillary Clinton pick is more likely?!
Not only that, but apparently Joe Lieberman’s staff has apparently been engaged in an extensive information gathering effort in the past few days on Lieberman’s past stances.
Top aides to Joseph Lieberman have reached out to former staffers in recent days with “substanative questions” about the issue areas they worked on while working for the Connecticut senator, according to a source close to Lieberman…
Without saying defnitively that the information-gathering was being done to share with McCain’s campaign, this source said “it would be unusual if not in the context of being vetted.”…
Another strong clue is that one of the former aides contacted was Lori McGrogan.
A longtime Lieberman aide, McGrogan served as Research Director on the senator’s 2004 presidential bid where she was tasked with investigating her candidate’s record as well as those of his Democratic primary rivals.
Despite the RNC saying that McCain had “got the message” on not picking a pro-choice veep over the past few days, ABC is reporting that senior McCain advisers are still trying to sound the possibility of a pro-choice pick as recently as earlier today. For the record, I think Lieberman is one of McCain’s best possible picks.
Update: Headfake? Now US News is saying that Tim Pawlenty is at the top of the list.
Some conservatives went so far today as to suggest that the McCain camp was raising the issue of naming a pro-choice running mate just as a way to woo moderates, even though he has no intention of doing so. And it all comes as we are receiving word from Republican and conservative officials that pro-life Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has moved to the top of McCain’s vice presidential short list.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Kaine & Pawlenty
August 19th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Let’s just all wait and see…We have come this far, there’s no use in worrying now
August 19th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
He want’s lieberman bad.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I still think that Lieberman is among the most likely VPs for McCain. McCain doesn’t care about what anyone thinks — he’s going to do what he wants. Haven’t you guys gathered that from his past transgressions?
August 19th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I am telling you LJ, although this thing is very much in flux, my sources over the past week and a half have confirmed tima and time again that Lieberman remains McCain’s top choice. Does this mean that McCain will ultimately choose him? No. But trust me, he is trying everything he can behind the scenes to make it happen.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
LJ, not going to happen. This is been made clear.
Plus, how old is some of this information? Your Lieberman information may have been pre-Saturday.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I know a BUNCH of hard core pro-lifers that would not have a problem with Lieberman.
They figure since he wont be the republican president, he is a safe pick.
I tend to agree. But, if McCain passes during his term….
August 19th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
btw, here is the NRO poll so far……
Bobby Jindal 30 votes
John Kasich 136 votes
Joe Lieberman 21 votes
Sarah Palin 443 votes
Tim Pawlenty 87 votes
Tom Ridge 17 votes
Mitt Romney 346 votes
Other 66 votes
August 19th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I think it *should* be Lieberman, for the record.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I think there is a reason the McCain campign has not run one ad in FL so far. It means Crist and Liberman
August 19th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
The problem with all of this prognostication is that a lot of what McCain wants is clouded by what people around him and the campaign want, so contradictory info gets leaked. McCain wants Lieberman and has for some time. Its just a matter of whether or not he will pull the trigger or get talked out of it.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
pro-lifers need to sit back and ask themselves: if john mccain DIES, is joe lieberman going to go off an a abortion-crazed rampage to get as many lefties on the court as possible????
get your heads out of your a$$es. the death of the president would be a world-wide event, and the country would unify behind the vp, who would in turn follow mccain’s path.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Kristofer,
Check the link to Jon Martin’s blog. It’s from earlier this afternoon that Lieberman’s staff were compiling a dossier. For the record, I think it’s likely McCain wants Lieberman more than anyone, but that he’ll ultimately go with Pawlenty.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
#10, well if that is the case, then it could be Perry, since I havent seen an ad in Texas. God help us on Perry. He is also a used car salesman….
August 19th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
the best undercutting of obama’s message is the first unity ticket in more then 150 years
August 19th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
If it’s Pawlenty, I’m definitely voting Barr.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
biden will crush pawlenty, tpaw struggled to keep up with kaine.
i would think its down to lieberman or romney
August 19th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Remember when I reported that McCain was testing the water about a pro-choice Veep with various Evangelical and GOP leaders? His campaign was surprised at what a positive response Lieberman got among Values Voters and movement conservatives as opposed to Ridge. I think that this gave them hope. The leaking earlier today that the Veep would not be prochoice was push back from parties opposed to a Lieberman or Ridge selection.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
The campaigns, especially McCain’s, are diseminating a lot of misleading information to create frenzy and an aura of surprise when it is indeed announced. McCain has been trying to make everyone dfeel that they were thoughtfully cosnidered to Allevaite any hurt feelings, and he’s also trying to regain the element of surprise that he nearly lost last month.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
16
Seth,
How does the least-offensive VP candidate offend you enough to vote for Barr?
August 19th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
#20, because it’s not Romney…. my guess.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
LJ, McCain and his campaign have made it clear that is will not be a pro-choice candidate. This (and the other 99% of stories today) are head-fakes.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Romney would be ideal – Portman would be my #2.
Pawlenty is acceptable, though with him, I would have some concerns about the future of the party, as well as his ability to cover for where McCain is weak.
Lieberman is basically a deal breaker.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
#10, well if that is the case, then it could be Perry, since I havent seen an ad in Texas. God help us on Perry. He is also a used car salesman….
Bad logic; Texas isn’t a swing state.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I think raj at #19 has the game pegged. Remember the buzz McCain created when Obama was on his Big Euro tour by feinting a VP to be announced immediately play. McCain is at it again with the VP buzz trying to steal some of the Obama thunder with his actual VP announcement. The guy running this campaign is doing a pretty good job not ceding the battle plan to the lib media and Obama.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
My sources are telling me that the strategy for Lieberman is seen like this: The obstacle holding McCain back is that the Republican brand is down in the dumps. A McCain/Lieberman Unity ticket takes the “Republican” issue off the table and gains votes from independents, moderates and democrats while not offending the base. I remember having a conversation at a lunch diner with the late great Cardinals announcer, Jack Buck, on the day that Gore chose Lieberman in the summer of 04. He said, “I am a Republican but I like Joe Lieberman.” I think that his sentiments are shared by many movement conservatives and Values Voters.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
JA, would agree with you two weeks ago, even late last week, but McCain has said no pro life in as many words last weekend in front of Warren adn all the values people on here and everywhere else shouted for joy. Just dont see MCcain blowing off those statements and giving the nod to Leiberman or any other pro choice person. it would be as rush said today the death of his campaign… but stranger things have happened
August 19th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
#24, it was a joke…..
August 19th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
McCain will walk on stage in Dayton with a women, you guys have proof that you have been given head fakes for the last two month, go back and read the blog entries in this site for perspective.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
“Tim Pawlenty has moved to the top of McCain’s vice presidential short list.”
He has never been off the top of the list. Sheesh.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
corep,
You may be right, but don’t think for a minute that McCain doesn’t want to chose Lieberman real bad and Saddleback got the Evangelicals and Values Voters on board to pave the way for this. Also, it is well known that Lieberman is a very ambitious and some would say ‘opportunistic’ pol. Do you honestly think that he would have gone this far out on a limb with John if their wasn’t anything in it for him?
August 19th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
“A McCain/Lieberman Unity ticket takes the “Republican” issue off the table and gains votes from independents, moderates and democrats while not offending the base.”
—
But it does offend a good portion of the GOP base, what fool in McCain’s camp doesn’t think a decent chunk are not going to be very upset over such? Lieberman is not the pick, in fact if Lieberman actually wants McCain to win he’ll turn it down – or most likely already has.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Six months ago, Rush was agitating for the death of McCain’s campaign. He thought McCain’s various “transgressions” would doom him with the base and therefore among the general public. He has no credibility on this issue at all.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
#29(logcabingop)-
What make you think that? Hope you’re right!
August 19th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Evil Conservative Says:
August 19th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
16
Seth,
How does the least-offensive VP candidate offend you enough to vote for Barr?
___________
Because I’m from one of the reddest states in the Union (yay KS!), so not voting for McCain isn’t going to hurt him, and just because Pawlenty’s the “least-offensive” to other people doesn’t make him innoffensive to me. I want someone who doesn’t sell out to populist economic rhetoric. And if McCain wins, Pawlenty automatically becomes the frontrunner for 2012/2016. I don’t want him to be the future of the Republican Party. So even though my vote won’t change anything, I’ll still cast a protest vote.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
LOL!
This gets funnier by the hour.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
@21:
I laughed a little now that I’ve finally read your response to 20. I’m not at all a Romney supporter, though I don’t dislike him.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
All this crap about abortion. McCain’s job here is to pick someone to do a job. Least offensive my ass. DO A JOB. FIX the MESS in WASHINGTON. Only ROMNEY can fill that job slot. Only Romney. Wake up, John McCain! You’ve got a JOB to do.