Clinton vs. Obama: Veep this
Posted: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:22 AM by Mark Murray
Obama yesterday pushed back on the veep chatter. "Calling Clinton's tactics an attempt ‘to bamboozle you, to hoodwink you,’ Obama said voters had to make a choice. ‘I want everybody to be absolutely clear,’ he said. ‘I don't want anybody here thinking that somehow, “Well, you know, maybe I can get both.” Don't think that way. You have to make a choice in this election.’”
The Boston Globe adds, “Obama yesterday ridiculed recent suggestions by Hillary Clinton and her top supporters that he might make a good running mate as part of a so-called Democratic dream team for the general election. For starters, Obama said, he has won twice as many states as Clinton, secured the most delegates, and captured a larger share of the overall popular vote to date.”
The Washington Post: "The vice presidency came up repeatedly Monday at a news conference called by Obama's campaign to showcase former military leaders backing him. Clifford Alexander Jr., a former secretary of the Army, said that ‘people of all backgrounds -- white, black, Latino -- all see this is more surrealistic than any other sense.’ ‘There's something of an implied compliment, as well,’ said Richard Danzig, secretary of the Navy during the Clinton administration. ‘It's nice to think Senator Clinton thinks Senator Obama's clearly qualified to sit a heartbeat away from the presidency.’”
“The message sent by the Clinton camp during an earlier conference call with reporters was not so complimentary. Painting Obama as unseasoned and unpredictable on national security, two retired generals and a retired admiral spoke of Clinton's ‘strength of character,’ ‘resolve’ and ‘courage of conviction.’”
“Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard said he grew up in Louisiana, where hands-on experience is ‘very, very important.’ ‘Just because you recognize a cow doesn't mean you know how to milk it,’ Ballard said. He said voters assessing Clinton will ‘know exactly what they're going to get.’”
"The Clintons’ decision to repeatedly invoke the idea of a Clinton-Obama ticket could serve several goals: to diminish Mr. Obama, of Illinois, in a genteel way, while courting some of his supporters by suggesting that a vote for Mrs. Clinton could ultimately be a vote for him, too. But as the specter of such a ticket has gained currency with the Clintons’ musings, Mr. Obama felt compelled Monday to try to stop the chatter by offering his most expansive answer yet on the issue. With a steady smile, his tone ranged from amused to mocking to derisive."
NBC/NJ's Athena Jones reports that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was talking up Clinton as veep as well. "It would be great and either way. I'd be for it either way," he said, adding, when pressed: "Whether it was Sen. Obama for the president and Sen. Clinton for vice president or vice versa. I think it would be great." Rendell said he'd be happier if Clinton were at the top of the ticket, but that it would be a good way to bring the party together.
"You know, I think John McCain's gonna pick Mitt Romney, and they've said worse things about each other than..." He said, before a reporter interrupted to challenge the statement about McCain's likely choice. "The economy's the issue. He's the strongest Republican on the economy. You can't pick someone who doesn't have, in my judgment, doesn't have something to offer on the economy, because Sen. McCain, by his own admission, you know, has a problem."
The Los Angeles Times looks at how the Clinton and Obama campaigns are clamoring for the endorsements of retired military leaders. "Endorsements from retired generals and admirals have been a mainstay of presidential campaigns for years, but with the nation at war and a decorated hero as the presumptive Republican nominee, rarely have Democrats been more desperate for military credibility. Retired military officers have become as prized as governors or senators for their endorsement value."
