Club for Growth

Welcome to VP Watch

July 14, 2008

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Will Pawlenty's emphasis on a new energy policy help or hurt him in the VP hunt?
• The Florida Sun-Sentinel says Charlie Crist should focus on Florida, not McCain.
• The New York Daily News thinks McCain has plenty of options.
• Naftali Bendavid at the Chicago Tribune wonders: Could it be Joe Biden?
• Ed Rendell likes Mitt Romney for McCain and former Senate Democratic Leader George Mitchell of Maine for Obama.
• Red County is enamored with Bobby Jindal.
• Rhode Island Democratic Senator Jack Reed says he is not interested in being Obama's VP.
• The Baton Rouge Advocate urges Bobby Jindal to listen more.
• McCain gets some help from Mitt Romney in Michigan tonight.
• MSNBC wonders if John Kerry is being considered for VP.

Posted at 3:00 PM, July 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Huckabee's Plans

Nachama Soloveichik

Forget the VP slot. The Politico says Mike Huckabee is in talks with Fox News for his own show. I would love to see the Club's President, Pat Toomey, go head-to-head with the former governor. My money's on Pat.

Posted at 2:38 PM, July 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

More Anti-Pawlenty Fervor

Nachama Soloveichik

Conservative blogger and major Republican activist in CaliforniaJon Fleischman has an important piece up - "Plenty of Reason for McCain not to Put Pawlenty on the Ticket."

Posted at 9:30 AM, July 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 11, 2008

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• According to U.S. News and World Report, 55 percent of Democratic or Democratic-leaning voters want to see Hillary Clinton as the party's VP.

• The Politico looks at the different ways in which VP candidates try to fix their respective flaws, from cutting their hair to getting married.

• Chris Dodd is being vetted for VP.

• And Kathleen Sebelius refuses to say yea or nay whether she is being vetted.

• At Conde Nast, Matt Cooper has three female names that aren't going to happen.

• National Journal has a new Insiders Poll on VP picks. Clinton wins on the Democratic side with 35% of the vote and Mitt Romney wins on the Republican side with 25%.

• Pawlenty and McCain hang out together in Minnesota.

• Charlie Crist defends his taxpayer-funded $255,000 trip to Europe.

• Mark Sanford has $1.7 million in his campaign account.

• The Wall Street Journal says Michigan is in play. Will this help Romney's chances?

• Bobby Jindal vetoed a disclosure requirement bill that would have applied to elected officials, including the governor. More on the veto here.

• The Economist is not so kind to Bobby Jindal.

• Howard Wolfson says Clinton is not being formally vetted for VP.

Posted at 10:52 AM, July 11, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Can I Say I Told You So?

Nachama Soloveichik

Bobby Jindal signs a universal pre-kindergarten bill.

Posted at 10:31 AM, July 11, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Veepstakes at the Fix

Nachama Soloveichik

Chris Cillizza at The Fix reexamines the veepstakes line.

For the Republicans: Mitt Romney, Time Pawlenty, Tom Ridge, Bobby Jindal, and John Thune.

For the Democrats: Tim Kaine, Evan Bayh, Kathleen Sebelius, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton.

Posted at 9:57 AM, July 11, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 10, 2008

Novak on the VP Options

Nachama Soloveichik

Yesterday's Evans-Novak Political Report has an analysis of the VP options.

Posted at 6:05 PM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Jindal Defends McCain's Economic Plan

Nachama Soloveichik

Here is the video of Bobby Jindal on Fox and Friends this morning:

Posted at 12:02 PM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Blurgh!

Nachama Soloveichik

With all due respect to my fellow right-of-center bloggers, they really missed the boat on this one. There is no way Bobby Jindal is more awesome than Tom Coburn or Jim DeMint. In fact, I challenge you to name, off the top of your head, one courageous act of principle/leadership demonstrated by Jindal during his three years in Congress.

Posted at 11:38 AM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• The Los Angeles Times has some criticism for Carly Fiorina.

• The National Interest on picking the number two guy.

• Rob Portman and McCain together in Portsmouth, Ohio.

• Carl Leubsdorf at the Dallas Morning News advises McCain to play it safe. His suggestions include Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

• Obama flies to New York with one of his VP vetters and Hillary Clinton in tow.

• Florida radio host Burnie Thompson tells McCain to forget about Charlie Crist in the Washington Times.

• Senator John Thune on the VP slot.

• A new poll surveyed Republicans on what kind of vice-president they want.

• McCain says he has buried the hatchet with Romney.

• Tim Pawlenty will be the keynote speaker at an energy conference in St. Paul today.

• Bobby Jindal was on Fox and Friends this morning responding to Newt Gingrich's gushing article.

• Sarah Palin emerges unhurt from a small car accident.

Posted at 11:36 AM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Money Talks

Nachama Soloveichik

According to The Hill, many of Romney's fundraisers have not yet jumped on the McCain train, making a Romney pick all the more appealing.

Posted at 12:49 AM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Even the Media Thinks Ridge is a Bad Idea

Nachama Soloveichik

Chuck Todd and Chris Matthews discuss the repercussions of McCain picking pro-choice former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge on Hardball. Todd thinks conservatives will revolt.

Posted at 12:39 AM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist's Chances

Nachama Soloveichik

The Palm Beach Post says Charlie Crist's engagement boosts his VP chances.

Posted at 12:34 AM, July 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 9, 2008

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Rob Portman will be speaking at a McCain rally today in Ohio.

• Mitt Romney on the ticket might help McCain in Michigan.

• Chris Cillizza at The Fix makes the case for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.

• Chris Cillizza talks to Virginia Senate candidate Mark Warner on presidential politics and the VP slot.

• Another cynical article on Charlie Crist's engagement from the Orlando Sentinel.

• The Boston Herald: Mitt Romney dialing it up for veepstakes

• From the NY Daily News: A grassroots group is pushing the NAACP to back Condi Rice for VP.

• Michael Barone on why vice-presidents are important to governing.

• The American Prospect likes Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for Obama's VP. The magazine also has a transcript of its interview with the AZ governor.

• Steve Kornacki at the New York Observer says McCain's outside-the-box VP options are dwindling.

• Ouch. WDSU in Louisiana says Governor Jindal's office ranks dead last in the country in transparency.

Posted at 11:41 AM, July 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Mitt Romney Practices for the VP Slot

Nachama Soloveichik

Mitt Romney was on Hannity and Colmes last night. Watch part 1 and part 2 below.

Posted at 9:54 AM, July 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Give It Up Already

Nachama Soloveichik

According to CNN, John Edwards would "seriously consider" the VP offer--again.

Posted at 1:01 AM, July 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

It Won't Be Crist

Nachama Soloveichik

Columnist Joe O'Neill at the Tampa Tribune says Charlie Crist won't be McCain's veep. I concur.

Posted at 12:57 AM, July 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sanford Has a Fan in Virginia

Nachama Soloveichik

The chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, Jeffery Frederick, told the Washington Times that "he would like to see Mr. McCain choose Mark Sanford as his running mate because the South Carolina governor could appeal to conservatives not enthralled with Mr. McCain."

Posted at 12:54 AM, July 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 8, 2008

John Kerry Stays Mum

Nachama Soloveichik

John Kerry is silent on whether or not the Obama campaign is vetting him.

Posted at 6:10 PM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Gingrich on Jindal

Nachama Soloveichik

Newt Gingrich has a gavomit-inducing article on Human Events on Bobby Jindal. It is filled with the typical oohing and ahhing that has followed the new governor around:

Governor Jindal is leading a revolution of conservative reform in Louisiana. He is the most transformational young governor in America today. The principles that motivate his Louisiana Revolution are the same pro-innovation, pro-competition, anti-bureaucracy and anti- big government principles that I urge each week in this newsletter - the same principles that are so desperately needed in Washington, D.C.

The rest of the article is more of the same. For my thoughts on the Jindal craze see here, here, and here.

Posted at 2:29 PM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

John Kasich

Nachama Soloveichik

Michael Novak at NRO likes John Kasich for veep.

Posted at 1:22 PM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sarah Palin: Coming Soon to a Newsstand Near You

Nachama Soloveichik

The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that its governor and sometimes VP candidate, Sarah Palin, will be featured in two major, although very different, publications: People Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

Posted at 1:10 PM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A Risky Pick

Nachama Soloveichik

Dana Milbank at the Washington Post thinks Carly Fiorina would be a risky, but possibly rewarding VP pick.

Posted at 10:15 AM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Touting Tim

Nachama Soloveichik

Minnesota attorney Scott Johnson has an article at NRO touting Tim Pawlenty for veep. The article focuses on Pawlenty's personality and public image as a working-class, blue-collar guy who can help McCain in swing states, and doesn't address complaints about Pawlenty's alleged conservatism:

Pawlenty’s relatively conservative credentials come with a genuine blue-collar background that gives him a tremendous personal appeal. He grew up with four siblings in South St. Paul, where his father supported the family as a truck driver. Pawlenty’s mother died of cancer when he was 16. Pawlenty fulfilled her wish that he would be the first in the family to attend college (he put himself through the University of Minnesota for undergraduate and law school).

Posted at 9:55 AM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Surrogate Tim Does Squawk Box

Nachama Soloveichik

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was on Squawk Box this morning as a surrogate for the McCain campaign. Watch here.

Posted at 9:42 AM, July 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 7, 2008

Carly Fiorina on VP Qualifications

Nachama Soloveichik

From USA Today: Carly Fiorina thinks private sector business experience is sufficient qualification for VP. Could she be talking about herself?

Posted at 4:35 PM, July 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Webb Says No to VP Slot

Nachama Soloveichik

From Marc Ambinder, Virginia Senator Jim Webb sent the following statement around:

"Last week I communicated to Senator Obama and his presidential campaign my firm intention to remain in the United States Senate, where I believe I am best equipped to serve the people of Virginia and this country. Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President. "A year and a half ago, the people of Virginia honored me with election to the U.S. Senate. I entered elective politics because of my commitment to strengthen America's national security posture, to promote economic fairness, and to increase government accountability. I have worked hard to deliver upon that commitment, and I am convinced that my efforts and talents toward those ends are best served in the Senate. "In this regard, the bipartisan legislative template we were able to put into effect through 18 months of work in order to enact the new, landmark GI Bill will serve as a prototype for my future endeavors in government. This process, wherein we brought 58 Senators from both parties to the table as co-sponsors, along with more than 300 members of the House, gives me renewed confidence that the Congress can indeed work effectively across party lines and address the concerns of our citizens."

"At this time I am also renewing my commitment to work hard to make sure that Senator Obama wins both Virginia and the presidency this November. He is a man who speaks eloquently about our national goals and calls for the practical solutions that must be put into place to obtain them. I will proudly campaign for him."

Posted at 3:25 PM, July 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• South Dakota's Argus Leader considers a McCain-Thune ticket.

• Bloomberg says Mitt Romney is McCain's "Logical Choice."

• Salon's Walter Shapiro profiles Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

• The Tallahassee Democrat says Crist is an unlikely VP for McCain.

• Dick Polman at the Philadelphia Inquirer thinks Mitt Romney is the most likely pick via the process of elimination.

• The Wilkes-Barre Times Leaders argues Rob Portman is McCain's best pick and Kathleen Sebelius is Obama's.

• The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan has a rather cynical take on Charlie Crist's recent engagement.

• According to the Star Tribune, MN Governor Tim Pawlenty has a very short paper trail. Will this be a good or bad thing for his VP prospects?

• In the Wall Street Journal, Quin Hillyer makes the case for a strong conservative running mate for McCain

• Eric Cantor speaks out.

• Romney is raising money for McCain. Jonathan Martin has the details.

Posted at 11:10 AM, July 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Nation Weighs in on Bobby Jindal

Nachama Soloveichik

Even the uber left-wing magazine, The Nation, is ga-ga over Bobby Jindal. But author Deepa Fernandes goes on to argue that, Jindal's sunny image and sweeping popularity aside, "Jindal has stood firmly with the religious right, has never wavered from the privatization mantra of the GOP, and has been lockstep with the neocons on foreign policy. I cannot speak for Jindal's record on social and foreign policy issues, but as for his record on economic policy, my response is: I wish.

Fernandes argues that "Jindal's slim record as a Congressman from 2005 to 2008 is a window into his staunch conservatism." On the contrary. Those three years are a window into Jindal's weakness as a staunch economic conservative. With respect to Jindal's record, I think both the right and the left are missing the boat. So far, he has been neither the conservative superstar the right has made him out to be or the extreme ideologue the left is painting him as.

Posted at 10:38 AM, July 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 4, 2008

Huckabee Will Not Help McCain

Nachama Soloveichik

Writing for Townhall.com, Kathryn Lopez declares Huckabee "No Savior for McCain."

Posted at 5:35 PM, July 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 3, 2008

VP Watch: Charlie Crist Engaged

Nachama Soloveichik

To 38-year old Carole Rome.

Posted at 9:30 PM, July 3, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Politics Up Close

Nachama Soloveichik

Lloyd Grove has a in-depth article on the politics of choosing a VP in Men's Vogue. His advice:

Beware of insiders, in other words, who claim they know what's going on; the secrets are too tightly held. One veteran of the process, Bush guru Karl Rove, says that whenever he sees a new unknown "strategist" on cable television, he e-mails Ken Mehlman, the former White House political director and ex-chairman of the Republican National Committee, and asks, "'Have you ever heard of this person?' And we e-mail each other back and forth and try to plug their names into Google to see where they've been strategists and nothing comes up."

Posted at 6:02 PM, July 3, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Who is Kathleen Sebelius?

Nachama Soloveichik

Andrew Romano at Newsweek profiles Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

Posted at 5:51 PM, July 3, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sanford on the Trail

Nachama Soloveichik

According to the AP, SC Gov. Mark Sanford will be joining John McCain in Colorado in August for a fundraising event.

Posted at 4:58 PM, July 3, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Case Against Mitt Romney

Nachama Soloveichik

After making the case for Mitt Romney for VP yesterday, Chris Cillizza at The Fix makes the case against. His points:

• Personal animosity
• "The Mormon thing"
• His inability to close the deal with voters
• Romney's days at Bain Capital
• Romney's 2012 aspirations

Posted at 11:05 AM, July 3, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Novak on Powell

Nachama Soloveichik

On Fox and Friends (via RCP) this morning, Robert Novak thinks Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama is a given. Hopefully that will put a stake in the silly notion that McCain should pick Powell for VP.

Posted at 9:57 AM, July 3, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 2, 2008

Pushing for Huckabee

Nachama Soloveichik

Mike Huckabee might have antagonized most conservatives with his endorsement of Don Young, but he still has some fans left. According to the the AP, conservative evangelical leaders are considering putting aside their previous differences with McCain and endorsing him. The catch? They would like McCain to pick Mike Huckabee as his vice-president. The group signed a letter urging McCain to tap Huckabee, but Phil Burress says it's a "suggestion, not a demand."

Posted at 9:24 PM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

What Does Pawlenty Bring to the Table?

Nachama Soloveichik

Mike Madden at Slate goes through all the reasons Pawlenty would make a good VP pick--his political success in light blue Minnesota, his blue-collar roots, his youth--but argues that it's not a slam dunk.

But on closer examination, some of Pawlenty's strengths may be overblown. His reputation in Washington is as a pragmatic -- he's picked some high-profile issues to break from Republican orthodoxy on, like global warming and prescription drug importation from Canada. But he's clashed frequently with Democrats in the state Legislature, and critics say some of his splashiest ideas have fizzled out because he's been unable to push them into reality . . . Moreover, if McCain is hoping that selecting Pawlenty as his running mate would help shift Minnesota's 10 electoral votes his way, that may be a stretch.

Posted at 8:58 PM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Choose Your Own Running Mate

Nachama Soloveichik

Slate has an interactive feature that lets you choose a running mate for Obama and McCain based on characteristics like gender, age, experience, etc.

UPDATE: A friend points out that Slate includes such dark horses as Gale Norton, Donald Rumsfeld, and Alberto Gonzales, but more plausible picks like Eric Cantor don't make the cut. HT: Ginny

Posted at 12:33 PM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

NTU Blogger Bashes Pawlenty

Nachama Soloveichik

Guest blogger Sam Batkins at the National Taxpayers Union blog has a post up on Pawlenty's fiscal record, and it's not pretty. According to Batkins, Pawlenty's spending record started off strong but went downhill from there:

Like Governor Romney, Pawlenty’s spending record started off strong. During his first year in office, Pawlenty was actually able to cut general fund spending by 1.2%. This penchant for fiscal probity waned in later years, however. In the next four years, general fund growth averaged 6.6%. This rate in government growth is average when compared to the rest of the United States. From FY 2004-07, spending increased 17.2% (from $13.6 billion to $15.9 billion). Unfortunately for taxpayers, government employment in Minnesota grew 27.7% (from 33,279 state employees to 42,515) during Pawlenty’s tenure.

On taxes, Batkins is more harsh:

Pawlenty’s record on taxes can rightly be characterized as a disaster for Minnesotans. There have been no broad-based tax cuts in Minnesota and the largest reduction during Pawlenty’s time in office is only $28.7 million.

Overall, during Pawlenty’s tenure, taxes have increased $1.74 billion (with a b). Some supporters might attempt to describe these increases as merely fees, but consumers and corporations nevertheless have to pay the bill. To his credit, Pawlenty has proposed a modest $77.3 million reduction in sales taxes for FY 2009, but this is more than offset with $138.7 million in other tax and fee hikes.

Batkin's conclusion:

Rumors are abound that Pawlenty is the front-runner for McCain’s VP slot, but with over $1.7 billion in tax hikes to his name and even more on the way, McCain might think twice about choosing Pawlenty.

UPDATE: NTU has added this reminder to the blog post: "Administrator’s Reminder: The opinions of Guest Bloggers do not necessarily represent the views of National Taxpayers Union or National Taxpayers Union Foundation."

Posted at 11:53 AM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Case for Mitt Romney

Nachama Soloveichik

Chris Cillizza at The Fix makes the case for Mitt Romney. His key selling points are:

• It's the economy, stupid

• Romney's Momonism could help in Nevada and Colorado, and his Michigan roots might help in the Wolverine State as well

• Money, money, money

• Already vetted

• Can play the attack dog

Posted at 10:32 AM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Dem. Senator Jim Webb tells McCain to "calm down" about his military record.

• From the AP: Joe Lieberman doesn't do much for McCain in Connecticut

• Gen. Wesley Clark wins CQ Politics' Democratic vice-presidential contest, beating Joe Biden 51% to 49%.

• Human Events has a list of top veep contenders for Obama: Evan Bayh; Kathleen Sebelius; Ed Rendell; Sam Nunn; Wesley Clark; Jim Webb; Hillary Clinton; and Bill Richardson.

• The Hill's Sam Youngman looks at Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius

• A local FOX affiliate in Virginia looks at Eric Cantor as a VP possibility (video included)

• Gov. Bobby Jindal is dealing with anger in his Legislature over his veto of the pay raise.

• Some Louisiana lawmakers are claiming Gov. Bobby Jindal told them the pay raise was reasonable.

• Some at the Weekly Standard like Mitt Romney for VP

• Charlie Crist can kiss his VP dreams good-bye: A new Strategic Vision poll in Florida has McCain up 9 points, 49% - 41%.

• Mark Levin probably speaks for a lot of conservatives when he endorsed McCain with this caveat: "I'm going to vote for John McCain for president. I am not a big supporter of this man . . . I think he is, in many ways, destructive to the conservative movement and the Republican Party, but I cannot bring myself to allow a Marxist to become president . . . I am extremely unhappy with John McCain and he damn well better pick a conservative running mate or I might change my mind, and I'm not kidding." Listen here.

Posted at 10:19 AM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain on Romney

Nachama Soloveichik

From the AP: John McCain on Mitt Romney as a VP candidate:

"Mitt Romney is a great person and he's done a great job for us and we're really pleased at the cooperation and help that he's given us and he won millions of Republican votes so there will be a big place for him in the Republican party in the future, but obviously we're not talking about specific candidates."

Posted at 9:45 AM, July 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

July 1, 2008

How Often Did a Potential VP Vote with Harry Reid?

Nachama Soloveichik

My partner in crime, Andy Roth, has a great blog post up about how often each senator has voted with Majority Leader Harry Reid this year so far. Let's look at how the common VP names stack up? Six senators have been mentioned as possible veeps, some more serious than others. These are: Senators Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Hagel, Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Thune, and Joe Lieberman. Here are their scores:

Of these, Senator John Thune is most often mentioned. According to the Politico, Thune is in McCain's top tier. This is a little sad. Among the GOP Caucus, Thune ranks 20th in terms of voting most often with Reid--that's not so impressive. And Lieberman voted with Reid 72.8% of the time--that's more often than Ted Kennedy!

Posted at 5:38 PM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Jindal Video

Nachama Soloveichik

Here is a video from NBC News in Louisiana of Jinal's press conference announcing his veto of the legislative pay raise.

Posted at 2:05 PM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

More Jindal Love

Nachama Soloveichik

KLO at National Review has a glowing article on Bobby Jindal. She writes:

Bobby Jindal’s move on Monday wasn’t some procedural goo-goo move, it was about honesty and leadership. As conservatives keep an eye out for rising stars and Americans hope for a future of responsible leaders, Jindal’s star this week continues to shine bright and hang high. His move on Monday also reminds Republicans, ironically, why he is the wrong choice for John McCain’s running mate this year: Louisiana needs him to keep raising its political standards. And conservatives need him to show that conservatism can work, even in a state that’s a political basket case.

While I applaud Jindal for finally vetoing the legislative pay raise and admitting he made a mistake, I find the praise disproportionate to Jindal's accomplishments and record so far, as I have already written ad nauseam.

Posted at 10:47 AM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A Bi-Partisan VP Pick?

Nachama Soloveichik

Clyde Haberman at the New York Times discusses the prospect of a VP Bloomberg--as in Michael Bloomberg, media mogul and mayor of NYC. He writes:

Why don’t both make him their nominee for vice president? A colleague raised the idea in a throwaway line in a column a couple of weeks ago. Why not examine it seriously? As an avatar of postpartisanship, the mayor would be a fine choice for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain. Both fancy themselves as results-oriented types able to reach across political divides. By both picking the mayor, they would signal they mean business in this regard.

Okay, the minute someone suggests a particular politician as a viable VP candidate for both McCain and Obama, I stop taking him or her seriously. This is the case with Michael Bloomberg, Colin Powell, and Chuck Hagel. Neither of these figures are blank slates that can simply be rewritten by the nominee. Each of them have their own ideologies, positions, and opinions. For example, Bloomberg's positions on social issues and many economic issues would be unacceptable to McCain and his base. Similarly, Chuck Hagel's general conservatism would be a non-starter with Obama. There are sufficient differences between McCain and Obama such that there is probably no politician--real or imagined--that would be a suitable vice-president for both of them.

Posted at 10:29 AM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Investor's Business Daily on whether McCain should play it safe or tap a risky pick

• The New Republic thinks Romney makes sense as a VP pick

• The New York Times on the timing of the VP announcement

• Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit rejoices over sticking a fork in Charlie Crist

• McCain is asked by the Allentown Morning Call if he would consider former PA Governor Tom Ridge for VP. McCain demurs, but he has, for all intents and purposes, ruled out Ridge on Hardball back in April.

• Tim Pawlenty is assuming the chairmanship of The Education Commission of the States. The chairmanship rotates every two years between Democratic and Republican governors.

• More speculation about Bill Gates for VP.

• Gerald Seib at WSJ looks at Joe Biden and Al Gore as two security-minded VP picks for Obama

Posted at 10:14 AM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Meet Rob Portman

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wash Times has a profile on former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman. Portman claims he is not interested in the VP job and is looking at a possible gubernatorial run in 2010.

Posted at 10:00 AM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty the Surrogate

Nachama Soloveichik

Pawlenty on Fox News yesterday, via Hotair.com:

Posted at 9:52 AM, July 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 30, 2008

Profiling Portman

Nachama Soloveichik

Newsweek profiles Rob Portman as a potential VP for McCain.

Posted at 3:31 PM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain's Untouchables

Nachama Soloveichik

The National Review's cover story (subscription required) on unacceptable VP picks is out. John Miller argues that the VP pick this year is especially important, and given McCain's liabilities with the conservative movement, he cannot pick someone who will antagonize his conservative base. These are: Joe Lieberman, Charlie Crist, Mike Huckabee, and Tom Ridge. The list of acceptable VPs includes: Mitt Romney, Mark Sanford, Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman, Bobby Jindal, and Sarah Palin.

Posted at 1:50 PM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty Interview

Nachama Soloveichik

David Brody has a short interview with MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Watch the video here.

Posted at 1:41 PM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Breaking News: Jindal Vetoes Pay Raise

Nachama Soloveichik

I applaud Gov. Jindal for doing what he should have done from the get go. Unfortunately for the Louisiana Governor, at this point, the veto looks more like a politically calculated move than an act of political courage. I wonder how Jindal will explain this change of heart.

UPDATE: Here is Governor Jindal's press release on his veto of the legislative pay raise. Jindal explains his change of heart as follows:

"I clearly made a mistake by telling the legislature that I would allow them to handle their own affairs,” Jindal said. “As with all mistakes, you can either correct them or compound them - I am choosing to correct my mistake now. I have said that I was not going to stop legislators from more than doubling their own pay by vetoing this because I did not want to give them any excuse to slow down the momentum of our reform movement here in Louisiana. It turns out this is an unsustainable position. I have come to realize that the reforms I have been fighting for are simply incompatible with this legislative pay raise. I was trying to preserve our reform agenda and our momentum by tolerating this legislative pay raise that I knew was completely excessive. But the two cannot coexist. The bottom line is that allowing this excessive legislative pay raise to become law would so significantly undercut our reform agenda, and so significantly diminish the people’s confidence in their own government, that I cannot let it become law. So, I have vetoed the bill."

Well said, Gov. Jindal.

Posted at 12:47 PM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

What Does Pawlenty Bring?

Nachama Soloveichik

Steve Kornacki at the New York Observer argues against Pawlenty on the GOP ticket, saying that Pawlenty qualifies in terms of the "first do no harm" rule, but doesn't actually bring that many pluses to the ticket: "McCain is going uphill in this race. He doesn’t need a running-mate who won’t hurt him. He needs one who will help."

Posted at 11:53 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Romney at the Top

Nachama Soloveichik

Politico is reporting that Romney is at the top of McCain's veep list. This does not surprise me. While a lot of pundits have made hay out of the personal animosity between McCain and Romney, that factor won't matter if McCain believes Romney can help him win. Two other names are being mentioned by insiders: Rob Portman and John Thune. The second tier of candidates includes: Tom Ridge, Charlie Crist, Tim Pawlenty, and Eric Cantor.

Posted at 10:49 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty vs. Emanuel

Nachama Soloveichik

Yesterday, on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Tim Pawlenty and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) went head-to-head on behalf of McCain and Obama respectively. I'm not a member of the Tim Pawlenty fan club, but I thought Pawlenty cleaned Emanuel's clock. This appearance will only help his VP stock. You can watch the debate here.

Posted at 10:41 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Is Carly Too Risky?

Nachama Soloveichik

Stuart Rothenberg likes former HP CEO Carly Fiorina as a potential VP for McCain but concludes that she might be too risky.

Posted at 10:04 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Gingrich Jumps on the Palin Bandwagon

Nachama Soloveichik

Newt Gingrich, too, has moved on from Bobby Jindal to Sarah Palin for veep. Just two weeks ago, Gingrich was declaring Jindal "far and away the best candidate" for vice-president. Now, on his website, American Solutions, Gingrich writes "John McCain needs to seriously consider selecting Alaska Gov Sarah Palin as his choice for the Vice Presidency."

UPDATE: This post on American Solutions website was not written by Gingrich; it was written by someone who has an account on the website. The post on Palin, therefore, does not reflect Gingrich's position. My apologies.

Posted at 9:59 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Kristol Likes Palin

Nachama Soloveichik

After pushing Bobby Jindal for VP, Bill Kristol has moved on to pushing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for veep:

Posted at 9:52 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

It's a Bird, It's a Plane . . . No, It's Andy!

Nachama Soloveichik

Andy may be too shy to post this, but that won't stop me. Apparently, working at the Club isn't adventurous enough for our blogger-in-chief, because he actually jumped out of an airplane on Saturday. See for yourself:

Posted at 9:47 AM, June 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 29, 2008

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Rob Portman and Ed Rendell do Fox News Sunday.

• John Gizzi at Human Events says many Connecticut Republicans would not mind Joe Lieberman on the GOP ticket.

• The Boston Globe considers Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed for Obama's veep.

• MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty was the keynote speaker at the Prescot Bush Awards Dinner in Connecticut this weekend.

• Fed-Ex founder Fred Smith says he has no interest in being VP.

• Politico discusses longshot candidates for VP: Bill Gates, Meg Whitman, Eric Cantor, William Cohen, Robert Rubin, Timothy Roemer, Donna Shalala, and Colin Powell.

• New York Daily News: Clinton's VP stock is rising

• Bobby Jindal spoke to CNN this morning, says McCain needs to speak more proactively on the economy.

• Human Events has a veepstakes profile on SC Sen. Jim DeMint.

Posted at 12:04 PM, June 29, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 27, 2008

Jindal Faces Recall Petition

Nachama Soloveichik

And the backlash continues. I posted yesterday that recall petitions had been filed against some Louisiana lawmakers who voted for the pay raise. Now, Louisiana's Secretary of State's Office says a recall petition has been filed against Governor Jindal. Of course, this doesn't mean much--yet. Forcing a recall election requires getting verifiable signatures from over 900,000 registered voters in Louisiana. In 2006, there were approximately 2.9 million registered voters in the state.

Posted at 4:34 PM, June 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pay Raise Backlash, Cont.

Nachama Soloveichik

The local newspapers have not been so kind to Bobby Jindal on the pay raise issue.

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune: Gov. Bobby Jindal says that he won't veto the Legislature's excessive pay raise no matter how popular it would make him with the public. He fears, he says, that lawmakers will use the veto as an excuse to derail badly needed reforms. That is a false choice. Any lawmaker who tried to derail reforms almost certainly would face the wrath of Louisiana voters. Surely the governor sees that. Infuriated constituents have launched recall petitions against House Speaker Jim Tucker and several other legislators who voted for the pay raise and those constituents are promising to file more . . . He also needs to realize that resisting public pressure on this issue is not a noble act. He promised voters he wouldn't allow lawmakers to raise their pay in this way, and that promise is more important than any promise he made to the Legislature. Refusing to veto will make him seem ineffectual and out of touch.

From the Alexandria Town Talk: The pay raise Louisiana's legislators have approved for themselves is absurd. If it takes effect, taxpayers will pay more than twice as much for the same part-time help. Just as absurd is the position Gov. Bobby Jindal has staked out. Despite his campaign promises to the contrary, he will not veto this outrageous money grab.

From the Baton Rouge Advocate: When he said he would violate the spirit, if not the letter, of his campaign promise to “prohibit” pay raises that don’t meet basic standards of decency, the governor made a mistake. As a young man — particularly, perhaps, as a young man — he is proud, and it is difficult for him to admit error. The post-legislative news conference showed his pride a bit humbled, but not much. “I have learned my lesson going forward,” he said. As contrition, it was a half-hearted effort . . . The public blames you, Gov. Jindal, when you — Mr. Principle on the campaign trail — act without regard to your promises or to the expectations you raised.

From the Monroe News Star: Jindal ought to seize this moment. He ought to “man up,” as one New Orleans publication suggested, and veto this affront to taxpayers across Louisiana who feel — justifiably — as if their lawmakers have picked their pockets clean. Jindal himself has created a firestorm by refusing to use the power of his high office to veto the raise. Although the governor campaigned in 2007 with a published plan that promised he would keep legislators from enacting such big-bucks pay raises, Jindal as governor has meekly declined to veto the raise. Instead, he has offered only cryptic suggestions that if he used the veto power, the Legislature would somehow crush his plans for reform. Go figure.

From the Houma Courier: As a candidate, Jindal promised to prevent the Legislature from passing itself a pay raise. We see this as an easy fix. If your loyalties are split between the people you work with and the people you work for, your bosses should win. And we, the residents of Louisiana, are Jindal’s bosses. Not only do we deserve that he help safeguard our money and our interests, we deserve for Jindal to live up to his campaign promises -- the reason many Louisiana voters supported him.

Posted at 10:22 AM, June 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pay Raise Backlash

Nachama Soloveichik

There has been a lot of talk about Bobby Jindal's refusal to veto a legislative pay raise despite a campaign promise to do so. As I wrote yesterday, there has been some backlash. Now, there's more. The Louisiana House Speaker Jim Tucker released a statement giving Jindal leeway to veto the bill:

It is an honor to serve the people of House District 86 as State Representative and Speaker of the House. Since final passage of Senate Bill 672 on June 16th, the issue of legislative compensation has overshadowed all of the substantial gains and reforms the legislature has accomplished in only six months.

I am grateful for the many calls of support and I will continue to communicate with my constituents on all issues.

I will respect whatever Governor Jindal elects to do with Senate Bill 672 and remain committed to working with him to bring about the positive changes that all citizens of Louisiana deserve.

Will Jindal blink as well?

Posted at 9:56 AM, June 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain-Powell? I Don't Think So

Nachama Soloveichik

Fox News political correspondent Juan Williams suggests McCain-Powell as the winning ticket. Yes, that would be Colin Powell, the septuagenarian former Secretary of State who is considering endorsing Obama.

Williams argues that Powell will not actually endorse Obama and that he will help McCain will over the Independents he is losing in the current polls. "With Powell by his side," Williams writes. "McCain further moves away from the damaged brand of GOP politics and captures the energy surrounding the idea of pragmatic, bi-partisan political actors with a history of achievement and knowledge of world affairs."

There are several problems with this analysis. For starters, Powell is only a bit younger than McCain. At 71 years of age, the combined age of the ticket in November will be 143. In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 30% of voters saw McCain's age as an obstacle. Picking a 71-year old VP is not going to help and will probably hurt. (Just in case you're wondering, Nancy Pelosi is next in the presidential line of succession.)

Second, Williams acknowledges Powell's problems with the GOP base but dismisses it because of his popularity with Independents. But picking Powell would not just be a nuisance that conservatives would eventually overcome; it would be tantamount to a slap in the face. Can McCain win in November without an enthusiastic base, or a base at all?

Finally, Williams does not address the fact that Powell is at odds with McCain on his signature issue--the war in Iraq. It is hard to believe that McCain would pick a VP so opposed to his core beliefs.

In short, John McCain will not pick Colin Powell.

Posted at 12:34 AM, June 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 26, 2008

Jindal on Radio

Nachama Soloveichik

Bobby Jindal was on the Glenn Beck radio show this morning. He talks about the recent Supreme Court death penalty case among other things. You can listen here.

Posted at 5:46 PM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Rumblings Beneath the Surface in Louisiana

Nachama Soloveichik

I know some people have played down Bobby Jindal's refusal to veto a pay raise (despite a campaign promise to do so), but it's possible this decision could come back to haunt him. Already, recall petitions have been filed against four Republican state lawmakers who voted to double their base pay.

In Pennsylvania's 2006 elections, a similar movement reaped success. After the Pennsylvania Legislature approved a significant pay raise, local businessman Russ Diamond launch PA CleanSweep with the intention of knocking off every incumbent who voted for the pay raise. The results were startling. In the May primaries, 17 incumbents were defeated, including two Senate leaders, in addition to 30 lawmakers who retired following the public outrage. Reason had a great article on the PA purge.

Posted at 3:08 PM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Mark Sanford: A Different Kind of Republican

Nachama Soloveichik

If you want to see why Mark Sanford is different from a lot of the other Republican names being bandied about for VP, take a look at what just happened in South Carolina's local elections. While other governors are shy with the veto pen or refuse to fight for conservative policies, Sanford is not the type to sit silently and let the Legislature steamroll him.

It is important to note that although South Carolina's Legislature is controlled by Republicans, these are anti-reform Republicans who like to keep government big, spending high, and their pork flowing. Some of the most powerful of these Republicans were former Democrats who switched parties when the South turned Republican (see Fred Barnes excellent article in the Weekly Standard).

After several years of tangling with his Legislature, Sanford, along with the South Carolina Club for Growth, took active steps to move the Legislature in a new direction. In other words, they targeted incumbent Republicans with pro-growth, conservative challengers.

And they were remarkably successful. In the State Senate, Governor Sanford endorsed four incumbent-challengers and won three of those races. The loss to GOP incumbent Sen. Jake Knotts might have had something to do with the fact that he was endorsed by the highest elected Democratic official in the state and Democrats came out in droves to vote for the Republican-In-Name-Only. In total, Sanford endorsed six Senate candidates, five of which won their elections.

Life would certainly be easier for Sanford if he just sat on his hands and played nice with his Republican Legislature. While you occasionally see politicians fighting for conservative principles, rarely do you see the kind of conviction and determination that you get from Gov. Sanford. It is thoroughly refreshing.

Posted at 2:23 PM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Forget Minnesota

Nachama Soloveichik

A new Quinnipiac poll in Minnesota further confirms my insistence that Pawlenty can't carry MN for McCain. Obama is winning 54% - 37%.

Posted at 1:23 PM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Cato on Pawlenty, Cont.

Nachama Soloveichik

Michael Tanner at Cato clarifies his original blog post on Pawlenty. He remains decidedly unimpressed.

Posted at 11:43 AM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch: Jindal Signs Castration Law

Nachama Soloveichik

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, often touted as a VP candidate, reacted strongly to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the death penalty for a New Orleans man convicted of raping an eight-year old. In a statement he said: "I am outraged by the Supreme Court's decision. It is an affront to the people of Louisiana and the jury's unanimous decision in this case."

The same day, the LA Gov. signed the Sex Offender Chemical Castration Bill, authorizing the castration of convicted sex offenders. According to the press release, the law:

"Provides that on a first conviction of aggravated rape, forcible rape, second degree sexual battery, aggravated incest, molestation of a juvenile when the victim is under the age of 13, or an aggravated crime against nature, the court may sentence the offender to undergo chemical castration. On a second conviction of the above listed crimes, the court is required to sentence the offender to undergo chemical castration. This bill also provides that a court may instead order a physical castration instead of the chemical castration. Convicted sex offenders who undergo castration must still serve their full sentence, as their treatment will not affect their sentencing. Under the bill, if a convicted sex offender fails to appear for their chemical castration, they will serve an additional sentence of three to five years."

I find this fascinating from an intellectual/constitutional perspective, and I wonder if the Supreme Court will uphold this law. In 1942, the Supreme Court overturned Oklahoma's Habitual Criminal Sterilization Act in Skinner v. Oklahoma. The act sentenced compulsory sterilization for individuals who had been convicted three or more times of crimes "amounting to felonies involving moral turpitude." The defendant in the case, Jack T. Skinner, had been convicted of one count of chicken stealing and two cases of armed robbery.

There are important differences between the two laws. The purpose of the Oklahoma law was not so much preventative as eugenic. It was seen as a way to prevent people with immoral characteristics from propagating and passing on those traits to their offspring. The Louisiana law, however, seeks to prevent further sexual crimes. Also, the Court did not rule out all compulsory sterilizations. It did not overturn a 1927 case, Buck v. Bell, that upheld a statute instituting compulsory sterilization of the mentally retarded. One of the reasons for overturning the Oklahoma law was that it violated the Equal Protection Clause by making exceptions for certain crimes. Writing for the majority, Justice Douglas argued: "Sterilization of those who have thrice committed grand larceny, with immunity for those who are embezzlers, is a clear, pointed, unmistakable discrimination. Oklahoma makes no attempt to say that he who commits larceny by trespass or trick or fraud has biologically inheritable traits which he who commits embezzlement lacks." The Louisiana law doesn't seem to suffer from this inequity.

Posted at 11:39 AM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch: Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• The Wall Street Journal has a short profile on Mitt Romney

• Politico looks at VA Gov. Tim Kaine. Another plus: He speaks fluent spanish.

• The Boston Globe offers McCain advice on the VP front. Its choices are: Tim Pawlenty, Charlie Crist, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Mike Huckabee, and Rob Portman.

• The Wall Street Journal looks at Charlie Crist's positions on the environment and energy.

• Reuters: Obama on the kind of VP he wants

• Real Clear Politics: The Perils of Picking a Running Mate

Posted at 11:09 AM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Rob Portman Speaks

Nachama Soloveichik

Former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman on Hannity and Colmes last night:

Posted at 10:12 AM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain's Man in Ohio

Nachama Soloveichik

Salon has a profile on former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman and possible VP for McCain.

Posted at 12:06 AM, June 26, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 25, 2008

Palin on Kudlow

Nachama Soloveichik

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was on Kudlow & Co. today, talking about drilling for oil in Alaska. About McCain's opposition to drilling in ANWR, she says:

"Well, it will work, and Senator McCain's wrong on that issue. He's right on a whole lot of other issues though. Thanks goodness that he's understanding and evolving with his position on OCS, so that's encouraging. I think he's going to evolve into eventually supporting ANWR opening also. Obama is way off base on all that."

Kudos to Palin on the drilling issue, but she is far less persuasive when she talks about her tax hike on oil companies.

You can watch the video here.

Posted at 11:39 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Unacceptable Veeps

Nachama Soloveichik

The upcoming issue of National Review has a cover story ruling out Joe Lieberman, Mike Huckabee, Charlie Crist, and Tom Ridge as acceptable running mates for McCain. I am making a prediction: None of them will be McCain's running mate. [HT: JMart]

Posted at 11:00 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Well, Duh

Nachama Soloveichik

U.S. News and World Report writes that Sen. Chuck Hagel's VP prospects fall as Hagel's conservative views on other issues come to light.

Posted at 10:48 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Portman Chips In

Nachama Soloveichik

From Politicker: Rob Portman is practicing being helpful, raising more than $100,000 for McCain for a fundraiser in Cincinnati tomorrow night. Portman's help should be especially appreciated since some top Cincinnati donors are snubbing McCain.

Posted at 10:42 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Evan Bayh on Being VP

Nachama Soloveichik

From MSNBC: Senator Even Bayh (D-IN) says he would accept the VP slot if offered. Video is here.

Posted at 5:48 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist's Climate Summit

Nachama Soloveichik

Charlie Crist kicks off his climate summit in Miami today, according to the AP. Here is an excerpt from his speech:

"Florida can once again launch America into the coming green technology business boom. In the past it has produced in us the talent, the desire and the resolve to make spaceflight a part of everyday life. Now it can also helps us solve the most difficult challenges of our time: How to address global climate change and how to satisfy our fuel and energy needs."

Posted at 1:36 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Thoughts on Pawlenty and the Making of a Conservative VP

Nachama Soloveichik

I received an interesting email this morning from Bob Schroeder, Governor Pawlenty's former Deputy Chief of Staff. Schroeder's email addressed the points made in Michael Tanner's post on Cato's blog yesterday, "A Big-Government Running Mate for McCain," which I linked to.

Schroeder makes some valid points and some invalid points, and I would like to address some of the specifics. I would also like to talk about a general model for how conservatives should approach the veepstakes discussion.

I believe Schroeder is correct that Pawlenty has never staked out a position on Bush's veto of the SCHIP bill or how the bill should be funded. But Pawlenty did support renewing SCHIP, and was part of a bipartisan coalition of governors urging Congress to pass the bill, which included increases in government spending and government-run healthcare. His silence on the tax increase in the bill is not all that comforting. I am also doubtful that Pawlenty would have opposed the tax increase since he imposed a cigarette tax increase of his own in Minnesota in 2004.

Schroeder goes on to argue that Pawlenty did not support price controls on drugs offered through Medicare but a proposal to "allow common-sense market-based practices that would permit government to negotiate bulk drug prices through Medicare." What Schroeder doesn't mention is that this "common-sense" practice is tantamount to government-imposed price controls since the government has enormous leverage given the amount of drugs it purchases and the amount of power it yields. It is not that hard to imagine the government saying, "We'll buy the drugs at that price, but next time one of your drugs is up for a trial at the FDA, you might find it a little tough going," or "have fun trying to get a patent for your new drug." A Weekly Standard piece by Robert M. Goldberg describes what happens when the Veterans Administration "negotiates" prescription drug prices: "Far from negotiating drug prices, the VA imposes them. Federal law requires companies to sell to the VA at 24 percent below wholesale price. If they won't they are banned from selling medicines to Medicaid, Medicare, and the public health service." The rest of the article is well worth reading.

Posted at 12:05 PM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

What Does Kansas Think?

Nachama Soloveichik

A new Rasmussen poll in Kansas looks at Governor Kathleen Sebelius' VP prospects. The survey found that 34% of Kansans think Sebelius will be tapped as VP while 53% consider it unlikely. If she is picked, 28% say they are more likely to vote for Obama while 35% say they are less likely to vote for the Democratic nominee.

Posted at 11:49 AM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Another VP Shortlist

Nachama Soloveichik

Redstate has a shortlist of its own.

Posted at 9:40 AM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain Likes Martinez

Nachama Soloveichik

From the Tampa Bay Tribune: If you want a clue as to the kind of VP McCain would like, look at Florida Senator Mel Martinez. According to the Martinez, "He didn't say I would offer you the job, he just said it's a shame you're not eligible." Martinez was born in Cuba and is ineligible for VP.

Posted at 9:37 AM, June 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 24, 2008

Jindal Speaks

Nachama Soloveichik

Bobby Jindal spoke to reporters today at the end of the legislative session in Louisiana. Watch here.

Posted at 11:28 PM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Not That Edwards

Nachama Soloveichik

Nancy Pelosi thinks Rep. Chet Edwards (TX-17) should be considered for Obama's VP. Edwards has been in Congress since 1991, representing a district that includes Crawford, Texas.

Posted at 11:09 PM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Jindal Profile

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wall Street Journal has a short profile on Bobby Jindal.

Posted at 10:51 PM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Responding to Leon

Nachama Soloveichik

Leon Wolf at Redstate has a long post on vice-presidential politics, mainly targeting the Club's criticisms of Bobby Jindal. Wolf is not particularly bothered by Jindal's refusal to veto a legislative pay raise and is not sufficiently persuaded that Jindal opposed a tax cut. He further argues that my criticism is over the top and part of a not-so-secret campaign to put Sanford on the ticket. Let me tackle each criticism one by one.

First, I am by no means engaging in a witch hunt against Bobby Jindal. My criticism has long been that his record is completely disproportionate to the recent conservative love feast. From Rush Limbaugh declaring Bobby Jindal the "next Ronald Reagan" to the blogosphere's teenage-like crush, you would think Jindal has been a superstar in Congress and as governor. That is not the case.

As a congressman for three years, Jindal's record on economic issues was decidedly uninspiring. His disappointing votes included:

• A vote against CAFTA

• A vote to restrict 527's free speech

• A vote for the 2007 Farm Bill, which contained a tax increase. Jindal was 1 of 19 Republicans to vote for the bill and violated his anti-tax pledge in the process.

• A vote for the CEO pay bill

• A vote for Pelosi's minimum wage increase

• Votes against the conservative Republican Study Committee budget in 2006 and 2007

• Mild support for cap-and-trade

As for Jindal's initial opposition to an income tax cut, it was well documented in Louisiana newspaper articles. See the Times-Picayune and the AP. His refusal to veto the legislative pay raise is particularly troubling since Jindal pledged to veto such a pay raise during his campaign.

I have praised Jindal where it is deserved and I would love to be proven wrong over the coming years. But so far, Jindal has not persuaded me that he will be a consistently strong advocate for limited-government, free-market policies.

As for Leon's problem with the Club's praise of Mark Sanford, I plead guilty to being impressed with the South Carolina governor. But I think Sanford's record is far more worthy of praise than many of the other names mentioned as VP possibilities, including Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, and Charlie Crist. That is not to say that these governors do not have impressive achievements to tout. Still, these figures do not have the experience and conservative credentials that Sanford does, as has been well-documented throughout the Club's blog. And I understand that Sanford is another white male from a safe Republican state. One can make political arguments in favor of Jindal, Pawlenty, or Crist or political arguments against Sanford. But it is intellectually dishonest for conservatives to argue that Pawlenty or Jindal are conservative superstars when they really mean "Pawlenty can win Minnesota" or "Jindal adds diversity to the ticket."

Finally, Leon Wolf continues to plug Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri. My argument against Carcieri has always been one of competence rather than ideology. Rhode Island's economy is in shambles and has been for some time now. Without a serious change in direction, there is a good chance the state is headed for bankruptcy. I'm not sure that's the kind of economic credentials McCain wants on the ticket.

Posted at 4:31 PM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty Under Conservative Fire

Nachama Soloveichik

It's nice to see someone else raise red flags over Pawlenty's economic record. Michael Tanner at Cato wonders if the Minnesota governor is "a big-government running mate." Some of his big-government sins are:

• Supported government subsidized health care for all children as the first step toward universal health insurance, and opposed President Bush’s veto of a Democratic bill that would have expanded the State Children’s Health Insurance program (SCHIP) to families earning as much as $83,000 per year;

• Supports Massachusetts-style health care reform, including a “health care exchange” and an individual mandate;

• Has called for banning all prescription drug advertizing, and seeks government imposed price controls for drugs offered through Medicare;

• Proposed a $4000 per child preschool program for low-income children;

• Pushed a statewide smoking ban smoking ban in workplaces, restaurants and bars;

• Increased the state’s minimum wage;

• Imposed some of the most aggressive and expensive renewable energy mandates in the country;

• Was an ardent supporter of the farm bill;

• Received only a “C” ranking on Cato’s 2006 Governor’s Report Card, finishing below such Democrats as Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and tied with Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

Clearly, he is not a fan.

Posted at 3:14 PM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Please Let Us Drill

Nachama Soloveichik

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid urging Congress to pass legislation permitting drilling in ANWR. The letter can be seen here (PDF).

Posted at 12:30 PM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Trouble in Ridge Land

Nachama Soloveichik

I don't think Tom Ridge stands a chance of being tapped for VP, but this shouldn't help. According to Roll Call, the former PA governor failed to register a nearly half-million dollar lobbying contract he had with the government of Albania.

Posted at 10:06 AM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Nachama Soloveichik

Charlie Crist--the media favorite for VP--is facing deflated approval ratings, according to the Miami Herald. A Zogby poll has 52% of respondents saying Crist is doing a fair or poor job with 43% saying he's doing a good or excellent job. Ouch.

Posted at 10:03 AM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A New Look at McCain-Pawlenty

Nachama Soloveichik

Extreme Mortman has a picture of a McCain-Pawlenty ticket, literally.

Posted at 9:45 AM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain's VP Vetter

Nachama Soloveichik

The AP has an inside look at McCain's VP vetter, Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr.

Posted at 9:40 AM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Jindal's Broken Promise

Nachama Soloveichik

The Jindal love feast is running into some stumbling blocks. The NY Times has an article analyzing Bobby Jindal's refusal to veto a massive legislative pay increase despite a campaign promise to do so.

The next Ronald Reagan? I don't think so.

Posted at 12:47 AM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Latest VP Gossip

Nachama Soloveichik

Joe Klein says McCain is frusterated because he can't pick his top three VP choices. These are:

1. Tom Ridge: Pro-choice.

2. Jeb Bush: Last name.

3. Mel Martinez: Born in Cuba.

Posted at 12:33 AM, June 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 23, 2008

Veep Week

Nachama Soloveichik

Besides for its profile on Pawlenty, The New Republic has a series of articles on various potential veeps. You can read them here.

Posted at 3:56 PM, June 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

TNR on Pawlenty

Nachama Soloveichik

The New Republic has a lengthy profile on Tim Pawlenty--the guy everyone thinks is number one on McCain's VP short list. In it, you will find flashes of Pawlenty's populism, but Noam Scheiber dismisses these moments as the exception to the rule. Rather Scheiber sees Pawlenty as "a standard-issue fat-cat Republican," with "little in Pawlenty's oeuvre that Grover Norquist would object to as Norquist himself recently assured me." But Scheiber neglects to mention Pawlenty's massive tax increase in 2004 (despite pledging not to raise taxes), his minimum wage increase, his state-wide smoking ban, his support for SCHIP and the farm bill, and his expansion of government run health care in MN. And I'm not sure Norquist's embrace of Pawlenty will translate into wide-scale embrace on the part of economic conservatives. My guess is most economic conservatives approach Pawlenty with a sense of wary caution, resigned to the fact that he is not quite one of us but better than Mike Huckabee.

Posted at 3:54 PM, June 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

One Little Piggie Went to the Statehouse

Nachama Soloveichik

This is an old video, but totally worth watching. Potential VP candidate and SC governor is famous for marching into the SC statehouse in 2004 with a two pigs, one in each arm, named Pork and Barrel. State legislators were apoplectic, but Sanford said he was making a public statement about the outrageous amount of pork spending in the state's budget.

Posted at 9:36 AM, June 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

No Love Lost

Nachama Soloveichik

Louisiana radio host Jeff Crouere has a blog post ripping into his governor, Bobby Jindal, for not opposing a legislative pay raise.

Posted at 9:21 AM, June 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 22, 2008

Sullivan Predicts Pawlenty

Nachama Soloveichik

The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan predicts John McCain will pick Tim Pawlenty to be his VP. In fact, Sullivan thinks McCain has already settled on the Minnesota governor. Huffington Post has the video:

MATTHEWS: There are going to be some horse races in Washington next week. So Andrew, tell me something again I don't know.

SULLIVAN: I think the vice-presidential picks are both going to be boring and underwhelming. We hope for a big moment, but actually...neither candidate wants to mix their brand up with another strong brand. I think that Pawlenty will probably be McCain's number two - I think he's already made that decision, actually - and I think Obama has yet to pick, but he doesn't want someone that will outshine him.

Posted at 7:54 PM, June 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sanford Still in the Running

Nachama Soloveichik

The State says SC Governor Mark Sanford is still on the VP list.

Posted at 5:04 PM, June 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Charlie Crist Does the NY Times

Nachama Soloveichik

The New York Times Magazine has a short interview with Florida Governor Charlie Crist. It is not terribly informative or interesting, but another indication of the media's obsession with the silver-haired moderate.

Update: On second thought, this paragraph is somewhat interesting:

DS: You were married nearly 30 years ago, but the marriage lasted less than a year. Do you prefer living alone?

CC: I got married and divorced because it didn’t work out. I haven’t found the right one since. It’s really that simple.

DS:You can’t find one woman in all of Florida?

CC:Maybe I have. Stay tuned.

Crist is probably referring to his girlfriend of late, socialite Carole Rome.

Posted at 5:02 PM, June 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama-Sebelius Not Likely

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wichita Eagle in Kansas doesn't think an Obama-Sebelius ticket will happen.

Posted at 4:52 PM, June 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Poll

Nachama Soloveichik

A nationwide Deseret News/KSL-TV poll found that 59% of respondents said they would be more likely to vote for McCain if Mitt Romney was on the ticket. In contrast, 57% of respondents said they'd be less likely to vote for Obama with Hillary on the ticket. I'm not sure what this means. I find state polls much more telling than nationwide polls.

Posted at 4:49 PM, June 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 17, 2008

WWSD? What Would Sanford Do?

Andrew Roth

Alaska Governor and potential VP candidate Sarah Palin signed into law a proposal that would ban people from watching videos or texting messages while they're driving. WWSD? Would South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, another potential VP candidate, sign similar legislation? My guess is that he wouldn't.

Posted at 1:24 PM, June 17, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 13, 2008

KBH

Nachama Soloveichik

Human Events has another installment in its VP profiles, this time on Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Hutchinson is mentioned often, probably because of the GOP shallow female pool. Hutchinson though is something of a moderate on social issues and ranks reliably in the middle of the Republican caucus on economic issues.

Posted at 10:41 AM, June 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Watch - Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Rob Portman will be the keynote speaker at the Columbiana County Republicans' annual finance dinner.

• LA Times on the VP search

• Time Magazine has a story on the picking process (scary picture included)

• Gay activists are apoplectic at the idea of Obama picking Sam Nunn

• The New York Post hearts Eric Cantor for veep

• Time Magazine looks at Obama's military options

• First Read wonders if Chris Dodd is disqualified

• Mark Sanford signs a bill allowing governments to post the Ten Commandments and The Lord's Prayer. He also vetoed a law requiring nurses to wear names tags. Who comes up with these laws?

• This doesn't bode well for Pawlenty. Rasmussen's latest poll in MN has Obama up by 13 points--52% to 38%.

• Insurance costs in Florida are rising--you can thank Charlie Crist for that.

• Not sure why this is necessary. Charlie Crist signs anti-bullying legislation.

• Newsweek profiles Crist and puts his VP chances at low.

Posted at 10:35 AM, June 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Add This to the List of Things I Don't Understand

Nachama Soloveichik

Everyone says McCain needs to pick a VP with strong economic credentials while Obama needs a VP with strong foreign policy credentials to compensate for their respective weaknesses. But Obama knows even less about the economy than McCain, so much so, that it sometimes seems like he could benefit from a remedial economic lesson. Doesn't Obama need someone on the ticket with expertise in both arenas?

Posted at 9:14 AM, June 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Markets Always Win

Nachama Soloveichik

Politico has a story on the calculus of picking a running mate. Andrew Glass cites Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel--who many talk about as a possible running mate for Obama--said the following:

“Politics are like the markets, Politics mirrors society. Politics is a self-correcting mechanism. You are not going to cheat the markets. The markets always win.”

Reading this, I am convinced Obama would never pick Hagel. Can you imagine Barack Obama saying "The markets always win?"

Posted at 9:09 AM, June 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 12, 2008

School Choice Comes to Louisiana

Nachama Soloveichik

I know I've dumped on Jindal, but I like to give credit where it's due. Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate approved legislation that would set up a private school choice program in New Orleans for low-to middle-income students. This is small program, but it is an important step in a state that has long resisted private school choice. In fact, an amendment to extend the program nationwide was defeated 5-29. Jindal is expected to sign the bill.

Posted at 6:09 PM, June 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Quote of the Day

Nachama Soloveichik

From the Huffington Post: "Charlie Crist has more unchecked baggage than a bankrupt airline." HT: Ginny

Posted at 12:03 PM, June 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

So Not Happening

Nachama Soloveichik

The Florida Sun-Sentinel reviews Charlie Crist's strengths and weaknesses as a running mate.

Strengths: Popular, moderate, a skilled campaigner.

Weaknesses: Not conservative enough, single, and little known outside FL.

Posted at 10:50 AM, June 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Vetter-in-Chief

Nachama Soloveichik

Who exactly is the man running McCain's VP search? Human Events has the answer.

Posted at 10:45 AM, June 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 11, 2008

Veep Candidates on Cap-and-Trade

Nachama Soloveichik

Boy, how the times have changed. Nearly nine years ago, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Byrd-Hagel Resolution by a vote of 95-0, rejecting the Kyoto Protocol because it did not include mandates and timetables for developing nations like China and India. The agreement, the resolution declared, "would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States." Fast forward nine years. Today, a large number of Democrats and a handful of Republicans are determined to impose stringent mandates on America's carbon emissions even as China and India continue to emit to their heart's content.

Where do the most-talked about VP candidates stand on the cap-and-trade legislation? Let's find out:

• Charlie Crist: Charlie Crist has clearly drunk from the cap-and-trade Kool-Aid. Last summer, Gov. Crist announced his statewide cap-and-trade program with much fanfare at a three-day climate change summit in Miami. This year, Crist has pushed for and signed legislation a plan to cap carbon emissions in his own state. The 200-page legislation authorizes the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to initiate a cap-and-trade system to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Crist also signed an agreement with the British government to join forces in creating a global cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gas emissions. Florida businesses can rest assured-Charlie Crist insists the cap-and-trade plan won't hurt the state's economy. Yeah right

• Tim Pawlenty: The Minnesota Governor has already passed energy mandates last year, requiring utilities to produce 25 percent of their electricity from renewable source by 2025 and set targets for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Now, Pawlenty is seeking to take his environmental progress regional. In January of this year, Pawlenty met with other Midwest governors, signing the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Accord to establish a cap-and-trade market in the Midwest. "Our regional agreement is an important milestone toward achieving a cleaner, more secure energy future," Governor Pawlenty said. "The Midwest is well-positioned to help lead the energy revolution that our nation needs to stay competitive and strong. Working together, states can build a de facto national energy policy that will create good jobs and build a cleaner and safer world."

• Bobby Jindal: Governor Jindal supported some kind of government mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but to what extent remains unclear. In June 2007, he voted in support of (voted against removing) a section in the 2008 Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill that expressed "the sense of the Congress that there should be enacted a comprehensive and effective national program of mandatory, market-based limits and incentives on emissions of greenhouse gases that slow, stop, and reverse the growth of such emissions at a rate and in a manner that: (1) will not significantly harm the United States economy; and (2) will encourage comparable action by other nations that are major trading partners and key contributors to global emissions."

  Now, this language is extremely weak, and Lieberman-Warner does not meet either of the two aforementioned conditions. That said, it is notable that Jindal was 1 of 44 Republicans voting to keep this language in the bill.

• Mitt Romney: Mitt Romney's position on cap-and-trade is the hardest to pin down. Campaigning in New Hampshire last year, Governor Romney was captured on video saying about cap-and-trade: "I support it on a global basis as one of the possible solutions. I do not support it for the USA alone. I want to do it with other nations involved . . ." The governor could also be found during the campaign attacking the McCain's sponsorship of cap-and-trade legislation, saying it would have increased energy costs for the average Florida family of four by $1,000 and would "kill jobs"

  The history though, is a little bit murkier. In July of 2003, Romney wrote a letter to then-New York Governor George Pataki expressing interest in a "flexible market-based regional cap and trade system" for Northeast states. He met with nine other Northeast governors to discuss plans to create a region-wide cap-and-trade system. The resulting pact, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by 2020, and initially received Romney's enthusiasm. "This is a great thing for the Commonwealth, he said in November, 2005. "We can effectively create incentives to help stimulate a sector of the economy and at the same time not kill jobs." He went on to say, "I'm convinced it's good for business." But only a month later, Romney pulled out of discussions when other governors would not agree to his proposal to cap the price power plants would have to pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide.

• Jim DeMint: The South Carolina Senator is unambiguously opposed to the Lieberman-Warner bill. In a June 2nd press release, Sen. DeMint declared: "This bill would be an economic disaster for our state and our nation, while offering no certain environmental gains. Our nation already faces major economic hurdles with record-high energy prices. The last thing Americans need right now is for Congress to force through a massive bill that destroys jobs and hikes gasoline prices by nearly five dollars a gallon. If you're already frustrated by the cost of gasoline and natural gas, this next 'sock in the gut' from Congress will really take your breath away."

• Mike Huckabee: Governor Huckabee has long taken a religious approach to the environment, and cap-and-trade is no exception. In a 2007 Bloomberg article, Mike Huckabee said he supports a cap-and-trade system because "It goes to the moral issues. "We have a responsibility to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, to conserve energy, to find alternative forms of energy that are renewable and sustainable and environmentally friendly.

• Joe Lieberman: Lieberman-Warner, enough said.

• Kay Bailey Hutchinson: Senator Hutchinson voted against the Lieberman-Warner bill in the Senate.

• Governors Mark Sanford and Sarah Palin and Rob Portman do not have a public position on the legislation.

Posted at 1:00 PM, June 11, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 10, 2008

Analysts' Picks

Nachama Soloveichik

On CNN: Romney's former press secretary Kevin Madden likes Romney (duh) for McCain's VP and Tim Pawlenty. Chris Cillizza picks Tim Pawlenty for McCain and Kathleen Sebelius for Obama.

Posted at 11:13 PM, June 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

He's Just Not That Interested

Nachama Soloveichik

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland rules out being VP:

"If drafted, I will not run; nominated, I will not accept; and if elected, I will not serve. "I don't know how more crystal clear I can be."

Posted at 11:04 PM, June 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Happy B-Day!

Nachama Soloveichik

Gov. Bobby Jindal turned all of 37 years old today. WAFB News asked him about a specific birthday present: "If you get a surprise phone call from Sen. McCain, and he says, 'For your birthday present, I want to offer you the chance to be my running mate.' What do you say?"

Jindal's answer: "Wow. First off, I am not going to get that call. But second, I've got the job I want."

Posted at 10:59 PM, June 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama's VP Search

Nachama Soloveichik

The AP has info on Obama's VP search. Among the names being circulated: Virginia Senator Jim Webb and retired General James Jones.

Posted at 10:50 PM, June 10, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 6, 2008

Veepstakes at the Fix

Nachama Soloveichik

Chris Cillizza at The Fix has its most likley VP picks up. From least likely to most:

Obama: Hillary Clinton; John Edwards; Kathleen Sebelius; Jim Webb; Ted Strickland

McCain:Joe Lieberman; Charlie Crist; John Thune; Mitt Romney; Tim Pawlenty

I would move John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, and Charlie Crist into the never-going-to-happen category. I am more and more convinced that Charlie Crist's name is mentioned so frequently because that's who the mainstream media would like McCain to pick. He's suave, loves the TV camera, obsessed with global warming, and represents a possible renaissance among the moderate wing of the GOP. But for three important reasons, Crist will never be picked: Not enough experience, too moderate, personal baggage. End of story.

Posted at 10:04 AM, June 6, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Question for Joe Lieberman

Nachama Soloveichik

MSNBC's First Read is on Lieberman Watch, noting that Lieberman appeared on a McCain conference call hitting Obama on foreign policy. Lieberman is also heading up a new group, "Citizens for McCain," that seeks to win over independents and Democrats for McCain. With Lieberman surgically attached to McCain at the hip and all the VP talk about the Independent-Democrat, here is a question reporters should ask Sen. Joe Lieberman:

If McCain wins the presidency, will Lieberman caucus with the Republicans or the Democrats?

Posted at 9:51 AM, June 6, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 5, 2008

Excuuuuse Me?

Nachama Soloveichik

I did a double take when I saw this. Radio host Laura Ingraham was on Fox News last night, talking about potential VP picks. This is what she had to say:

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, he's got to pick somebody! He can't -- I mean, he's got to -- so he's got to pick somebody. He can't just go it alone.

INGRAHAM: No, but I think he has to pick someone who can connect with the broad base of conservatives.

VAN SUSTEREN: Like?

INGRAHAM: Oh, I think -- I think -- you know, Mike Huckabee -- you know, I've -- I've been fairly critical of him in the past, but he does have a presence and he does connect with people. I just think the problem with McCain...

I'm sorry but what about Mike Huckabee appeals to "the broad base of conservatives?"

Posted at 6:33 PM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Mark Sanford Podcast

Nachama Soloveichik

ABC News talks politics with SC Governor Mark Sanford. Podcast here.

Posted at 6:17 PM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Romney Practices

Nachama Soloveichik

Romney practices the most important job of a vice-presidential candidate--beating up your opponent:

Posted at 6:10 PM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pick Me!

Nachama Soloveichik

According to The Fix, Pawlenty is positioning himself for the number 2 slot.

Posted at 6:06 PM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Clinton Demurs

Nachama Soloveichik

Clinton is not pushing for the VP slot--or so she says.

Posted at 6:00 PM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

GOP Governors Gather

Nachama Soloveichik

Republican governors (including a couple possible vp choices) gather in Atlanta for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association. Time Pawlenty spoke at lunch, talking about the need to develop alternative energy sources.

Posted at 10:56 AM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A Governor, a Senator, and Another Governor

Nachama Soloveichik

Virginia has three potential VP candidates. The Richmond Times-Dispatch takes a look.

Posted at 10:46 AM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist on Change

Nachama Soloveichik

Charlie Crist Stumps for McCain on Fox and Friends:

Posted at 10:42 AM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Is There a Wedding in Crist's Future?

Nachama Soloveichik

The New York Daily News has the real scoop on FL Gov. Charlie Crist.

Posted at 10:38 AM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain on Crist

Nachama Soloveichik

McCain on Charlie Crist's qualifications:

"Oh, I am sure that in many respects Charlie Crist is qualified," McCain said in an interview with St. Petersburg Times. "He's had other offices. As we know, he was attorney general as well. This is a big and diverse state."

Posted at 10:33 AM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

WSj on Jindal

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wall Street Journal has an article on Jindal as a possible veep choice. My thoughts here and here.

Posted at 10:20 AM, June 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 4, 2008

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Obama's VP-vetting triumvirate consists of: Caroline Kennedy, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, and former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson.

• New Poll: Obama backers are evenly split over whether Obama should pick Hillary to be his veep.

• Survey USA's VP match-up for New York.

• Not sure a McCain-Romney ticket can win Mass.

• File this in the never-gonna-happen cabinet: Tom Davis suggests Rep. Heather Wilson for veep--that would be the same Heather Wilson who just lost her primary race for Senate.

• Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave thinks McCain should pick Romney.

• The Fix on efforts to promote a Dream Ticket.

• Jimmy Carter's advice.

• The Jindal frenzy continues, but McCain isn't giving anything away.

• Pawlentydumps on Obama.

• This is good to see: Pawlenty vetoes a resolution supporting the federal Card Check bill.

• This will further endear SC Gov. Sanford to a lot of conservatives.

Posted at 8:14 PM, June 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

June 2, 2008

Minnesota Match-up

Nachama Soloveichik

Survey USA has a VP match-up for Minnesota. Here are the results for Pawlenty as veep:

Posted at 11:36 PM, June 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Grassley's Pick

Nachama Soloveichik

From The Hill: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley knows who he likes for VP: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist or Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty:

Grassley said he hopes McCain picks Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida or Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota as his running mate. “He’s got to do everything he can to carry Florida,” he said. “If Pawlenty is chosen, it would be to the extent that the Midwest is in play.”

Asked about criticism by those who question McCain’s conservative credentials, Grassley said McCain has “made it very clear he’s going to put strict constructionists on the Supreme Court, so I’m asking conservatives not to be short-sighted.”

Posted at 11:00 PM, June 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Timetable

Nachama Soloveichik

US News has the scoop on McCain's timetable for picking a VP. Rumor has it he will make his pick during the first half of August, with the hope that an early pick will give the campaign to counter any criticisms.

Posted at 10:58 PM, June 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

What Do Sanford's Kids Think?

Nachama Soloveichik

Gov. Sanford (and his kids) on the VP speculation:

Posted at 10:51 PM, June 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 28, 2008

Sanford Goes A-Slashing

Nachama Soloveichik

SC Governor Mark Sanford vetoed $72 million from the Legislature's budget. In his veto message, he wrote:

"While we would give credit to the General Assembly for removing a number of items in this budget that we've vetoed in the past, it's unfortunate that failing to make those choices when times were good has led us to where we are today - a government that has grown by 40 percent over the last three years," Gov. Sanford said. "We also have real concerns that this budget is in effect unconstitutional for the way it knowingly creates a deficit - despite there being a requirement that we have a balanced budget. These vetoes are aimed at both paying for that shortfall, and beginning this process of setting better priorities - and to that end I'd ask that the House and Senate give them close consideration."

A list of some of his vetoes can be found here.

Posted at 11:05 PM, May 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain-Ryan?

Nachama Soloveichik

A local Wisconsin paper likes the idea of a McCain-Ryan ticket--that's Rep. Paul Ryan (WI-01).

Posted at 10:43 PM, May 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Grover and Jindal

Nachama Soloveichik

I promised some griping on Grover Norquist's endorsement of Bobby Jindal for VP, so here it is. According to CNS, this is what Norquist said:

“Bobby Jindal is a great American. He is great on guns, great on taxes, a Roman Catholic, a Southerner and an Indian-American. Bobby Jindal would be great for the GOP and perfect for McCain.”

I find this rousing endorsement strange. Americans for Tax Reform, which Grover Norquist heads up, takes its Taxpayer Protection Pledge super seriously. In general, pledge breakers are considered persona non grata with the organization. When Reps. Walter Jones (NC-03) and Wayne Gilchrest (MD-01) violated their pledges, Grover Norquist went to North Carolina and Maryland to campaign for their respective primary challengers.

So I have to ask, why doesn't this rule apply to Bobby Jindal? Jindal signed the pledge as a member of the 110th Congress. Then he broke it. In fact, Jindal is listed on ATR's website among its list of House farm bill pledge breakers.

In July 2007, Jindal voted for the original version of the 2007 farm bill, which contained a last-minute tax increase on foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries. Because of the tax increase, even Republicans with heavy agricultural districts voted against the bill. Only 19 Republicans voted for it; Bobby Jindal was one of them.

This is what Grover Norquist had to say about pledge takers who voted for the farm bill:

The recently-passed Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) contains a provision that violates the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The tax increase in question would take away a net income tax deduction to corporations. This $7.8 billion, Pledge-violating tax increase is unacceptable. All Members of the House were notified again and again that voting for this tax increase would constitute a violation of the Pledge that they made to their constituents.

So how did a pledge breaker who voted against CAFTA, for a minimum wage increase, and for a class-warfare laden CEO pay bill become, in Grover's words, "perfect for McCain?" Jindal is an impressive politician and has accumulated some admirable accomplishments, but I don't think he has proven himself worthy of the conservative movement's unbridled adulation just yet.

Posted at 3:24 PM, May 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

2012 or Bust

Nachama Soloveichik

The Boston Herald discounts Romney as a credible VP choice. It's all about 2012, columnist Howie Carr says.

Posted at 12:16 PM, May 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Globe

Nachama Soloveichik

Crist is off on another round of trips. Will all this traveling hurt his image back home?

Posted at 11:57 AM, May 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 27, 2008

Why Not Sanford?

Nachama Soloveichik

Today, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford vetoed a cigarette tax increase passed by the State Legislature. His earlier statement on the cigarette tax is here.

I know the VP debate has focused on more traditionally exciting characters, but I keep coming back to one question: Why not Sanford? Sure he's another white male, but when it comes to conservatism, he beats nearly all the other candidates hands down. Why are conservatives so quick to jump on the Jindal or Pawlenty bandwagons when their records are just okay? Jindal has his votes against free trade, his support for the farm bill, and his vote to increase the minimum wage. Pawlenty has his massive 2004 tax increase, his support for the farm bill, and his embarce of energy mandates. Sarah Palin is impressive but she has all of two years of office under her belt. Charlie Crist is a social moderate, a global-warming crusader, and another fan of the farm bill. Some conservatives are even talking up Joe Lieberman--a Democrat! In contrast, Sanford was a U.S. representative for six years where he led the fight against wasteful spending, governor now for another six, beloved by all sectors of the conservative movement, and a member of the Air Force Reserves. Why aren't conservatives flocking to one of the most steadfast conservative politicians to come our way?

Posted at 8:08 PM, May 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Jonah Goldberg likes Sarah Palin.

• MSNBC has its own VP brackets game.

• Jindal insists he and McCain did not talk about the VP search.

• Often talked about VP candidate Tim Pawlenty vetoes a human cloning bill.

• It was bound to happen eventually--pro-life leaders rally against Charlie Crist. Am I allowed at least one "I told you so?"

• The New Republic wonders if Webb is too much of a maverick to be Obama's VP.

• Survey USA has a new VP poll up for Iowa.

Posted at 7:39 PM, May 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Brooks Weighs In

Nachama Soloveichik

Today in the NY Times, David Brooks likes Tim Pawlenty and Rob Portman for McCain's veep:

Among politicos, the shining stars would seem to be Rob Portman and Tim Pawlenty. Portman is an Ohioan with the mind of a budget director and a mild temperament that is a credit to his Midwestern roots. His résumé is ideal: He directed legislative affairs for the first President Bush, served in Congress for more than a decade and managed the Office of Management and Budget under Bush the younger. He excelled in every role.

Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, is one of the G.O.P.’s leading and most likable modernizers. The son of a truck driver (his mother died when he was 16), he is the godfather of Sam’s Club conservatism, the effort to reconnect the party to the needs of the working class. Pawlenty could help McCain play the Theodore Roosevelt-style role — reforming the nation’s institutions to fit a new century and epoch.

Posted at 7:14 PM, May 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Why Huckabee Shouldn't Be VP

Nachama Soloveichik

I just saw this interview from Mike Huckabee (thanks to JMart for alerting me to it) and if ever economic conservatives needed a reason to oppose a vice-president Mike Huckabee here it is:

Huckabee: Republicans need to be Republicans. The greatest threat to classic Republicanism is not liberalism; it's this new brand of libertarianism, which is social liberalism and economic conservatism, but it's a heartless, callous, soulless type of economic conservatism because it says "look, we want to cut taxes and eliminate government. If it means that elderly people don't get their Medicare drugs, so be it. If it means little kids go without education and healthcare, so be it." Well, that might be a quote pure economic conservative message, but it's not an American message. It doesn't fly. People aren't going to buy that, because that's not the way we are as a people. That's not historic Republicanism. Historic Republicanism does not hate government; it's just there to be as little of it as there can be. But they also recognize that government has to be paid for.

Posted at 7:11 PM, May 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

More Abortion Politics

Nachama Soloveichik

Marc Ambinder thinks social conservatives should worry about McCain-Ridge more than McCain-Crist. I agree, but I don't think social conservatives need to worry about either. McCain will not go with a pro-choice veep.

Posted at 7:07 PM, May 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Abortion Politics

Nachama Soloveichik

I know I've been quiet for a bit, but i'm back now, and with plenty to catch up on.

Bob Novak had an interesting piece yesterday dissecting Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' abortion views and her alliance with abortion doctors. How much fun would it be to watch Kathleen Sebelius and Sarah Palin debate this issue on national TV?

Posted at 7:03 PM, May 27, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 25, 2008

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• The Miami Herald on Crist for VP.

• Jindal predicts he won't be vice-president (video included).

• Obama says he will have to pick a VP quickly once the primary wraps up.

• The State: Three reasons why Sanford might still have a shot at being vice-president.

• Politico: Veep tipsheet.

• The Lawrence Journal-World on its governor and possible VP pick, Kathleen Sebelius.

• The Washington Times likes Bobby Jindal for VP.

Posted at 1:28 PM, May 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 23, 2008

Blurgh

Nachama Soloveichik

After endorsing Condi Rice for VP, Grover Norquist has moved on to Jindal. I will gripe more about this later.

Posted at 8:21 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Dream Ticket Politics

Nachama Soloveichik

CA Sen. Dianne Feinstein gets on the Dream Ticket train. Nancy Pelosi thinks otherwise: "Take it from me, that won't be the ticket."

Posted at 8:19 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Newt Gingrich

Nachama Soloveichik

Is a fan of Bobby Jindal for VP.

Posted at 8:14 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

When Does Charlie Crist Have Time To Govern?

Nachama Soloveichik

If the VP slot was handed out based on how many media stints one does, Crist might win.

Posted at 8:12 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Bob Dole Chimes In

Nachama Soloveichik

He advises McCain to pick a non-politician for his number two slot. That might be a boost for former HP CEO Carly Fiorina.

Posted at 8:08 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

How To Become VP

Nachama Soloveichik

UPI has a suggestion: Romney can always buy the VP slot.

Posted at 8:05 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Political Markets vs. BBQ Weekend

Nachama Soloveichik

The VP candidates attending McCain's weekend BBQ aren't doing very well on the markets, says the Wall Street Journal. This is probably because two of the three--Crist and Jindal--have a tiny chance of being tapped.

Posted at 8:01 PM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Fox News Panel on VP Weekend

Nachama Soloveichik

You can read the transcript here. I think they have it exactly right.

Posted at 11:26 AM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Match-up: Virginia

Nachama Soloveichik

Survey USA's vice-presidential match-up for Virginia:

Posted at 11:22 AM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Match-up: Ohio

Nachama Soloveichik

Survey USA has VP matchups for Ohio. It doesn't look good for McCain.

Posted at 11:03 AM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

National Journal Insider Poll

Nachama Soloveichik

National Journal has another political insiders poll up on the VP picks. Here is how they broke down.

Democrats:

Republicans:

This really amazes me. Colin Powell???? A ticket with a combined age of 143? I can't believe 4% of the "political insiders" chose him.

Posted at 10:41 AM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• The Washington Post on the McCain and Obama's VP searches.

• Why John McCain should book a room in Atlanta.

• Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (himself a VP candidate) offers his support for a Dream Ticket, calling it "unbeatable."

• Tom Ridge was also invited to the Arizona ranch but will be out of the country. This further confirms my view that this gathering has little to do with the actual VP vetting process.

• Time Magazineon the keys to McCain's VP pick.

• Jed Babbin at Human Events thinks Chralie Crist is the most likely choice of the three.

• Jonah Goldberg makes the case for John McCain going bipartisan in his VP pick.

• Jim Geraghty at NRO puts the chances of a bipartisan ticket at 3,720 to 1.

• Politico: Can Clinton Muscle to a VP Nod?

• First Read wonders if the VP weekend is meant to distract the media and public from the release of McCain's medical records. Good call. This further confirms the notion that the list of people attending the weekend BBQ is less important than the media frenzy about it.

Posted at 10:32 AM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Lindsey Graham on the VP Weekend

Nachama Soloveichik

John McCain right-hand man Sen. Lindsey Graham was on Hannity and Colmes last night talking about the VP weekend.

STEYN: So it's purely social occasion, nothing else on the agenda.

COLMES: Right. Right.

GRAHAM: I have -- well, if this is an audition for vice-president by being with John, I've been doing this for eight years. It's the longest audition in the history of the world. I've traveled all over the world with John, and I've been to the ranch many times, and so have some of the other people being invited. It is literally a time together with people who could accommodate their schedules that John respects and likes, and it's no more than that. And he'll pick a vice-presidential nominee that he thinks will help the country if something happened to him, lead the country if something happened to him, that shares his values, his principles, and his priorities. That's what he said. I know that's what he's going to do.

STEYN: We'll pretend to believe you, Senator. And enjoy the audition and the hotdogs.

Posted at 9:57 AM, May 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 22, 2008

Huck Was Not Dissed

Nachama Soloveichik

Mike Huckabee was in fact invited to McCain's Arizona BBQ,s says Fox embed Fin Gomez. But a prior commitment--a 34th wedding anniversary trip--took precedence.

Posted at 9:24 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Chris Cillizza continues to be a fan of making an early VP pick for both McCain and Obama.

• From ABC News, Bobby Jindal denies VP rumors, saying "We've never talked about it. We've had several conversations, not only when he's been here, by phone as well. We've always talked about Louisiana's needs, we've talked about national issues, but we've always been talking about how Louisiana is recovering."

• Investors Business Daily is positive on all three VP candidates hanging out at the Arizona ranch this weekend.

• Obama may be looking for a VP elsewhere, but the Clintons haven't given up the Dream Team just yet, says the NY Times.

• More profiles from U.S. News: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, and Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Obama needs a woman on the ticket to win key states. Some potential veeps: Hillary Clinton, MO Sen. Claire McCaskill, CA Sen. Dianne Feinstein, AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano; and KS Gov. Kathleen Sebelius."

Posted at 8:53 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Meet Tim Pawlenty, Mark Sanford, & Charlie Crist

Nachama Soloveichik

U.S. News and World Report has another installment in it's 10 Things You Didn't Know About . . . Today, they are featuring Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, and Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

Posted at 8:30 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

More Jindal Talk

Nachama Soloveichik

A flattering article on Bobby Jindal from Human Events here. My take on the Jindal frenzy here.

Posted at 3:46 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Thoughts on the Big Weekend

Nachama Soloveichik

Despite all the hoopla, I am beginning to think McCain's weekend gathering is more a social-political event and less a part of the VP vetting process. I say this because I'm pretty confident McCain will neither pick Crist nor Jindal, because it's an odd format for vetting, and because of the larger guest list:

• Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
• Charlie Crist, Florida governor, Republican
• Bobby Jindal, Louisiana governor, Republican
• Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
• Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate
• Fred Smith, chairman, president and chief executive of FedEx
• Meg Whitman, former president and CEO of eBay
• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Posted at 1:22 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

And the Winner Is . . .

Nachama Soloveichik

CQ's VP Madness has come to an end, and they have a winner: Mike Huckabee. In the final round, Huckabee beat Alaska Governor Sarah Palin 72% to 27%. Blurgh.

Posted at 1:17 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Kudlow Talks to Portman

Nachama Soloveichik

Larry Kudlow discusses the presidential race with possible McCain veep, former OH congressman Rob Portman. Video here. Kudlow keeps pushing the VP question; Portman refuses to bite.

Posted at 1:07 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Jindal Interview

Nachama Soloveichik

WDSU in Louisiana has an exclusive interview with potential veep Bobby Jindal following his first four months as governor of Louisiana.

Posted at 12:10 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

72-71

Nachama Soloveichik

The Portsmouth Herald News has an op-ed calling on McCain to pick Powell. They can call the ticket "72-71"--that's how old they'll both be when/if they take office.

Posted at 12:00 PM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Let the Search Begin!

Nachama Soloveichik

Marc Ambinder has the good on the quiet beginnings of Obama's VP search. According to Ambinder:

James A. Johnson, who vetted potential nominees for Sen. John Kerry in 2004, is playing a major role. He has advised Obama and the campaign about the architecture of the process, though it is not clear whether he will reprise his role as head of the search committee. Ex-Sen. Tom Daschle is also providing advice.

Posted at 11:53 AM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Interviewing Mitt

Nachama Soloveichik

Mitt Romney sat down for an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Here is Romney on being veep:

"Sen. McCain will make his own assessment and I don't have any insight on that at all. Frankly, I'm not expecting that. I think that call is very unlikely and my plans are consistent with being a supporter of the ticket, not a member of it . . . I'm doing now what the McCain campaign asks me to do. I'm not doing TV appearances other than those that they ask me to do. I'm not doing events around the country other than those he asks me to do. And for that matter, I think that the VP talk is missing the mark. We're trying to get John McCain elected in what will be presumably a difficult year for Republicans."<\p>

Posted at 11:48 AM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama-Webb Watch

Nachama Soloveichik

Interesting comments by Jim Webb on Obama's huge loss in Kentucky (video here).

We shouldn't be surprised at the way they are voting right now. This is the result of how affirmative action, which was basically a justifiable concept when it applied to African-Americans, expanded to every single ethnic group in America that was not white. And these were the people who had not received benefits and were not getting anything out of it. So they are basically saying hey, let's pay attention to what has happened with this cultural group in terms of opportunities.

HT: ABC News

Posted at 12:46 AM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Poll: California

Nachama Soloveichik

Survey USA has its latest VP poll in California:

Posted at 12:23 AM, May 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 21, 2008

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Nebraska's Democratic chairman shoots down the idea of an Obama-Hagel ticket.

• Tony Blankley isn't impressed with Romney, Jindal, or Crist.

• Reuters' list of possible McCain running mates is: Crist, Huckabee, Jindal, Pawlenty, Romney, and Thune.

• ABC News on Biden's VP audition.

Posted at 11:50 PM, May 21, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Does McCain Need Crist?

Nachama Soloveichik

With Obama as the likely nominee, the question to ask is: Does McCain really need Charlie Crist on the ticket? The latest Rasmussen poll has McCain beating Obama 50% - 40%. Only 57% of Democrats say they will vote for Obama while 27% say they plan to vote for McCain.

Posted at 11:33 PM, May 21, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain To Meet with 3 VP Candidates

Nachama Soloveichik

According to the NY Times, McCain is planning to meeting with Mitt Romney, Charlie Crist, and Bobby Jindal this weekend at his Arizona ranch. McCain's advisers claim there will be no actual interviewing going on.

The NY Times' description of Crist does not offer a full picture of the Florida governor. Nagourney writes:

He supports the death penalty, largely opposes restrictions on the rights of gun owners, early on earned the nickname "Chain Gang Charlie" because he favored allowing convicts to be used in road work, and has described himself as a "pro-life and pro-family" candidate.

This description makes Crist sound appropriately conservative, but Nagourney makes no mention of the positions conservatives would find problematic. For example, social conservatives will take umbrage at the "pro-life and pro-family" moniker, considering that Crist has described himself as pro-choice and does not support the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Running against Senator Bob Graham in 1998, Crist told the St. Petersburg Times, "I am pro-choice, but not pro-abortion. I believe that a woman has the right to choose, but would prefer only after careful consideration and consultation with her family, her physician, and her clergy; not her government." Nor does Nagourney mention Crist's support for civil unions or the heavy-duty energy mandates he has imposed in Florida as part of his crusade to save the world from global warming.

UPDATE: The Washington Post says this is purely a social event, not part of the vetting process.

Posted at 11:25 PM, May 21, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama-Hagel?

Nachama Soloveichik

Is Hagel vying for a spot on the Democratic ticket? Last night, Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel clearly took sides in the ongoing foreign policy debate between Senators McCain and Obama:

I'm very upset with John with some of the things he's been saying. And I can't get into the psychoanalysis of it. But I believe that John is smarter than some of the things he is saying. He is, he understands it more. John is a man who reads a lot, he's been around the world. I want him to get above that and maybe when he gets into the general election, and becomes the general election candidate he will have a higher-level discourse on these things.

I never understand how anyone in any realm of civilized discourse could sort through the big issues and challenges and threats and figure out how to deal with those without engaging in some way ... I am confident that if Obama is elected president that is the approach we will take. And my friend John McCain said some other things about that. We'll see, but in my opinion it has to be done. It is essential.

Posted at 9:52 AM, May 21, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Nat Hentoff Picks Palin

Nachama Soloveichik

Nat Hentoff is one of the few ardent pro-lifers on the Left (he has described himself as a "Jewish atheist civil-libertarian pro-lifer") and now he has entered the world of VP politics with his rousing support for Sarah Palin in a column entitled: "John McCain, Here is Your Vice President:"

Because of Palin's reputation as a maverick, and her initial reduction of state spending (including pork-barrel spending), life-affirming Palin connects with voters and has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for John McCain.

She would be a decided asset — an independent Republican governor, a woman, a defender of life against the creeping culture of death and a fresh face in national politics, described in "the Almanac of National Politics" as "an avid hunter and fisher with a killer smile who wears designer glasses and heels, and hair like modern sculpture."

Posted at 9:34 AM, May 21, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 20, 2008

Webb Coverage

Nachama Soloveichik

The Roanoke Times in Virginia hopes Webb turns down the number two slot if asked.

IBD discusses the advantages (win over small-town, gun-toting voters) and disadvantages ("unguided missile") of a VP Webb.

Posted at 1:59 PM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

New Mexico: VP Poll Numbers

Nachama Soloveichik

Survey USA tests vice-presidential candidates in New Mexico. The numbers are very different from the Pennsylvania numbers below. This has a lot to do with name ID. For example, PA Gov. Ed Rendell is barely known in New Mexico. In Pennsylvania, the Obama-Rendell ticket wins every time.

Posted at 1:53 PM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Madness - Final Round

Nachama Soloveichik

CQ's VP Madness is down to the final round: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee vs. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Guess who I voted for.

Posted at 1:34 PM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pennsylvania: VP Poll Numbers

Nachama Soloveichik

A Survey USA Poll conducted by NBC in Philadelphia has some interesting Pennsylvania numbers on vice-presidential match ups. The generic McCain vs. Obama race has Obama winning Pennsylvania 48% - 40%. You can see below what happens when various vice-presidential candidates are added to the tickets:

Posted at 1:29 PM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Huck Responds

Nachama Soloveichik

Huckabee objects to news reports claiming he is openly campaigning for the number two spot:

Posted at 12:18 AM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Larry Kudlow

Nachama Soloveichik

Really likes Joe Lieberman.

Posted at 12:15 AM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

So Much for the Dream Ticket

Nachama Soloveichik

The Hill has the details.

Posted at 12:04 AM, May 20, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 19, 2008

Pawlenty's Numbers

Nachama Soloveichik

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is doing a series of polls over the course of the week. Yesterday they released head-to-head ballot numbers for the presidential race--and they didn't look good for McCain. Tonight, they've released Pawlenty's numbers.

54% of respondents approve of Pawlenty's performance as governor, while 37% approve, his highest disapproval rating to date. If Pawlenty was on the ticket as McCain's vice-president 62% of respondents said it would not change their vote; 20% said they'd be less likely to vote for the ticket; 16% said they'd be more likely; and 2% said they don't know/refused.

Posted at 11:57 PM, May 19, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Where do the VP Candidates Stand on the Farm Bill?

Nachama Soloveichik

To his credit, John McCain has said that he would veto the Farm Bill if elected president. This is in keeping with McCain's dogmatic opposition to wasteful government spending and special-interest subsidies. On Friday, North Dakota Republican Governor John Hoeven (who has been mentioned as a VP candidate by his home state paper) wrote a letter urging Bush to sign the Farm Bill, which led me to wonder where do some of the more realistic VP candidates stand on this issue? Let's find out:

• Pawlenty: Supports. Governor Pawlenty signed a letter written by Iowa Governor Chet Culver and ND Governor John Hoeven in December 2007 urging the House to reach a compromise on the 2007 Farm Bill. The letter stated: “This legislation is important to our agriculture producers, our rural businesses, our communities and our states. On behalf of our farmers and ranchers, we urge you to pass this significant farm policy as soon as possible.”

• Sanford: Opposes. Sanford voted for the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act, which instituted important reforms and phased out farm subsidies. He also led the fight to eliminate some particularly outrageous subsidies in the 2001 Agriculture Appropriations Bill and voted against final passage. At one point during the debate over an amendment to cut sugar subsidies, Sanford voiced his support for the amendment, saying, "I would go far as to say I think this program (sugar subsidies) is the equivalent of a crack cocaine of corporate welfare" (you can read the entire highly entertaining floor speech at Thomas on June 29, 2000).

• Romney: Supports. During the presidential campaign, Governor Romney defended farm subsidies at the GOP CNN/YouTube debate.

• Rob Portman: Opposes. Rep. Portman voted for the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act and voted against the subsidy-laden 2002 Farm Bill.

• Charlie Crist: Supports. Gov. Crist joined Republican Governors Rick Perry and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer in June 2007 in writing a letter advocating for the 2007 Farm Bill.

• Bobby Jindal: Supports. Jindal voted for the original version of the Farm Bill (tax increase included) in July 2007.

• John Thune: Supports. Thune voted for the Farm Bill.

• Jim DeMint: Opposes. DeMint voted against the Farm Bill.

• Mike Huckabee: Supports. On the campaign trail, Huckabee spoke enthusiastically about the Farm Bill and farm subsidies in general.

• Joe Lieberman: Supports. Sen. Lieberman voted for the commendable 1996 Freedom to Farm Act, but more recently voted for both the 2002 and 2007 Farm Bills. Interestingly, Connecticut ranks 46th in terms of the dollar amount of subsidies received by state.

• Sarah Palin: Her office had no official comment (FYI: Alaska ranks 48th).

In sum, only three of the above politicians are on record opposing the Farm Bill or farm subsidies in general--Sanford, Portman, and DeMint. I understand that some of these candidates are governors with strong farming constituencies in their states (Minnesota ranks 5th), but the Farm Bill is a fiscal abomination that wastes taxpayer dollars; doles out subsidies to millionaire farmers at a time of record-high farm incomes; distorts agricultural prices; and hurts America's free trade agenda. A number of senators and congressmen with large farming constituencies voted against the Farm Bill despite the potential for political backlash--Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Mike Pence (R-IN), and Ron Kind (D-WI) are some noteworthy examples. It would be nice to see more politicians taking a principled stand, especially if they want to be vice-president.

Posted at 6:35 PM, May 19, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Lieberman Pipe Dream

Nachama Soloveichik

I generally like the NY Sun, but two of their editorials demand a rebuttal. The first is a rousing embrace of Rep. Heather Wilson in the NM primary and not relevant to the purview of this blog. The second is entitled "The Logic of Lieberman" and it make the case for, that's right, Vice-President Lieberman.

Yes, I get it--conservatives love Lieberman because he is a Democratic neo-con in the way that Scoop Jackson once was. Today, Lieberman is the only one of his kind, and this kind of principled bucking of his party (he still caucuses with the Democrats after all) deserves a round of applause. But despite the Independent label, Lieberman is a solid Democrat on nearly all other issues. The standard reasoning for McCain picking a moderate/liberal VP is that the Republican base won't bolt because they have nowhere to go. That remains true (Bob Barr's candidacy notwithstanding), but conservatives have their line, and McCain has walked awfully close to it all by himself; picking Joe Lieberman would be tantamount to leaping across it. After all, if something were to happen to McCain, Republicans would be stuck with a Democratic president.

The New York Sun argues that conservatives will come to accept Lieberman because he has the courage to bash the NY Times, praise Bill Buckley, and denounce the Democratic Party for being anti-American. Those are lovely sentiments, but the equivalent of throwing crumbs to starving pigeons. If the NY Sun wants to embrace Lieberman for his conservative foreign policy positions because they think foreign policy trumps all other issues, that is certainly their prerogative, but it is disingenuous to sell Lieberman to the conservative base as an all-around conservative. Sure, Lieberman is no Ted Kennedy. He has a couple more conservative positions (some of which he backtracked on when Gore tapped him to be VP), but Lieberman remains ideologically closer to his Democratic colleagues than he does to his Republican ones.

Consider some of his rankings. Lieberman rankined 77th with a score of 8% on the Club's 2007 scorecard. National Taxpayers Union consistently gave him a grade of F. And the American Conservative Union gave him a score of 8 in 2007 (Obama received a 7).

Finally, I am confident enough to bet that Lieberman will not be tapped. In both public and private conversations, McCain has spoken about the importance of unifying and energizing his base and he has made no indication of switching directions. A VP Lieberman is a pipe dream, and a bad one at that.

Posted at 1:26 PM, May 19, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 18, 2008

Nunn's the Word

Nachama Soloveichik

The Atlanta Journal Constitution discusses the possibility of a Vice-President Sam Nunn. Obstacle #1: Nunn will be 70 this fall which might get in the way of using McCain's age against the GOP candidate.

Posted at 11:00 PM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Al Hunt's VP Advice

Nachama Soloveichik

Al Hunt rules out Hillary Clinton, Condi Rice, and Carly Fiorina as viable VPs. Clinton is rejected on the grounds that "It would be masochistic for him to bring Billary to the White House." Rice and Fiorina on the grounds that McCain should not pick someone who has never run for political office. "Politics is tougher than it looks," Hunt says.

Hunt offers his own short lists.

For Obama: Sam Nunn; Joe Biden; Jim Webb; and Michael Bloomberg.

Aside from Lieberman and Bloomberg, Hunt is on target. Lieberman offers little to McCain besides for the intrigue of a bipartisan ticket that runs the risk of ticking off as many people as it attracts. Lieberman's forte is foreign policy, a subject McCain already has covered. At 66, Lieberman is not exactly a fresh face, and foreign policy and global warming aside, the CT senator disagrees with McCain on a slew of major issues.

Posted at 3:25 PM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain-Schrute '08

Nachama Soloveichik

Posted at 3:14 PM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Advantage of Webb

Nachama Soloveichik

I'm no fan, but listening to Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) on Meet the Press this morning, you can see how picking Webb for the number two slot would go a long way towards inoculating Obama from being pegged as the anti-military candidate (watch video here).

Webb responds to the VP question here.

Posted at 2:58 PM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Huckabee Wants the VP Slot

Nachama Soloveichik

Huckabee is not shy about what he wants. From today's Meet the Press:

Russert: Be honest, would you like to be vice-president?

Huckabee: I'd like John McCain to be president.

Russert: Well, would you being vice-president help him?

Huckabee: I don't know. I mean, he's the only one who can know that. And I'm not trying to be coy about it, but the truth is running for vice-president is not something one does. And, here's what I can tell you--

Russert: But if he said to you, "In order to become president you could help me. Would you be my vice-president?" You'd say yes?

Huckabee: There's no one I would rather be on a ticket with than John McCain. You know, let me point out that all during the campaign, when I was his rival, not a running mate, there was no one who was more complimentary of him publicly and privately. He was my number two choice."

Tim Russert has also taken to referring to the former governor as Vice-President Huckabee. Blurgh.

Posted at 2:50 PM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Can Pawleny Carry MN--Cont.

Nachama Soloveichik

There is a lot of talk about Pawlenty turning Minnesota red in the presidential election for the first time since 1972, but the numbers don't seem to work in the GOP's favor. A new Minneapolis Star-Tribune poll has Obama beating McCain in Minnesota 51% to 38% and Clinton beating McCain 49% to 40%. I have long said that Pawlenty will not be able to close this gap given his meager win in 2006 and the political environment in the state. I have yet to be persuaded otherwise.

Posted at 2:32 PM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Hunting Huntsman

Nachama Soloveichik

The VP buzz about Utah governor Jon Huntsman has been minimal but that's not stopping the Salt Lake Tribune from ripping into Huntsman for not committing to staying in Utah.

Posted at 3:14 AM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Webb in the Spotlight

Nachama Soloveichik

The Viginian-Pilot has a profile on its home state senator and possible Obama veep, Jim Webb. Webb is an intriguing character and would offer a lot to the ticket.

A long-shot Senate candidate in 2006, he ended up beating Sen. George Allen by less than a percentage point when Allen self-destructed. A former Marine, Webb served under Ronald Reagan, eventually becoming Secretary of the Navy. No doubt, his military background would help make up for Obama's lack thereof, while his staunch opposition to the Iraq War would keep the Democratic base happy. With his rural background and pro-gun position, Webb can also help soften Obama's elitist image and win over the Reagan Democrats that have eluded the presidential candidate's grasp so far.

But Webb is not the warmest of politicians. He is a prolific writer with a history of controversial comments, a tendency he hasn't tamed with age. There's his "Women Can' Fight" article from 1979, his confrontation with President Bush, and a general lack of political polish that can be off-putting to some.

Posted at 3:09 AM, May 18, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 17, 2008

News From Wisconsin

Nachama Soloveichik

Last night, Pawlenty was the keynote speaker at the Wisconsin Republican convention. When asked if he would like to be McCain's VP, Pawlenty was typically coy:

"I'm focused on being governor in the state of Minnesota. I have a day job. I'm happy to support Senator John McCain as a volunteer. I think he's a great American. I think he's somebody who will be a great leader for our country. He's one of the most courageous, most bold politicians I've had a chance to be associated with. I'm happy to support him. I don't have any motivations or designs beyond that."

Pawlenty's speech focused on the GOP reclaiming its brand and attracting new kinds of voters. You can listen to Pawlenty's speech here, and WI Rep. Paul Ryan's speech here.

Posted at 11:03 PM, May 17, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 16, 2008

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• The Capitol Times thinks Tim Pawlenty or Rep. Paul Ryan could help McCain win Wisconsin.

• Romney jumps to McCain's defense, attacks Obama

• Huckabee makes a bad joke about Obama in his speech before the NRA (video included). Ouch.

• Newsweek talks with Huckabee. The Huck on all the VP rumors: "That's again just pure speculation that I don't want to be a part of. No one has contacted me or indicated any of that to me. I'm just focused on getting him elected."

Posted at 7:18 PM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Keeping Busy

Nachama Soloveichik

From Real Clear Politics: Pawlenty and Crist are keeping themselves in the limelight. Pawlenty will give the keynote speech tonight at a Wisconsin GOP get-together and Crist will be hosting two invitation-only events in June to discuss ways for the GOP to get its groove back.

Posted at 6:43 PM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama's 5 Options

Nachama Soloveichik

First Read has the scoop on National Journal's breakdown of Obama's VP options:

• The Dream Ticket: Hillary Clinton
• The Targeted Pick: Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine
• Reinforce the Message: Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
• Balancing the Ticket (experience): Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn
• Out of the Box: GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel

Posted at 3:44 PM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A New Idea

Nachama Soloveichik

Michael Sean Winters has a new VP suggestion for Barack Obama--wait for it--Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine. This is a better idea than Chuck Hagel in the sense that Snowe is pretty much a Democrat. Snowe was the lowest scoring Republican in the Senate on the Club's 2007 Congressional Scorecard, scoring lower than a number of Democrats. I have one question though: When pundits start throwing Snowe's name out as a possible Democratic VP, you have to wonder, why in the world is she a Republican?

Posted at 3:29 PM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Who Is Carly Fiorina?

Nachama Soloveichik

The Houston Chronicle has an article on the advantages and disadvantages of a vice-president Fiorina.

Posted at 3:13 PM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sanford Interview

Nachama Soloveichik

CATO has an interview with SC Gov. and possible VP candidate Mark Sanford on his opposition to Real ID.

Posted at 11:32 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama-Hagel? Don't Hold Your Breath

Nachama Soloveichik

David Ignatius has an op-ed urging Obama to reach across the aisle in making his VP pick to demonstrate that he really believes in the change message he's been peddling. He offers two suggestions: Republican Senator Chuck Hagel or former Democrat, former Republican, turned Independent Michael Bloomberg.

Chuck Hagel would be a thoroughly unacceptable pick for Barack Obama's Democratic Party and Barack Obama himself. Can you imagine Obama picking a staunchly pro-life, economic conservative (Hagel is from a farm state and he votes against the Farm Bill--that's hard core)? The problem with this suggestion is that it assumes Barack Obama actually wants to act like the candidate he sounds like. Obama talks about bridging the partisan divide, but his every action, his every vote have been liberal across the board. There is a very simple explanation for that: That is who he is. In this election, Obama is not the change candidate; McCain is. McCain is the candidate who has time and again, for better and for worse, ticked off his own party. Obama's short political career reads like it was compiled by the top five Democratic interest groups.

As for NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg--there is nothing particularly bipartisan about him. The media loves to describe the NYC mogul as a moderate, but Bloomberg's positions are that of a knee-jerk liberal, regardless of what he calls himself. Recall that Bloomberg only became a Republican to avoid a contentious Democratic primary in 2001. On social issues, he is a dyed-in-blue liberal and his fiscal policies have been far from conservative--replete with tax increase, bloated budgets, and nanny-state regulations.

Posted at 11:28 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Edwards Rules Out Veep

Nachama Soloveichik

From Reuters: "Former presidential contender John Edwards said on Friday he would not be Democratic front-runner Barack Obama's running mate, but did not rule out taking a role in an Obama administration. 'Won't happen,' Edwards told NBC's Today program when asked if he would be Obama's vice presidential pick. 'This is not something I'm interested in.'

Posted at 10:46 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Final Four

Nachama Soloveichik

CQ's VP Madness is down to the final four: Mike Huckabee vs. Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin vs. Rob Portman

Posted at 1:47 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Let the Vetting Begin!

Nachama Soloveichik

Marc Ambinder on what he knows and doesn't know

Posted at 1:44 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

George Will on Obama-Clinton

Nachama Soloveichik

George Will on the Dream Ticket: Hillary Clinton isn't Owed No. 2 Spot

Posted at 1:34 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Minimum Wage Politics

Nachama Soloveichik

Gov. Pawlenty vetoed a minimum wage bill passed by the Minnesota State Legislature. The author of the bill, DFL Rep. Tom Rukavina, suspects Pawlenty's veto has something to do with the governor's national aspirations:

Rukavina said Pawlenty vetoed the measure to put him in the good graces of conservatives as he is a top contender to be presidential candidate John McCain’s running mate.

“Maybe this helps with the conservative wing of the party, which he seems to be courting,” Rukavina said.

In 2005, Pawlenty signed a minimum wage increase even though he didn't like the bill.

Posted at 12:41 AM, May 16, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 15, 2008

Another List

Nachama Soloveichik

Not sure if this will help Sarah Palin in the veepstakes game. Playboy Radio has rated the former beauty queen number 8 on its sexiest governors list. Much talked about Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty did not make the list. Schwarzenegger took first place.

Posted at 12:17 PM, May 15, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Like That's Going to Happen

Nachama Soloveichik

The Indianapolis Star has an op-ed suggesting an Obama-Hagel fusion ticket. Unlikely. People tend to think of Hagel as a moderate because he is so opposed to the Iraq war, but on social and fiscal issues, the Nebraska senator is pretty right-wing.

Posted at 12:01 PM, May 15, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Elmo for VP

Nachama Soloveichik

Some unconventional VP picks.

Posted at 11:39 AM, May 15, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Stupid Article of the Day

Nachama Soloveichik

I'm sorry, this guy is on crack. John Nichols at the Capitol Times says: "Obama should consider Republican for running mate."

Posted at 11:28 AM, May 15, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Former Republican for Dem Veep?

Nachama Soloveichik

VA Sen. Jim Webb has a new book coming out today, called "A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Just and Fair America." Marc Ambinder thinks the timing is perfect for vice-presidential speculation. Slate has all the blog talk on the potential veep.

Posted at 11:24 AM, May 15, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Phenom Palin

Nachama Soloveichik

While some Republicans around the country suffer from low approval ratings, one Republican governor is still soaring--and soaring high. According to a poll last week, Sarah Palin of Alaska, sometimes mentioned as a VP candidate for McCain, has a favorability rating of 86%. A year and a half after taking office, Palin's ratings have been consistently high. Will these numbers increase her chances of McCain picking Palin? Despite her inexperience, it might make McCain take a closer look. Here's an excerpt of the article and you can watch the video here:

Pollster Dave Dittman says that Palin has connected with Alaskans on a personal level much more so than on a policy level.

"I think they like her youthfulness, the fact that she's a woman, that she's a mother, that she stands up to the big boys kind of a thing," Dittman said. "There's the populist air of it. And she hasn't done anything really wrong."

Palin had the advantage of following Alaska's least-popular governor, Frank Murkowski. She says the reason for her rating is simple.

"I think you just can't go wrong when your intentions are good in terms of providing that service to Alaskans -- open, honest, transparent government; clean up some of the ethical lapses that Alaskans had been getting tired of," she said.

HT: PalinforVP.com

Posted at 10:26 AM, May 15, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 14, 2008

McCain Talks Portman

Nachama Soloveichik

When asked about Rob Portman today, McCain had only nice things to say, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer: “I have the greatest respect for Rob Portman. He has a credible resume and is a great.” McCain also said “I still believe Ohio will be a battleground state. We have real challenges to energize our base.”

As I pointed out previously, Portman's NTU scores over his twelve years in Congress were not always great, but he was staunchly pro-free trade as Bush's U.S. Trade Rep. and fought against pork as director of the OMB.

Posted at 11:39 PM, May 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Haley Barbour

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore is a fan of Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour for VP--or even president. In today's Political Diary:

Haley's Comment

JACKSON, Miss. -- Haley Barbour has quickly gained a reputation as one of America's most effective governors. Liberals and conservatives give him near straight As for his handling of the Katrina hurricane disaster. He passed one of the most sweeping tort reform bills in the nation four years ago. And he has held budget growth to below the inflation rate, so Mississippi is not in dire fiscal shape like many states today. Mr. Barbour is also considered to be a shortlist candidate for a John McCain vice presidential slot.

When I asked him about these rumors, he was charmingly modest and guffawed with his thick southern drawl: "Why would he take me? If John McCain can't win Mississippi, he's going to lose 40 states." Mr. Barbour also concedes that his background as a "former tobacco lobbyist in Washington" would make him a dart board for the left.

But the right wing of the GOP is demanding a conservative on the ticket to keep a check on Mr. McCain's penchant for compromise and leftward drift on issues. Mr. Barbour is clearly a favorite of conservatives. "Haley has rock solid conservative credentials," says Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform.

More than that, Mr. Barbour is one of the most insightful political strategists of modern times. As chairman of the Republican National Committee, he was right alongside Newt Gingrich in 1993 and 1994 during the Contract with America period of Republican ascendancy. If Newt was the brains of the GOP takeover, Haley was the field marshal.

I asked the governor whether he thought John McCain could win in this tough anti-Republican environment. "Because he is a maverick, McCain was the best Republican we could have nominated in this political cycle with voter hostility towards Bush and Republicans in Congress," Mr. Barbour says. "The key to winning this year is to take the opposite course of the 2004 election. In '04 Bush won by getting out more of our base than the Democrats did of theirs," he continues. "This election will be decided by which party gets more crossover votes from the other party. John McCain must win the Reagan Democrats -- a group Barack Obama has big problems with."

One of the knocks against Haley in the past has been his weight. He once had a "John Engler problem" of being too pudgy to climb on the national stage. But now Mr. Barbour is as trim as I've ever seen him, with at least a 25-pound weight loss. He looks to me to be tanned, rested and ready. If not for the No. 2 slot in 2008, then certainly for the top of the ticket in 2012.

Posted at 1:43 PM, May 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Gotta Love Sanford

Nachama Soloveichik

Sometimes it's the small things that make a difference. Today, SC Governor (and possible VP candidate) Mark Sanford signed a state law removing the legal requirement for shampooers to receive the same state-mandated 1,500 hours of training that cosmetologists receive. While this may seem insignificant to some, Sanford is highlighting the problem of overregulation in South Carolina. In his press release, the governor listed the state's top 10 crazy laws or proposals:

Top 10 Crazy Laws or Proposals - Whatever happened to common sense?

1. State law requires an individual to complete 1,500 hours of instruction to become a cosmetologist. It takes more hours of licensing to become a cosmetologist in SC than it does to become a police officer (396 hours) or carry a concealed weapon (8 hours).

2. Caskets and Stones, a retail funeral store in Greenwood, submitted their license application, paid their fee, were scheduled to go before the Board of Funeral Directors, and were told they could open. But then the Board gave them a "cease and desist" order * essentially telling them to stop selling caskets. The Board fined them $1,500 for "opening before their Board appointment." They had to pay it before they could get their license.

3. Fortune Tellers are required to obtain a special permit in order to operate in South Carolina.

4. A proposed bill would require high school football and basketball playoff games to have replay for officials to use during these games.

5. Barbering schools are required by law to have at least ten instructional chairs *and those chairs are required by law to be upholstered and finished exactly the same way.

6. In 2003, a bill was introduced that would have required all drinking straws in South Carolina be sold in individual wrappers. The bill almost led to a fist fight on the House floor.

7. The fourth Friday in October in each year is designated by law in public schools as Frances Willard Day, and each public school is required "to prepare and render a suitable program on the day to the end that the children of the state may be taught the evils of intemperance."

8. Circuses cannot exceed 48 hours at one place in any one year.

9. If a menu or advertisement states "frozen dessert," it must correctly state the specific frozen dessert that is offered for sale so as not to mislead the consumer.

10. Musical instruments are not allowed to be sold on Sunday.

Posted at 11:43 AM, May 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Another Young, Charismatic Rep.

Nachama Soloveichik

CNSNEWS makes the case for WI Rep. Paul Ryan. The Capital Times in Madison, WI thinks Ryan remains a long-shot.

Posted at 10:03 AM, May 14, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 13, 2008

No Means No

Nachama Soloveichik

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland didn't beat around the bush when asked what he would say if asked to be Obama or Clinton's VP: "No."

Posted at 11:53 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

This Should Make Chris Matthews Happy

Nachama Soloveichik

Senator John Thune (R-SD) will be the keynote speaker at Iowa's GOP Lincoln Day dinner May 30. Is this a sign of Thune's rising national profile?

Posted at 11:43 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Rob Portman

Nachama Soloveichik

U.S. News and World Report has a profile on former Ohio Congressman Rob Portman whose name is often mentioned as a possible VP candidate for McCain.

Posted at 11:38 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Can We Put this to Rest Now?

Nachama Soloveichik

Condoleezza Rice spoke to Maggie Rodriguez on CBS's Early Show today. Of course, the VP question came up:

QUESTION: People talk about a dream ticket in Democratic politics, Obama-Clinton, Clinton-Obama. And when they talk about a dream ticket in Republican politics, they say McCain-Rice. Would you consider it?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, that’s very nice, but this isn’t for me. I don’t know how many ways I can make clear that I’m going back to California. I belong west of the Mississippi. No offense to the East Coast, but I belong west of the Mississippi. And John McCain will find a fantastic running mate. I’m sure of that. He is a great man, who is a great patriot. But it’s time for me to move on.

QUESTION: Even if it would increase the chance that your party could stay in office for four more years?

SECRETARY RICE: We’ll have many people who will be the perfect running mate for John, and they’ll get it done. But it’s time for me to move on. It’s been a long seven and a half, soon to be eight years. I think we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve made our share of accomplishments. We’ve made our share of mistakes. That’s the way that it is.

Posted at 11:34 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Can Pawlenty Handle the Limelight?

Nachama Soloveichik

The problem with being the media's number one VP pick is stories like this.

Posted at 11:23 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Will Lightning Strike?

Nachama Soloveichik

ABC in Augusta, Georgia asked Mark Sanford whether he'll soon be busy with a Presidential campaign. His answer: "We've said, consistently, flattering, surreal, but not particularly waiting on that lightning strike to come." Watch the video here.

Posted at 11:14 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Tim Kaine's Bright Idea

Nachama Soloveichik

Note to VA Guv Tim Kaine: When you're being mentioned as a possible VP candidate for Barack Obama, it's probably a bad idea to propose a $1.1 billion tax increase.

Posted at 12:40 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pretty Funny

Nachama Soloveichik

Daniel Drezner (who I had as a professor back when I was at UChicago) has a great reaction to speculation that Huckabee is at the top of McCain's VP shortlist:

Posted at 12:29 PM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain-Hoeven?

Nachama Soloveichik

The Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota is not enamored with a McCain-Pawlenty ticket. They have another suggestion: Their own governor John Hoeven, who has "a proven and authentic bipartisan — not partisan — appeal."

Posted at 10:55 AM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain Questionnaire

Nachama Soloveichik

Salon has its pick-a-vice-president questionnaire up for McCain.

Posted at 10:35 AM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Prove it in Minnesota First

Nachama Soloveichik

The Minnesota Post-Bulletin isn't exactly turning cartwheels over the idea of VP Pawlenty. First, the editorial board wants to see Pawlenty prove his worth in the final days of the legislative session this week:

The way we see it, anyone who aspires to the presidency needs a running mate who, at the very least, can deliver a win at home in November. McCain can't afford to have Pawlenty by his side, then lose Minnesota's electoral votes.

That's where this gets tricky. Minnesota hasn't backed a Republican presidential candidate since 1972. Even if Minnesotans feel good about their governor in November, having his name on the GOP ticket wouldn't guarantee a McCain victory here.

So, for the next six days, Pawlenty must walk a very thin line. He must appear strong, yet willing to make reasonable compromises. He must lead, while acknowledging the will of the people who put the DFL in control of the Legislature. And most importantly, he must demonstrate the ability to close the deal.

In short, he must convince Minnesota's voters that he's worthy of their support in November if he's on the ticket. In the next six days, he has a chance to show just how "presidential" he can be.

Posted at 10:03 AM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Round 3

Nachama Soloveichik

Round 3 of CQ's VP Madness is up. It's down to eight candidates: Huckabee vs. Sanford; Pawlenty vs. Hutchison; Palin vs. Jindal; and Portman vs. Crist.

Posted at 9:59 AM, May 13, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 12, 2008

Veepstakes Poll

Nachama Soloveichik

The Washington Post/ABC News have a new presidential poll out, conducted May 8-11, 2008. Here are the VP-related questions. Keep in mind, most of these answers have a lot to do with name ID.

17. (ASKED OF LEANED DEMOCRATS) If Obama is the Democratic nominee for president, who would you like him to choose as his vice presidential running-mate?

18. If Obama is the presidential nominee, would having Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running-mate make you more likely to vote for the Democratic ticket in November, more likely to vote for the Republican ticket, or wouldn't it make much difference in your vote?

19. (ASKED OF LEANED REPUBLICANS) Who would you like McCain to choose as his vice presidential running-mate?

Posted at 7:25 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Putting Senators on the Spot

Nachama Soloveichik

The Hill asked all 97 senators who are not running for President what they would say if they were asked to join the presidential ticket as VP. Some of the responses are serious, others funny.

Sen. Tom Coburn has the best quote: “If I were asked I’d probably have to get a divorce, so the answer would probably be no. But I won’t be asked if he [McCain] wants to win.”

Sen. Norm Coleman endorses his home state governor, Tim Pawlenty, for McCain's VP, while David Vitter endorses his home state governor, Bobby Jindal.

Posted at 7:09 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Calling Ted Strickland

Nachama Soloveichik

Newsweek profiles OH governor Ted Strickland as a possible veep choice for Obama. The obvious drawback? His lack of foreign policy credentials.

Since Obama will pick his VP before McCain, picking Ted Strickland might make someone like former OH Congressman Rob Portman less palatable to McCain. Hands down, Strickland will have an easier time carrying OH for Obama than Portman will for McCain.

Posted at 5:33 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pitching Pawlenty

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wall Street Journal's Political Diary offers a more-or-less positive take on Pawlenty:

Pitching Pawlenty

Not entirely oblivious to the talk of his possible future as John McCain's running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently launched in his state what he calls a "21st Century Tax Reform Commission." The idea is to rewrite the state's tax code to reflect changes in its more diversified and modern economy -- though one reporter jokingly asked if it should have been called the "Pawlenty No New Taxes Commission."

No wonder the Minnesota governor is on almost everyone's shortlist of potential GOP VP candidates. Karl Rove floated his name on Fox News recently. Mr. Pawlenty has managed to win election twice in a swing state that Republicans would love to win in November. President Bush ran well in the Twin Cities suburbs in 2004. The GOP hopes to build on the momentum by holding the party's national convention in Minneapolis late this summer. Picking Mr. Pawlenty, the thinking goes, would give Mr. McCain a solid foundation in the upper Midwest.

But vice presidential contenders need to bring more to the table than possibly winning a state. Not since John F. Kennedy tapped Lyndon Johnson has a running mate tipped a state to a presidential ticket (though some credit Al Gore with helping Bill Clinton in Tennessee in 1992). For a more complete case for Pawlenty, we spoke recently with former Rep. Mark Kennedy, who's close to the governor and knows the ins and outs of Minnesota politics (he lost a hard fought Senate campaign two years ago). His case for his Minnesota colleague goes as follows: In a liberal state with a profligate legislature, Mr. Pawlenty has amassed a respectable record as a fiscal conservative. He's fought against spending hikes and closed a multi-billion-dollar hole in the budget (15% of state spending) without raising taxes. He's now looking to reform the state's tax code. Gov. Pawlenty has presided over "the smallest government growth in 40 years," Mr. Kennedy says, and been a champion of performance pay for teachers, eminent domain reform and tort reform.

That impressive record hasn't stopped certain GOP conservatives from criticizing Mr. Pawlenty for months, hoping to quash a potential McCain/Pawlenty ticket. One red flag is Mr. Pawlenty's statement in 2006 that "the era of small government is over. . . Government has to be more proactive, more aggressive." But Mr. Kennedy brushes the conservative worries aside. Looking at the totality of the governor's record, he says, "Pawlenty would be a great vice presidential candidate."

Some things, WSJ does not mention: Pawlenty's cigarette tax hike; his statewide smoking ban; his 2005 minimum wage increase; his aggressive energy mandates; his support for health insurance mandates; and expansion of government-run health care.

Posted at 1:10 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Go Young

Nachama Soloveichik

Time Magazine offers McCain 7 steps to beating Barack Obama. Number five is:

5. Use A Vice President to Temper The Age Issue: McCain's campaign is resigned to the fact that late night comics are foaming at the prospect of six more months worth of old man McCain jokes. And polls show that the Republican's age — he will be 72 by Election Day — could have an impact at the ballot box. But both McCain and his advisers have been pointing to a prospect they hope will neutralize the issue: a relatively youthful vice president, who might lesson the fear of, gulp, McCain's death in office. "I'm aware of enhanced importance of this issue given my age," McCain told Don Imus recently, when asked about his vice presidential pick. A few weeks later, campaign adviser Charlie Black elaborated on the assumed power of a solid vice presidential candidate. Back in 1980, Black recounted, Ronald Reagan was running for president as an older man at 69. "The day he picked George Bush to be vice president, the age issue pretty much went away," Black recalled. "If [McCain] makes a good choice, that might alleviate the issue."

Posted at 12:57 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Ugh

Nachama Soloveichik

Jim Pethokoukis says a top fundraiser for John McCain is putting Mike Huckabee at the top of McCain's VP shortlist. Pethokoukis says that "Economic conservatives and supply-siders may balk, but the threat of four years of Obamanomics and higher investment, income, and corporate taxes might be enough to keep them on board." But it was not just economic conservatives who had problems with Huckabee, but across the board conservatives who thought Huckabee looked more like a social conservative Democrat than anything else. The list of Huckabee detractors was very long, and you can count on all of these folks to protest if Huck starts looking like a real possibility.

Posted at 12:52 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• NBC in Minneapolis has a video discussing a McCain-Pawlenty ticket.

• Ted Kennedy's rejection of a Clinton vice-presidency resulted in a counter attack from Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel.

• The Chicago Tribune has an editorial arguing the most important question when picking a VP is: "Would you trust this person with life-and-death decisions in a moment of crisis?"

• The Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice discusses Sen. Bob Casey's (D-PA) VP chances.

• Dick Polman at the Philadelphia Inquirer says don't rule out an Obama-Clinton ticket.

• A different side of Tim Pawlenty.

• The New Republic on Mark Sanford's chances.

Posted at 12:45 PM, May 12, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 11, 2008

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• A silly article from the Palm Beach Post on Charlie Crist.

• McCain declines to answer a question about Mark Sanford for VP.

• Salena Zito at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on a Democratic Dream Ticket.

• Colin McNickle at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review responds to Fred Barnes' column suggesting Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell as the perfect running mate for Obama.

• The New Republic has a roundtable discussion on a Obama-Clinton unity ticket.

• According to Robert Novak, Michelle Obama does not want Hillary Clinton on the ticket and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is getting a lot of buzz.

• Ted Kennedy throws cold water on an Obama-Clinton ticket, saying the Democrats need "real leadership." Ouch. [HT: Ed Morrissey]

Posted at 1:46 AM, May 11, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 9, 2008

More on Carcieri

Nachama Soloveichik

Ed Achorn at the Providence Journal had a great column on Carcieri's slumping approval ratings back in September. The column gives you a sense for how dire the economic situation is in Rhode Island. To be sure, not all of Rhode Island's problems are Carcieri's making. But Carcieri has never shown the necessary leadership to take on the state's entrenched politicians and special interests, and the baggage of or RI's economic woes will not make him a very attractive VP candidate.

In February, a Brown University poll had Carcieri with his lowest approval rating to date--40 percent, with 74% or respondents said they thought the state was heading in the wrong direction. The state hasn't seen such high dissatisfaction since its banking crisis in 1991.

Posted at 5:44 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Gerald Pomper argues Obama should pick Virginia Senator Jim Webb to be his running mate.

• The panel on Fox News' Special Report last night thinks Clinton's VP chances are slim to none. Only Charles Krauthammer gave her a 10% chance.

• Ed Morrissey mentions Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for Obama's VP. Interestingly, Napolitano have a very high approval rating in Arizona.

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch throws out Carly Fiorina's name.

• The Arizona Republic goes through a bunch of VP options for Obama.

• Mitt Romney's speech last night at the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty's Canterbury dinner where Romney and his wife were honored. KLO at NRO has a very positive article on Romney's speech last night.

Posted at 1:56 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Where's Sanford?

Nachama Soloveichik

Via CNN, McCain will be holding a press conference in Columbia, SC today before his fundraiser tonight. One key player won't be there: SC Governor Mark Sanford. Sanford is a member of the Air Force Reserves and has reserve duty today.

Posted at 1:29 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama Discusess a "Dream Ticket"

Nachama Soloveichik

Obama spoke to Brian Williams about the possibility of having Clinton on the ticket.

Posted at 12:04 PM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Forget Carcieri

Nachama Soloveichik

Red State offers another roundtable on the McCain veepstakes and Dan McLaughlin continues to push for RI governor, Don Carcieri. Having lived in RI for a year and still mildly in touch with what is happening in the state, I think Don Carcieri's economic record will be me more of a liability than a plus. If McCain is looking to bolster his economic credentials, he might not want to go with a governor who oversaw the state's economic downfall. This is from a Tuesday column by the Providence Journal's Ed Achorn:

That is happening in Rhode Island. Revenues are falling, despite some of America’s steepest taxes, and the economy is in the tank. Last week, economic analysts revealed that Rhode Island is the only state in the Northeast actually in recession, and one of only nine in the nation. Its employment figures, foreclosure rates and personal-income growth lag behind those of its neighbors and the country. Meanwhile, Massachusetts (which just added 6,000 jobs), Connecticut and New Hampshire keep growing.

Posted at 11:53 AM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Fix Veepstakes

Nachama Soloveichik

Chris Cillizza has his list of top five most likely VP picks for McCain and Obama. His list for McCain, from most likely to least is: Tim Pawlenty, John Thune, Rob Portman, Charlie Crist, and Mitt Romney. For Obama: Kathleen Sebelius, Ted Strickland, Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, and Sam Nunn.

I agree with Cillizza on most of these. Pawlenty is certainly the most likely, but I don't think he can carry Minnesota for McCain (and Daily Kos agrees with me!). Two, I know I have a special partiality for Mark Sanford, but I'm not sure what John Thune offers McCain that Sanford doesn't. Three, Charlie Crist is never going to happen. The main reason is that Crist is just not conservative enough for the base--particularly on abortion. He is pro-choice and McCain has already ruled out a pro-choice VP. Fourth, I would move Mitt Romney up to number 2 on the list. While he and McCain certainly have some chemistry issues, he offers more to the ticket than anyone else from a political standpoint. Finally, on the Democratic side, I think Sebelius' lack of foreign policy experience (which Cillizza mentions) would doom her chances.

Posted at 11:26 AM, May 9, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 8, 2008

Dream Ticket Discussion

Nachama Soloveichik

ABC News reports there is growing discussion between the two Democratic campaigns on the possibility of a "Dream Ticket."

UPDATE: You can watch George Stephanopoulos talk to Charles Gibson about whether Hillary would take the veep slot here.

Posted at 12:28 PM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Steele for Veep? Unlikely

Nachama Soloveichik

John Gizzi at Human Events writes his sixth piece on the veepstakes, this time on former MD Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Steele's name has been tossed around a lot despite his lack of experience and his loss to Ben Cardin in last cycle's Maryland Senate race.

The advantages of a Steele pick are few. He isn't particularly known for economic experience; his highest office held was Lt. Governor; and he clearly can't carry Maryland for McCain.

Gizzi admits that Steele for VP probably won't happen but I am less enamored than he is by the idea. Steele has developed a conservative reputation for himself, but he has chosen to associate himself with the the party left-wing, a fact few conservatives know. After losing his Senate race in 2006, he joined up with Christine Todd Whitman in creating the Republican Leadership Council (RLC)--the reincarnation of It's My Party Too--known primarily for its support of liberal Republicans. To be sure, I'm somewhat biased since the old Club's PAC and RLC have been on opposite sides in many a race, but you can learn a lot about a guy and his political philosophy from the kind of people he consistently supports for political office. This kind of thing ought to raise some red flags.

Posted at 10:54 AM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

KLO: Mitt Romney for VP

Nachama Soloveichik

KLO from NRO has a guest column Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball website pushing Mitt Romney for VP:

Mitt Romney's greatest asset for McCain -- who has been in Congress for almost a quarter of a century -- is, therefore, his executive experience, most of it in the business world, most notably as vice president of Bain & Company, Inc. from 1978 to 1984, and as founder of Bain Capital, venture-capital savior of the likes of Staples, Domino's Pizza, and Sports Authority. Romney famously turned around the corrupt and broke ($379 million in debt) Salt Lake City Olympics and cleaned up a Massachusetts budget running $3 billion in the red without raising taxes. At a time when the country may be in a wartime recession, Romney emanates a confident competence (and he would do it, as veep nominee, alongside a GOP presidential nominee with a mixed tax-cutting record). Choosing Romney, then, could be as practical as politics gets. When in the voting booth, partisan preferences may pale in comparison to the attraction of a guarantee of competence in the executive.

This analysis is spot-on in terms of the politics. Romney is already vetted, appears presidential, brings economic gravitas, is probably conservative enough for most Republicans, and the notion of Romney carrying Michigan is interesting--and certainly makes more sense than the idea of Romney carrying Massachusetts. The animosity between the two during the campaign is almost immaterial at this point.

Posted at 10:32 AM, May 8, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 7, 2008

Quiz Time

Nachama Soloveichik

Salon has a VP quiz for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. It is not so insightful but it's kind of fun, especially if you have nothing better to do.

Posted at 11:22 PM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain Picks a Running Mate

Nachama Soloveichik

It's Dwight Schrute from The Office. Then again, McCain was talking to Jon Stewart.

Posted at 10:17 PM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Mark Sanford vs. Ed Rendell

Nachama Soloveichik

Nathan Benefield at Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Foundation adds to my defense of Sanford's record. He takes particular offense at Time Magazine's declaration of Sanford as one of America's worst governors. He compares Sanford's record to Rendell's in Pennsylvania and finds Sanford's record preferable.

Posted at 6:50 PM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist in DC

Nachama Soloveichik

Charlie Crist is spending an awful amount of time in DC. Or at least trying to.

Posted at 2:45 PM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sorry Hillary

Nachama Soloveichik

Fred Barnes at the Weekly Standard makes the case for an Obama-Rendell ticket:

What would Rendell, 64, bring to the ticket? As governor of a major state, he's automatically a national political figure. He's also a former general chairman of the Democratic national committee, which means he's a party man who gets along with Democrats of all types. Though he backed Clinton, he's not identified with any Democratic faction or constituency group.

Posted at 2:42 PM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Where is Pawlenty on the Minimum Wage?

Nachama Soloveichik

We should find out pretty soon. Minnesota lawmakers have settled on a plan to raise the state's minimum wage for big and small businesses. Pawlenty originally balked at a provision that would automatically raise the minimum wage in future years, but negotiators have removed that provision.

UPDATE: In 2005, Pawlenty signed a $1-an-hour increase in the minimum wage. I wonder what McCain thinks about that. He has generally been opposed to minimum wage increases.

Posted at 12:11 PM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Madness-Round Two

Nachama Soloveichik

CQ's VP Madness has progressed to round two. Vote here.

Posted at 9:56 AM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Who is Evan Bayh?

Nachama Soloveichik

The Chicago Tribune takes a closer look at a possible Dem VP, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. With all the GOP focus on the young Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal, age 36, it is interesting to note that Bayh was elected governor of Indiana at the age of 33 in 1989.

Posted at 12:29 AM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

What Does Sanford Bring to the Ticket?

Nachama Soloveichik

Lee Bandy at Southern Political Report asks "What does Sanford bring to the ticket?" His answer: Nothing. Let's consider his reasoning:

• South Carolina offers a mere eight electoral votes McCain can easily capture on his own
• Sanford's six-year record is mixed and controversial
• Time Magazine called Sanford one of America's "worst" governors

Let me tackle each of these points. First, electoral votes is only one reason to pick a VP, and a small one at that. Of the other big names mentioned, few offer a guaranteed electoral gain. Romney isn't going to win Massachusetts for McCain. Bobby Jindal--the latest VP favorite--isn't needed to win Louisiana. And even Tim Pawlenty's chances of winning Minnesota for McCain are slim.

Second, many people in and out of SC are rather pleased with Sanford's refusal to spend taxpayers' money willy-nilly. In fact, 55% of voters in South Carolina must disagree with Bandy because they reelected Sanford in a year when most Republicans lost or barely squeaked by.

Third, Time Magazine called Mike Huckabee one of America's best governors--enough said.

Then Bandy goes on to list the qualities one should look for in a VP nominee. These are: Scandal-free; able to win his home state; experience that compliments the presidential nominee; able to reunite the party; brings regional balance; chemistry; appears potentially presidential.

There are legitimate reasons why Sanford might not be picked, but it is hard to argue that Sanford would bring "nothing" to the ticket when he fulfills many of the essential qualities Bandy lists.

Posted at 12:19 AM, May 7, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 6, 2008

McCain and Sanford Together Again

Nachama Soloveichik

McCain is heading to SC this Friday for a fundraiser at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Naturally, Sanford will be there.

Posted at 1:15 PM, May 6, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• As if we didn't know this already, Fred Thompson will not be McCain's VP. You can listen to his interview with Instapundit here.

• Tim Pawlenty will be in Kansas tomorrow, co-chairing the bipartisan National Governors Association's Securing Clean Energy Future Task Force with Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius. The governors will focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the potential for clean power.

• Someone is gunning for Tim Pawlenty's throat.

• SC governor Mark Sanford vows to veto a proposed cigarette tax hike unless it is accompanied by an equivalent tax cut.

• To his credit, Gov. Bobby Jindal is warning Louisiana lawmakers about pork-barrel projects.

• Chris Cillizza on an Internet petition in support of a Democratic "Dream Ticket."

• Ross Douthat on Jindal--again.

• Newsweek's Andrew Romano on the Jindal craze.

Posted at 12:04 PM, May 6, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

New Poll on McCain VP

Nachama Soloveichik

A new Fox News/Rasmussen poll asked the following question: "What is the most important attribute Republican presidential candidate John McCain should look for in a vice presidential nominee?" Here is how the answers broke down:

Respondents were evenly split when asked if picking Hillary as a running mate would hurt Obama in the general election:

Posted at 12:54 AM, May 6, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 5, 2008

The Bobby Jindal Debate

Nachama Soloveichik

There has been a lot of discussion in the blogosphere about whether McCain should pick Jindal or not. Most of it focuses on whether Jindal has the necessary experience. National Review's Ramesh Ponnuru says "conservatives should see if he can turn his state around before anointing him the next Ronald Reagan." At NRO, Yual Levin disagrees, arguing that Jindal has more management and executive experience than Clinton, Obama, and McCain. James Antle counters, saying Jindal's experience or lack thereof isn't the key issue. What is important is to let Jindal prove himself in Louisiana, and thereby, help build the Republican brand.

I agree with the naysayers in that McCain-Jindal is not a good idea. But I seem to be alone in that I am not jumping on the Jindal 2012 or 2016 train just yet. I am certainly impressed with Bobby Jindal: He is smart, articulate, and has proven himself capable at everything he has set out to do. That said, I'm not convinced that Jindal will be the GOP's Ronald Reagan or conservatism's savior. He certainly wasn't while he served in the House of Representatives. And I'm not sure why the "next Ronald Reagan" is opposing tax cuts. Understandably, conservatives are desperate for a leader to revive the GOP as it faces what will probably be a second disappointing election cycle. But wishing won't make it so.

Posted at 9:11 PM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Trouble in Jindal Paradise

Nachama Soloveichik

While national conservatives are talking up Bobby Jindal's record , not everything is so hunky-dory down in Louisiana. As budget negotiations move forward, Jindal is facing some opposition from his own party, according to the Times-Picayune.

The State Senate recently passed SB 87 unanimously, which would phase out the state income tax over 10 years, estimated to cost up to $4 billion. Proposed by freshman Senator Buddy Shaw, the bill started out as a more modest measure--an attempt to roll back the income-tax increases voters approved in 2002. Priced at $302 million, Jindal opposed even this more modest measure. Jindal has since changed his position, saying he would sign any tax cut measure so long as it is accompanied by corresponding spending cuts. This situation is complicated by the fact that Jindal's proposed $30.1 billion budget is viewed as too large by some Republicans and Jindal is loath to make program cuts to pay for the tax cuts.

UPDATE: Jindal is encountering criticism from local conservatives. A local blog, Bayou Buzz, says Jindal is not living up to his campaign promise to cut spending and reduce government spending:

In this session, a good common sense piece of legislation, Senate Bill 87 by State Senator Buddy Shaw (R-Shreveport), was introduced. It would have reduced state income tax rates to the levels that were in place before the Stelly plan was passed. The cost of this measure is approximately $300 million, a small price to pay for needed tax relief. Unfortunately, this popular bill was opposed by Governor Jindal. Eventually, a “poison pill” amendment was passed that was designed to torpedo Senate Bill 87. It was supported by liberal Democrats in the State Senate. Surprisingly, the amendment calls for the total elimination of the state income tax over ten years, costing approximately $4 billion.

Despite the intentions of those who supported the new version of Senate Bill 87, it is a great idea. Now that we have an opportunity to remove the state income tax, we should seize it. If passed, Louisiana will join seven other states with no income taxes: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. As noted by political journalist Chris Ingram, the seven states with no income taxes are all doing better than Louisiana. Why don’t we try to emulate them?

Again, Governor Jindal is not supporting this measure. Is Governor Jindal listening too much to former Governor Mike Foster? Has he become captive of the system which he is governing?

Posted at 2:11 PM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Not Everyone is on the Jindal Bandwagon

Nachama Soloveichik

More conservatives chime in on the Jindal frenzy. James Antle at American Spectator says "stay in Baton Rouge." Ross Douthat at the Atlantic says "don't do it, Bobby."

Posted at 12:44 PM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty Who?

Nachama Soloveichik

According to Minnesota's Post-Bulletin, name recognition is not one of Pawlenty's strengths:

A recent Search ranking conducted by Yahoo suggested that Pawlenty has a ways to go in introducing himself to the nation - that is, if he is picked by Arizona Sen. John McCain to be his running mate. He ranked 19 out of the 20 most-searched Democratic and Republican veep possibilities in April, according to Yahoo's The Buzz Log.

Of course, some of them are still running for president. Barack Obama ranked first, followed by Hillary Clinton No. 2. Sen. Joe Lieberman ran just in front of Pawlenty at No. 18. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford finished 20th, behind Pawlenty.

Posted at 10:50 AM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Matt Lewis at Townhall on Kristol's column
• The Wash Times on Jindal
• American Spectator on Charlie Crist: "For long-time observers of Crist and Florida politics, imagining Charlie Crist in the Oval Office is a little like imagining an armadillo in a tuxedo. You guess it could be done, but what would be the point?"
• Ed Morrissey echoes my caution on the Jindal front
• Politico: Hispanics may put FL in play for Dems. Does this change the VP calculations?
• Politicker ME has a video interview with Mitt Romney on his future plans. I wonder what Romney thinks about McCain's acceptance of pubic financing.

Posted at 9:59 AM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

More on Bobby Jindal

Nachama Soloveichik

KLO at NRO likes the idea

Posted at 9:40 AM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Bobby Jindal Obsession

Nachama Soloveichik

In his New York Times column today, Bill Kristol stirs the Bobby Jindal pot:

Maybe that’s why, in separate conversations last week, no fewer than four McCain staffers and advisers mentioned as a possible vice-presidential pick the 36-year-old Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal. They’re tempted by the idea of picking someone so young, with real accomplishments and a strong reformist streak.

It might also be a way to confront the issue of McCain’s age (71), which private polls and focus groups suggest could be a real problem. A Jindal pick would implicitly acknowledge the questions and raise the ante. The message would be: “You want generational change? You can get it with McCain-Jindal — without risking a liberal and inexperienced Obama as commander in chief.” I would add that it was after McCain spent considerable time with Jindal in New Orleans recently, and reportedly found him, as he has before, personally engaging and intellectually impressive, that the campaign’s informal name-dropping of Jindal began.

There are several problems with this increasingly popular ticket. For starters, Jindal doesn't quite pass the "ready to be President" test--yet. Yes, it is impressive that he won the governorship on a platform of reform, but he has been governor for a grand total of four months and a U.S. representative before that for a mere three years.

Second, young is good, too young is not so good. At 36 (Jindal will be 37 on June 10th), he is closer to the latter category than he is to the former.

Third, there is the matter of substance. I admit that Jindal's gubernatorial win was impressive and he has a compelling personal story, but I'm not sure the fan frenzy is proportional to his record. Bobby Jindal may very well be the next Ronald Reagan as Rush Limbaugh declared; then again, he may not be. Only time will tell. So far, his record doesn't quite stack up. Sure, Jindal's record is generally conservative, in that he can check off most of the major issues (he votes for tax cuts, is pro-life . . . etc.), but several of his votes demand explanation:

• Voted against CAFTA
• Voted to restrict 527's free speech
• Voted for the 2007 Farm Bill, which contained a tax increase (only 19 Republicans voted for it)
• Voted against the conservative Republican Study Committee budget in 2006 and 2007
• Voted against normal trade relations with Vietnam
• Voted to for the CEO pay bill
• Voted for Pelosi's minimum wage increase

The conservative movement is so desperate for a rising star, it is a little too quick to latch onto the latest political phenomenon, especially if the politician in question is not a white male. I just wish there would be a little more research, and a little less infatuation.

Posted at 1:57 AM, May 5, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 4, 2008

Fiorina is the Power Player of the Week

Nachama Soloveichik

Former HP CEO and McCain economic adviser Carly Fiorina was the Power Player of the Week on Fox News Sunday this morning. Fiorina has gotten some VP buzz, partly because of her strong economic background. Check out the segment below. One thing is for sure--Fiorina makes a good impression.

Posted at 9:06 PM, May 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist and Nelson Not Very Likely

Nachama Soloveichik

The Orlando Sentinel discusses the possibility of either Florida's Bill Nelson or Charlie Crist being picked for VP. The verdict? Not very likely:

Nelson is the least likely of the two to be selected, because Hillary and Bill Clinton already have a very strong political base in Florida that would not likely be enhanced by having Nelson on the ticket. Although Nelson has twice been elected to the U.S. Senate, he is not a major player in it and is not well-known outside of Florida.

Crist is a more likely selection, but only just so. He remains popular with Florida voters, despite a troubling economy and growing concern about the effectiveness of his leadership in dealing with the state's budget crisis.

Moreover, if Obama secures the Democratic nomination, as he appears likely to do, McCain will be heavily favored to win Florida. To date, Obama has struggled to win support among seniors, Hispanics and working-class whites. And these are three very important voting blocs in Florida. Without their support, it is highly unlikely that Obama could challenge McCain in Florida and, thus, that McCain would need Crist on the ticket.

So while Florida will be pivotal in November, neither of its native sons is likely to appear on the presidential ballot.

Posted at 1:45 PM, May 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Romney Stumps for McCain

Nachama Soloveichik

At Maine's Republican convention over the weekend. Video is here.

Posted at 2:28 AM, May 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

SC Dems for VP Sanford?

Nachama Soloveichik

Okay, so this resolution was tongue-in-cheek, but I guess even Democrats stumble across a good idea every once and awhile.

Posted at 1:15 AM, May 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Sarah Palin Goes Back to Work

Nachama Soloveichik

A pretty amazing article about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Posted at 12:33 AM, May 4, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 2, 2008

No Need for Cheney

Nachama Soloveichik

McCain says he will head up his vice-presidential committee.

Posted at 7:35 PM, May 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• The Tampa Tribune says Gov. Crist might be the savior McCain needs as a new Quinnipiac poll shows McCain losing ground in the Sunshine State.

• Former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman ups his national profile.

• To veto or not to veto? The MN House of Representatives has passed a minimum wage increase. Pawlenty called the bill "overbaked" and said changes are needed before he will support it.

• Bobby Jindal shows some mettle. In a letter to key committees in the state, Jindal establishes tough rules to rein in earmarks.

• Only five percent of Indiana voters would switch from McCain to Clinton if Clinton picked Indiana Senator Evan Bayh to be her running mate.

Posted at 1:23 PM, May 2, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

May 1, 2008

McCain-Romney in NH

Nachama Soloveichik

The latest Rasmussen poll in New Hampshire has numbers on a McCain-Romney ticket. 31% of New Hampshire voters say they're more likely to vote for McCain if he selects Romney as his running mate. 39% say they are less likely to vote for McCain.

Posted at 4:22 PM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Will Pawlenty Serve Out his Term?

Nachama Soloveichik

Good question. The Star Tribune has the scoop:

When Pawlenty set off on his re-election campaign in 2006, he was definitive about his plans. He said then that "If I run for governor and win I will serve out my term for four years."

Asked Thursday if he stood by his pledge to serve a full four years, he said, "That is my intention."

Posted at 4:17 PM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Paul Ryan Gets Some Play

Nachama Soloveichik

John Gizzi at Human Events on Rep. Paul Ryan for VP (WI-R).

Posted at 2:24 PM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Dos and Don'ts

Nachama Soloveichik

Dan McLaughlin at Redstate has a good post on the dos and don'ts of VP picks. The list of don'ts is fairly long, including no senators, no Bushies, no old retired guys, no pro-choicers, no closeted gays, and no lobbyists. The one point I disagree with the most is the exclusion of people like Chris Cox and Rob Portman, who while appointed by Bush, are not perceived as being an extension of the administration.

More importantly is where this list leaves us. If you agree with most of the dont's--and I do--the process of elimination narrows the pool to very few candidates. McCain himself has ruled out picking a pro-choice candidate, which eliminates a lot of names you tend to hear bandied about--Condi Rice, Tom Ridge, Charlie Crist, Kay Baily Hutchinson, Joe Lieberman. The most logical choices left are: Tim Pawlenty, Mark Sanford, and Mitt Romney. Talk about a short shortlist.

Posted at 1:35 PM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A Sign of Discord

Nachama Soloveichik

MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty disagreed with John McCain's explanation for the cause of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Yesterday, McCain blamed the collapse on wasteful pork-barrel spending, which siphoned off crucial funds that should have been used for insuring the safety of the country's infrastructure.

Posted at 1:23 PM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

If It Smells Like Pork . . .

Nachama Soloveichik

How do local economic conservatives view Pawlenty in Minnesota? Here is one local blogger on Pawlenty's budget negotiations. In the coming weeks, I hope to explore this question in further depth. The Star Tribune has more on the MN budget and Pawlenty's simultaneous call for a cap on property taxes.

Posted at 12:03 PM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• According to a new New York Times/CBS News poll, 60% of Democrats would like to see the eventual winner take the other candidate as a running mate.

• The Minneapolis Star Tribune points out that Tim Pawlenty's health care plan looks very similar to that of another GOP politician who just happens to be running for president.

• Charlie Crist dodges a bullet. An abortion bill that would have forced the Florida governor to take a position dies in the Florida Senate.

• Via Politico, Romney will be appearing with McCain at a Michigan fundraiser. Michigan, you may recall, was a contentious battleground between the two during the GOP primary.

Posted at 11:06 AM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Photo of the Day

Nachama Soloveichik

I love this photo of SEC Chairman Chris Cox, who is sometimes mentioned as a possible VP pick for McCain.

Posted at 10:39 AM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Another Poll

Nachama Soloveichik

All the media outlets want in on the veepstakes. ABC News has an online GOP VP poll you can participate in. Since McCain says he is considering a list of about 20 names, ABC's Rick Klein has offered his own list. Mike Huckabee is currently winning. Needless to say, I have not contributed to his 2,171 votes.

Posted at 10:12 AM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Madness!

Nachama Soloveichik

CQ Politics has posted a fun game for all those who can't stop thinking about VP picks, called VP Madness (GOP Edition). It offers a bracket system similar to college basketball's March Madness that lets you narrow down your VP favorites round by round. I have voted, using a mixture of who I think will win and who I want to win. The Round 2 results will be announced on May 7. For all those enterprising folks out there, it looks like you can vote more than once.

Posted at 10:07 AM, May 1, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 30, 2008

VP Versus the Hill

Nachama Soloveichik

CQ asks the following question: Is being VP better than going back to the Hill?

Posted at 9:22 PM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Fox News Poll

Nachama Soloveichik

A new Fox News poll tests an Obama-Clinton ticket against a McCain-Romney ticket. The Democrats win 47% to 41%.

Posted at 9:18 PM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Another VP List

Nachama Soloveichik

Dave Freddoso at NRO has compiled his own list of VP choices. Mark Sanford is missing from his list and I like the addition of Chris Cox.

Posted at 9:15 PM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Novak: Romney in the Lead

Nachama Soloveichik

Robert Novak says "a rumor running through the political community now puts former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the lead for VP."

Posted at 9:13 PM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Quote of the Day

Nachama Soloveichik

Meghan McCain: "I wish I was as tan as Charlie Crist." HT: Truth Caucus

Posted at 1:05 PM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

The Abortion Politics of the VP Race

Nachama Soloveichik

Governor Crist may have to weigh in on the abortion issue soon. Given his previous pro-choice positions and the national spotlight shining down on him, Florida Senate Bill 2400 has the potential to become pretty interesting. If passed, the bill would require women to have an ultrasound before an abortion. The question is: If it passes, what will Charlie Crist do?

Posted at 1:03 PM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist and McCain: Two Green Peas in a Pod

Nachama Soloveichik

The Florida House of Representatives passed and Governor Charlie Crist is expected to sign a massive energy bill that sets new restrictions on greenhouse gases. The bill does not meet all of Crist's demands but does implement a "cap and trade" system that sets limits on greenhouse emissions but allows companies to buy and sell credits to and from other companies. These credits represent the right to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases. McCain, you may recall, is a big fan of the cap and trade solution.

Posted at 10:34 AM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Huckabee in Billings

Nachama Soloveichik

Mike Huckabee talks to the local NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana before he speaks to Billings Christian Schools about the importance of a Christian education. You can watch the video here.

Posted at 10:09 AM, April 30, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 29, 2008

Worst Pickup Line Ever

Nachama Soloveichik

When you're on the media's VP shortlist, there are a lot of perks, but it also means you end up in the Washington Post's gossip column: "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist hit on Morgan Fairchild at Tammy Haddad's Saturday brunch: 'So, do you ever get to Florida?' Worst pickup line ever?"

Posted at 3:58 PM, April 29, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Bobby Jindal on Jay Leno

Nachama Soloveichik

Bobby Jinal talks VP speculation last night with Jay Leno:

Posted at 3:47 PM, April 29, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Charlie Crist Goes Green--Again

Nachama Soloveichik

Charlie Crist will hold his second climate change conference--the "Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Change"--in Miami on June 25-26. The first conference last year featured Arnold Shwarzenegger and was replete with new regulatory declarations. Though I think Charlie Crist has a snowball's chance in hell of being vice-president, the mainstream media has not come to the same conclusion. This event is bound to be a big deal, especially if McCain participates in any way.

Posted at 3:42 PM, April 29, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Dream Ticket Disagreement

Nachama Soloveichik

DeWayne Wickham in USA Today argues that a Obama-Clinton Dream Ticket is the only way the Dems can win in November. Nancy Pelosi disagrees.

Posted at 10:14 AM, April 29, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Joementum!

Nachama Soloveichik

Stuart Rothenberg has a column today saying Joe Lieberman is the perfect vice-presidential candidate for McCain. The obvious criticism is that the conservative movement will revolt en masse. Rothenberg tackles this argument:

But wouldn't social conservatives, in particular, go bananas, since Lieberman is moderate or liberal on most issues other than Iraq? He supports abortion rights, generally votes with organized labor and is an unapologetic environmentalist. Conservatives would revolt, wouldn't they?

Probably not. While there would be the usual fist-pounding from some "movement conservatives," their anger at the selection would quickly dissipate when they saw the fury unleashed by liberals and Democratic bloggers.

I'm skeptical. Infuriating the left is always a beautiful thing, but will it really make up for the fact that Joe Lieberman is a Democrat on every issue except Iraq? And while there is little Lieberman could do as vice-president, conservatives will not countenance the prospect of a President Lieberman. nd then there is the fact that McCain has essentially ruled out Lieberman or any pro-choice pick. Picking Lieberman would no doubt make history and an already fascinating political year all the more fascinating. From that angle alone, it is tempting to imagine the hullabaloo that would ensue. But as Rothenberg admits, "I don't expect McCain to pick Lieberman."

Posted at 10:05 AM, April 29, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 28, 2008

Pawlenty & Crist Go To Bat for McCain

Nachama Soloveichik

Pawlenty stumps for McCain today on TV. MSNBC has the interview.

Charlie Crist was on Morning Joe this morning also defending McCain against the DNC ad.

Posted at 6:04 PM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama Picks a Running Mate

Nachama Soloveichik

Obama picks a running mate. She's 82 years old! Fox News has the story and the video.

Posted at 5:57 PM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Haley Barbour Rules Out VP Run

Nachama Soloveichik

The Wash Times has the details. Barbour's forthrightness is refreshing:

"First, we're not even through what we've got to do in Mississippi in the next few months. Secondly, those people who think McCain's got to choose a conservative running mate early to get the base straight, I don't think that's right. I think what McCain ought to do is wait until the summer, maybe until after the Democratic convention, to make a decision. See what the other side does. We have that luxury. If he does, A, I don't think he's going to pick a lobbyist for a running mate, and I used to be a pretty good lobbyist, and secondly, I don't think he'll pick someone from Mississippi to be his running mate. If the Republican candidate for president doesn't carry Mississippi, he's not going to carry five states. So I just don't see that happening and don't have any reason to think it will happen . . . I'm a lot more conservative than McCain. I'm all for him--I don't want you to take that in the wrong way . . . but I am a lot more conservative than he is."

Watch the video here.

Posted at 5:51 PM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Crist on Fox and Friends

Nachama Soloveichik

Florida Governor Charlie Crist was on Fox and Friends this morning touting John McCain's health care plan. Gretchen Carlson asks Crist about the possibility of being McCain's VP pick. She says:

I want to read from an article that I came across last night that talks about you and a potential VP candidate-it's a good one. It says "Crist is a lot of things McCain is not: He's young, telegenic, good at raising money" he can draw African American voters; he is a great campaigner.' When I read that governor, I think, my goodness what could be possibly wrong with you? What is a weakness that you might have?

Crist declined to answer Carlson's question, but his two biggest political weaknesses are his liberal views on a number of issues important to the conservative base and his bachelorhood. Watch the interview below.

Posted at 12:41 PM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Via the Press Dakotan, Thune says he doesn't expect to get McCain's VP nod.
• Romney sat down with NBC News in Nevada on Saturday (video here). He was typically coy when it came to VP talk.
• McCain and Huckabee talk to MSNBC about the VP pick.
• The State on whether Sanford is still in the running for vice-president.
• Bobby Jindal on Jay Leno on VP speculation via Bayou Buzz.

Posted at 11:49 AM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty and Gingrich

Nachama Soloveichik

It is not uncommon for governors to publish op-eds in their home state papers. It is, however, somewhat uncommon for a governor to team up with a national political figure in writing an op-ed. But that's exactly what MN governor Tim Pawlenty did with Newt Gingrich, publishing an op-ed on health care and technology in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Sunday.

What does this mean exactly? Is Pawlenty trying to raise his national profile by teaming up with Gingrich? Is this Gingrich's way of giving his imprimatur of approval to a McCain-Pawlenty ticket? All good questions.

Posted at 10:57 AM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Scalia on Veepstakes

Nachama Soloveichik

While most conservatives would rejoice at the prospect, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia tells NPR he will not be joining McCain on the GOP ticket. Yet another great quote from Justice Scalia:

Scalia is so beloved by the political right that some conservatives dream of him as John McCain's vice presidential running mate. Scalia reacts to this idea with a huge guffaw, noting that he cannot imagine McCain choosing him when, in Scalia's view, McCain's signal achievement, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law, is unconstitutional in its entirety.

"When someone ... disparages what you think is your life's principle achievement, you're not likely to want him to be on your presidential ticket," Scalia says." Besides which, ask my wife. I'd be a lousy politician."

Posted at 10:33 AM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

McCain's Dream Ticket

Nachama Soloveichik

The Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, Peter Brown, thinks an Obama-Clinton team would be a dream ticket . . . for McCain. He writes:

Logic dictates that either Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton would benefit by picking a white, politically moderate man with foreign policy or military experience as their running mate. That would be doubly true if that person came from a key swing state like Ohio or Florida. Now, it may be difficult for either to find such a perfect running mate, but under no circumstances does Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama fit those criteria.

Posted at 10:15 AM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A Florida VP

Nachama Soloveichik

In Sunday's Orlando Sentinel, Scott Maxwell had a column about the possibility of a Florida vice-presidential candidate--either on the GOP or Democratic ticket. He suggests Democratic Senator Bill Nelson and the much talked about Republican governor, Charlie Crist.

Maxwell writes today about responses he's received to his Sunday column. They were not terribly favorable to Crist:

Sunday's column about the possibility of Bill Nelson or Charlie Crist being considered as a presidential running-mate drew some interesting responses. More than one person wrote to say they cringe whenever they hear Nelson talk about his days as an astronaut. In fact, Fran of Altamonte Springs wrote that she's convinced Nelson was only one ever whose only orders for the shuttle were: "DON"T TOUCH ANYTHING!!!" Fran also described Crist this way: "...following McCain around, paws up, and panting 'Choose me. Choose me." Reader Shelby of Orlando was a bit kinder towards Crist saying, she has gotten past some of her original suspicions and now believes Crist "has shown himself to have more substance than a Ken doll." Actually, that last remark from Shelby was the nicest thing anyone said about any politician in my e-mail Sunday. Feel free to add your own thoughts about who'd make a stellar or not-so-hot Veep...

Posted at 10:07 AM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A Florida VP

Nachama Soloveichik

In Sunday's Orlando Sentinel, Scott Maxwell had a column about the possibility of a Florida vice-presidential candidate--either on the GOP or Democratic ticket. He suggests Democratic Senator Bill Nelson and the much talked about Republican governor, Charlie Crist.

Maxwell writes today about responses he's received to his Sunday column. They were not terribly favorable to Crist:

Sunday's column about the possibility of Bill Nelson or Charlie Crist being considered as a presidential running-mate drew some interesting responses. More than one person wrote to say they cringe whenever they hear Nelson talk about his days as an astronaut. In fact, Fran of Altamonte Springs wrote that she's convinced Nelson was only one ever whose only orders for the shuttle were: "DON"T TOUCH ANYTHING!!!" Fran also described Crist this way: "...following McCain around, paws up, and panting 'Choose me. Choose me." Reader Shelby of Orlando was a bit kinder towards Crist saying, she has gotten past some of her original suspicions and now believes Crist "has shown himself to have more substance than a Ken doll." Actually, that last remark from Shelby was the nicest thing anyone said about any politician in my e-mail Sunday. Feel free to add your own thoughts about who'd make a stellar or not-so-hot Veep...

Posted at 10:07 AM, April 28, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 25, 2008

Can Romney Carry Mass.?

Nachama Soloveichik

A new Rasmussen poll in Massachusetts sheds some insight on the hunt for John McCain's VP. Some have speculated that a McCain-Romney ticket might put the bluest of blue states in the McCain column, but it doesn't look likely.

Only 34% of Massachusetts voters think McCain should pick Romney and 43% disagree. 48% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for McCain if Romney is on the ticket; 27% said they would be more likely; and 22% said it would have no impact.

This is not terribly surprising. During the Republican primary, Romney ran against Massachusetts as a way of highlighting his conservatism. And some in Mass. think that Romney merely used the state as a stepping stone to achieve his grander ambitions. Then, there is the fact that Massachusetts is just really, really liberal.

Posted at 6:31 PM, April 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

VP Selection Critical This Year

Nachama Soloveichik

Robert Watson has an op-ed in the Florida Sun-Sentinel on VP selection. He argues, rightly, that the vp selection is critical this year. He writes:

That said, the VP selection this summer will likely be the most important since Truman. Each of the three remaining candidates has liabilities that might be softened somewhat by the right vice presidential pick. For example, the ideal VP would allay concerns about McCain's limited understanding of economic policy, Obama's inexperience in foreign policy, and Clinton's likeability. Moreover, there are concerns about McCain's age, 71.

I have to disagree with two minor points in the piece. One, Calvin Coolidge's rise to the presidency was not a misfortune, but a blessing. Second, McCain will not pick Joe Lieberman or Condi Rice.

Posted at 11:53 AM, April 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Around the Web

Nachama Soloveichik

• Bayou Buzz says "Louisiana Gov. Jindal, Not To Be McCain's VP." I have to agree.
• According to The Hill, Fred Thompson says he would turn down the VP offer if it came.
• Marc Ambinder's interesting take on a fundraiser for MN guv Tim Pawlenty.
• On the Larry King Show last night, Nancy Pelosi said an Obama-Clinton Dream Ticket would not be "a good idea." MSNBC has the transcript. You can watch the clip here--about 2:45 into it.
• KLO at NRO is a fan of a McCain-Jindal ticket.
• Chris Cillizza at the Wash Post advises McCain to pick his VP early--early this summer is his suggestion--instead of waiting until right before the convention in September. One downside of this suggestion is that it would be useful for McCain to know who he is running against when he makes his pick. More information is always better than less.

Posted at 11:39 AM, April 25, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 24, 2008

Jindal Campaigns with McCain

Nachama Soloveichik

Could this be the face of the Republican ticket?

Not likely. Bobby Jindal's appearance next to McCain today in New Orleans fueled VP rumors, but it's a little silly to think that every person who campaigns alongside McCain between now and September is automatically under consideration. Jindal is a popular governor of the state in which McCain happened to be touring. It was good politics for McCain to bring Jindal along.

Posted at 7:01 PM, April 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Carly To The Top?

Nachama Soloveichik

According to KCBS in California, Former HP chief and RNC "Victory Chairman" Carly Fiorina is "rumored to be near the top of a very short list of possible vice presidential candidates." The article also goes on to say, "Critics, however, point out that Fiorina has never run for political office, and this may simply be a ploy to confuse Democrats."

Posted at 6:49 PM, April 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Pawlenty Watch: Breaking Poll

Nachama Soloveichik

I have written at length about Pawlenty's ability--or inability--to carry Minnesota for McCain. Of course, a lot can and will happen between now and November, but things don't look so good for McCain in the North Star State. Fox News has a write-up about a new Rasmussen poll, showing Obama beating McCain by double digits--52% to 38%--widening his four-point lead from a month ago. Clinton now leads McCain by five percentage points--47% to 42%. Last month, they were even.

Could Pawlenty make up this gap?

According to the poll, adding Pawlenty to the GOP ticket would have questionable results. 30% of Minnesota voters would be more likely to vote for McCain; 35% would be less likely; and 32% say it wouldn't make a difference. 60% of Republicans said they would be more likely to support the ticket. 23% of unaffiliated voters and 13% of Democrats said the same. 44% of respondents say Pawlenty is doing a good or excellent job as governor--that is not a fantastic approval rating.

Pawlenty barely won his 2006 reelection campaign by a mere percentage point. Most people in Minnesota will tell you that his victory was made possible by an Independent candidate who siphoned votes away from the DFL candidate. There are good political arguments to make in favor of a Vice-President Pawlenty, but carrying Minnesota is not one of the better ones.

Posted at 11:10 AM, April 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Obama-Strickland: It's a Mouthful

Nachama Soloveichik

The New York Times says some Obama allies are hoping he will pick Ohio Governor Ted Strickland as his VP in order to win Ohio and help unify the party since Strickland is supporting Clinton.

The one problem with this idea is the obvious lack of foreign policy credentials on the ticket. Strickland is a former six-term congressman, but not particularly known for his foreign policy qualificatons.

Posted at 11:01 AM, April 24, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 23, 2008

Jindal Meets With McCain

Nachama Soloveichik

According to the Washington Times, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is meeting with McCain tonight, continuing to keep the rumor mill a-turnin'. Jindal claims he has no interest in the VP job.

"I've got the job that I want," Mr. Jindal told the reporters. "I told the voters that this is a historic time for the people of Louisiana. We're not going to get the chance to make these changes again. We did it with ethics reform. We did it with tax cuts. I want to be here to continue the reforms that are so necessary so that our kids don't have to leave home to pursue their dreams. I've got the job I want, so I'm flattered, but I'm exactly where I need to be," the governor said.

If you can handle the background noise, you can watch the video clip below:

Posted at 9:43 PM, April 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Fred Barnes for Mitt Romney

Nachama Soloveichik

Fred Barnes on Chicago radio says there is no perfect running mate for John McCain but he thinks the best option is Mitt Romney. You can listen to the interview here. The VP talk is at the tail end.

Posted at 12:41 PM, April 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

A New Name

Nachama Soloveichik

A new name has emerged on the vice-presidential scene: Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor. Cantor sits on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is Chief Deputy Whip, and is the only Jewish Republican in the House. [HT: KLO]

On economic issues, Cantor is decent, but not Jeff Flake territory. On the Club for Growth's scorecard, Cantor ranked 107th in 2005 and a much-improved 56th in 2006. To his credit, Cantor is 1 of 39 House members who have sworn off earmarks. His average rank for his years in the House from National Taxpayers Union is 78.5. Interestingly, his record improved dramatically last year--he ranked 27th.

Posted at 12:08 PM, April 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Too Thune To Tell

Nachama Soloveichik

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader has an article on South Dakota Senator John Thune. The McCain campaign had this to say:

Sen. Thune has been a strong supporter of Sen. McCain through the campaign and is a rising leader in the Republican Party. But so far, the selection process is in the initial stages with no names on the list.

Posted at 10:25 AM, April 23, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 22, 2008

Jindal To Go on Jay Leno

Nachama Soloveichik

Bobby Jindal will be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno April 28th, but the interesting thing about the appearance is the press release NBC issued:

POSSIBLE REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND THE NATION’S YOUNGEST GOVERNOR, LOUISIANA’S BOBBY JINDAL, MAKES HIS FIRST APPEARANCE ON NBC’S ‘THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO’ ON MONDAY, APRIL 28

BURBANK – April 22, 2008 – Amidst the growing buzz about possibly being the Vice Presidential candidate on the Republican ticket, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal makes his first appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” (Monday - Friday, 11:35 p.m.-12:37 a.m. ET on NBC).

Known to his constituents as simply Governor Bobby, Jindal is the Nation’s youngest Governor at the age of 36 and in his first term in office the political pundits have already labeled him the future of the GOP and the next Ronald [Reagan]. Jindal is the first elected Indian American Governor in U.S. history. HT:The Hill

I'm still of the opinion that Jindal is too young (he's 36!), with little experience under his belt (he served three years as a U.S. rep.), but this is the beauty of political marketing.

Posted at 7:44 PM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Novak's Predictions

Nachama Soloveichik

Larry Kudlow reports that Bob Novack says McCain will pick former Ohio congressman Rob Portman (also Bush's special trade representative and OMB director) to be his VP.

In Congress, Portman was an all-around conservative, but I wouldn't put him in the top tier, especially in his later years. His National Taxpayers Union ranking went from a high of 19 his first year in Congress to a low of 141 in 2003. Except for two instances, he voted against every RSC budget that was offered--in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2004. He also voted against a slew of budget-cutting amendments that you would expect a top-tier conservative to support. These include:

• An amendment that would prohibit the continued use of funds by the National Institute of Health to support grants entitled "Mood Arousal and Sexual Risk Taking;" "Study on Sexual Habits of Older Men;" "Study on San Francisco's Asian Prostitutes/Masseuses;" and "Study on American Indian Transgender Research" (RC #352, 07/10/03)
• An amendment that would eliminate the Asia Foundation's funding (RC #322, 06/26/00)
• An amendment to reduce funding for Department of Agriculture wood utilization research programs by $5.13 million (RC #160, 05/26/99)
• An amendment to eliminate the bill's $110 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities (RC #270, 07/15/97)

Posted at 5:10 PM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Carly Gets a Plug

Nachama Soloveichik

According to the Wall Street Journal, there is some low-level buzz about former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as a potential VP for John McCain. Among her negatives?

She’s not a party figure with obvious ability to unite Republicans, she doesn’t bring a state with her, and she carries baggage from her time at HP, where she was ousted over performance issues. In addition, she approved a controversial plan to gather information on journalists suspected of receiving company leaks.

Posted at 4:59 PM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Frustrated Part 2

Nachama Soloveichik

Brad Warthen, who has made a career out of dumping on Mark Sanford, delights in a March 29th article in the Wall Street Journal that downplays Sanford's VP chances. The gist of the article goes like this: In 2000, Sanford endorsed McCain. In 2008, he did not. Ergo, Sanford will not be McCain's vice-president. This is what I like to call the payback theory, and it abounds in politics. You hear it often when people talk about McCain owing Governors Charlie Crist and Tim Pawlenty for their critical support during the primary, but it is a silly theory at best. There are good reasons why McCain would not pick Sanford to be his VP, but the payback theory is not one of them.

As for the reason why conservatives like Mark Sanford--it's not much a mystery and there is no need to delve into the world of conspiracy theories. The reason is simple: We like what he stands for and we like his record. Why is that so difficult for Brad Warthen to understand?

Posted at 12:34 PM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Playing the Odds

Nachama Soloveichik

On Saturday, Fox News asked political analyst Ron Faucheux to rank VP names by their odds of being tapped:

5:1 odds

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty

15:1 odds

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

South Dakota Sen. John Thune

Former White House budget director Rob Portman

What I can't figure out is why names like Tom Ridge, Condi Rice, and Charlie Crist keep popping up when McCain has already ruled out a pro-choice pick. McCain is smart enough to know that the conservative base of the party would revolt if he picked a social liberal, and it is a revolt he can ill afford. The same goes for people betting on Rasmussen Markets and InTrade. Rudy Giuliani has 5% on Rasmussen Markets. Rice has 8% on InTrade and Giuliani has 5%. It's not going to happen. Save your money!

Posted at 11:57 AM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Biden Talk

Nachama Soloveichik

Iowa's most incisive political voice, David Yepsen, suggests Senator Joe Biden for the No. 2 spot:

Biden would be a perfect running mate for either Clinton or Obama. First, he'd be acceptable to the supporters of the losing candidate. Second, he'd be the perfect campaign pit bull. He's quick with the jab and can serve red meat, things a vice-presidential nominee must do. Need someone to get in McCain's face over the war? The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee knows the difference between the Shia and the Sunni. That ability will be especially important to Obama, who many voters think is inexperienced. Personally, Biden's been vetted in two national campaigns. His 1988 transgression - lifting without attribution the words of a British politician - is a trivial sin by today's standards. He has grit and gravitas. He's not rich. He's not known as a womanizer. He would appeal to white men, who despite all the chatter about women, minorities and young voters, are a constituency Democrats needs to do more to attract.

The one caveat: Biden's tendency to put his foot in his mouth may be a delicious gift for the GOP.

Posted at 11:44 AM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Charlie Crist Ain't Going to Happen

Nachama Soloveichik

I am only now getting to the Sunday talk shows due to Passover. On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace talked possible McCain running mates with Karl Rove. Rove suggested four names: Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and former congressman and Bush Budget Director Rob Portman from Ohio. Here is what Rove had to say on these four picks:

I picked those four as sort of representatives of the kinds of areas that McCain has got to be looking at. Romney represents the people who ran in the primary. And he is probably, of the people who ran in the primary, the most plausible. Pawlenty represents sort of -- you know, sort of more experienced people who have been around. He's a two-term governor of Minnesota. Crist represents sort of newer faces. He's been governor for only two years, but he's a big battleground state. And then sort of an out-of-the-box choice, you know, Rob Portman represents a battleground state, Ohio, with a varied record, respected member of Congress, very strong on economic matters, very strong on trade, for example, which is going to be a flashpoint in the general election.

Karl Rove knows more about politics than most, but Charlie Crist is a no-go. McCain already said he would forgo a pro-choice VP, and Crist has too much political and personal baggage to be a viable contender.

Posted at 11:34 AM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Could Pawlenty Be VP?

Nachama Soloveichik

NBC in Minneapolis has a story about Tim Pawlenty's potential to be John McCain's running mate, complete with a video. NBC admits that it is not a given that Pawlenty could carry Minnesota for McCain, and wonders if Minnesota's 10 electoral votes should play a major role in the decision making process.

Posted at 10:15 AM, April 22, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

April 21, 2008

Frustrated?

Andrew Roth

Columnist Brad Warthen is borderline hysterical over the fact that Mark Sanford continues to receive favorable VP coverage in right-leaning media outlets, most recently in the WSJ weekend interview.

According to Warthen, it seems the only people with a worthy enough opinion to cast judgment over Sanford's viability are South Carolina Republicans. It almost resembles an Obama "bitter" diatribe to fiscal conservatives in the remaining 49 states.

Posted at 5:29 PM, April 21, 2008 | Trackback | Print | #

Trig Palin

Andrew Roth

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a popular dark horse candidate for VP, gave birth to her fifth child, Trig, on Friday morning.

Posted at 9:59 AM, April 21, 2008 |