Veepstakes: Was Novak used?
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 6:27 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
THE SHORT LIST. McCain told reporters today: “When we are ready to announce, we will announce.” Bob Novak, appearing on FNC, says he got the tip from a very senior McCain aide, but acknowledges he may have been used.
From former McCain adviser John Weaver: “The vice presidential choice and the nominating speech are the only two major events under their control and they must be done correctly, not in a reactive fashion. If [Novak's report] is for real and they are about to name a vice president, it's campaign malpractice.”
ON THE RECORD. On MSNBC, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) said he’s “stopped engaging in those discussions,” re: whether he’s being vetted. Pawlenty also appeared on Fox News, saying McCain would want to choose someone who could add to the ticket on issues and experience, and be someone he’s comfortable with.
VIDEO: A Hardball panel debates: Will John McCain choose his running mate this week?
Sen. Lindsay
Graham (R-SC) says
Romney is “
very much a contender” for VP, and said the two have a good relationship. And McCain himself, when asked about Romney in NH today, offered his
familiar refrain: “Mitt has been of tremendous help to my campaign. He’s been on television. He does a better job for me than he did for himself. I told him. He’s been great.”
WHAT THEY’RE UP TO. Officially, Pawlenty was in Washington for a meeting of the Strategic Management of Human Capital Task Force. (Yes, it
apparently does exist.) He did spend some time at McCain HQ, but was expected to be airborne this afternoon and would not rendezvous with McCain in nearby Baltimore, per an aide to the governor.
Hillary
Clinton e-mailed supporters to say that while her campaign for the White House is over, “I hope that conversation continues through HillPAC.” She asks supporters to “tell me what you're concerned about right now: the issues that affect your life and the principles you want to keep fighting for. Of course, there is that big, red contribute button.
Joe
Lieberman’s planned appearance with Pastor John Hagee may give McCain some headaches.
Nancy
Pelosi rejected a proposal from Gov. Bobby
Jindal (R-LA) to use royalties from oil revenues to pay the state’s share of levee improvements.
Gov. Charlie
Crist (R-FL) announced that a Spanish solar plant has signed a "
non-binding" agreement with Seminole Electric in Tampa to build a thermoelectric plant and sell the electricity to the Florida municipal utility company.
Michael
Bloomberg today
signed an executive order requiring all city agencies to provide services in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Italian and French Creole.
Romney
endorsed Wil Armstrong in the race to succeed Tom
Tancredo in Congress.
Gov. Bill
Richardson (D-NM) has a
campaign debt of about $293K.
Gov. Ted
Strickland (D-OH) is off most people’s short lists by now, but he’s
made a careful decision not to sleep with pigs, cows or sheep at the Ohio State Fair, as apparently has been the custom. Instead, he’s going with Smokey the Bear.
VEEP VETTING. Pawlenty has “
racked up” more vetoes this year than any governor in Minnesota history.
CHATTERING CLASS. Chris Cillizza makes the case for Sen. Evan
Bayh, who he calls the hottest candidate in the veepstakes: he can swing IN to
Obama; he looks young but has a “deep and nuanced political resume”; he’s substance first, style second; comes from central casting; and
A
National Review reader suggests that if McCain is picking Romney, it would make sense to do so sooner rather than later since his personal funds could be tapped in the weeks before McCain officially becomes the nominee.
