Veepstakes: Kaine, Pawlenty, Hagel
Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 9:17 AM by Domenico Montanaro
In a meeting with the Lynchburg News Advance, Tim Kaine “once again declined to say whether he would refuse an offer” to be veep, saying only that he doesn’t expect Obama to choose him.” But “more interestingly,” he said he’s made tentative plans if Jim Webb is picked. “Kaine would have to appoint a Democrat to serve for one year in Webb’s Senate seat and then stand for election in November 2009, the governor said. And, although he doesn’t know whom he would appoint, Kaine is taking himself out of the Senate picture.”
VIDEO: NBC Political Director Chuck Todd serves up his thoughts on the current veepstakes. He sheds light on the strategy that goes into selecting a vice president, saying that the focus should be on winning four or five swing states.
Kaine also got
asked about the possibility during a local stop at Boy’s State: “I've always felt like it's nice to be mentioned, but not likely to happen,” he said. “I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it. I do know this, I've got a good job as governor, and the place I can be most helpful to Senator Obama is right here in Virginia.”
The Hill interviewed Tim Pawlenty, who emphasized conservative parts of his record “and defended other, less conservative aspects.” “If you look at my record as a whole, it’s clearly conservative,” Pawlenty said. “This idea that it’s moderate is, I don’t think, a very full look at it.”
Kalee Kreider, an Al Gore spokesperson, said he’s ruled out being VP, but will campaign for Obama.
Salon’s Madden writes that Chuck Hagel may be “a long shot for the job,” with interest in him “less a question of electoral math than of political metaphysics. Running with a Republican would reinforce the message that Obama is serious about changing the way things are done in Washington.” But “unless a Republican running mate would virtually guarantee Obama a win in November, it's probably not worth the risk of angering Democrats to pick one.”
