Veepstakes PM edition
Posted: Monday, July 14, 2008 6:36 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli
ON THE RECORD. In East Providence this morning, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) faced questions about VP following the announcement he’ll join Obama in Iraq. “There are people that are spending a lot of time, one, looking for candidates, and ... trying to promote themselves as candidates," Reed said. "And I'm in neither category.”
"I believe I have the best job in the world, and I'm going to try to keep it,” said Reed, who is also on the ballot for re-election this fall. Reed said he is impressed by Obama’s "very fine strategic view of the world, about what we have to do, what changes we have to make."
On Fox this morning, Mike Huckabee again denied he’s being vetted, while also saying he doubts Obama would pick Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE). “I don't see it. … I think it'd be a disastrous move for Obama. What does it get him? ... I don't see what advantage there is other than symbolic. … There's no passion for Chuck Hagel out there.” On his own VP chances: "I have had no indication that I am [being vetting]. Nobody's called me to say, 'Send me some documents.'"
Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) would not say if he’s being vetted. "I'm not commenting on that. I don't talk about my contacts with the Obama campaign on that issue. I'm not lobbying for anything. But obviously, I would do anything I could for him," Richardson said.
ON THE RECORD II, NGA EDITION. I asked “the question” to a few more governors this morning at the final NGA session. “I’ve not submitted any vetting documents and I have not talked to the campaign about that,” said AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano (D). “It’s flattering but I think the campaign has a process and I believe the Democratic bench is a very deep one.”
AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R): “I can’t say that I’m on the short list. They, the officials in the campaign, haven’t told me I’m on any short list. … I really doubt that such a thing would happen. Gotta keep this in perspective: I’m a hockey mom from Alaska. Do you really think that it is even in the realm of possibility?”
Palin also says she invited McCain to visit ANWR.
UT Gov. John Huntsman (R) said he hasn’t had a single conversation with the McCain camp. “There are many who probably are in this particular category and will enter that particular phase of vetting and review, I don't necessarily think that I would be one of them.”
And unrelated to VP, but here’s what Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) had to say when I asked him if he thinks his predecessor, Jesse Ventura, will run for the Senate. “I don’t know. I could argue it both ways, one way being I have a hard time imagining that that’s what he wants to do in terms of his life passion and skills and interests and time. On the other hand, I think there’s part of him that would probably want to get back in the arena. But we’ll know soon enough.” Ventura is announcing on “Larry King Live.”
WHAT THEY’RE UP TO. Hillary Clinton will speak to the National Association of Letter Carriers later this month.
New York Observer reports that Clinton is asking donors who contributed $2,300 for her general election fund if she can roll that into her 2012 … Senate account.
Joe Biden joined an Obama conference call on Iraq today. “One thing I can tell you for certain from recent trips is commanders in the field...all want to see Barack Obama," Biden said. At one point he said he wasn’t speaking for the campaign, though, when he “came very close to suggesting that the commanders were not favorably disposed towards McCain.”
Biden planned to discuss offshore drilling on Delaware’s Eastern shore today.
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) line-item vetoed 258 budget items accounting for $16.1 million.
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) will join Obama in Indiana on Wednesday.
In England on a trade mission, Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) stopped to talk with Sky News. “It is very flattering to be considered and even the mere mention of the question is a humbling kind of thing for someone like me. But honestly I am enjoying being Governor of Florida. It’s the best job I have ever had in my life. It is a true privilege to serve in that capacity.”
Al Gore will speak in DC Thursday.
BUZZ METER. The La Raza crowd gave Obama a “respectful” reception, but erupted at the mention of Hillary Clinton.
