Posted on 06/11/2004 1:48:43 PM PDT by ChicagoHebrew
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. John McCain has personally rejected John Kerry's overtures to join the Democratic presidential ticket and forge a bipartisan alliance against President Bush, The Associated Press has learned.
Kerry has asked McCain as recently as late last month to consider becoming his running mate, but the Arizona senator said he's not interested, said a Democratic official who spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerry has insisted that his deliberations be kept private. A second official familiar with the conversations confirmed the account, and said the Arizona senator made it clear he won't change his mind.
Both officials said Kerry stopped short of offering McCain the job, sparing himself an outright rejection that would make his eventual running mate look like a second choice.
``Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one,'' said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account.
Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter declined to comment.
Well, he offered the VP slot, and then he didn't.
He was for it before he was against it.
McCain senses that Kerry is a loser. As ambitious as he is, he would likely avoid jumping onto a sinking ship.
Kerry will do ANYTHING to try and win
McCain was smart to reject it .. his political career would have been toast if he did take the offer
It koes to show you that Kerry himself considers his position weak to have to ask a REPUBLICAN (even if he more of a RINO) to be his VP to boost his stock.
EXACTLY!
LOL
McCain wouldn't want the VP slot even on a ticket that was a sure winner. What would be left of McCain's political career if he ran with Kerry and lost?
For one thing, if McCain were to try running for VP he'd have to resign as senator of Arizona. We don't allow dual campaigns here... you're running for one office, you quit your existing one immediately. And Gov Napalo'reno would appoint a Dem senator in a heartbeat if that happened. It would be the end of McCain's career and a huge gamble.
;-)
Honestly, I thought it was a media-created phenomenon. Who knew?
That's the ONLY reason McInsane rejected the VP offer...
Of course, it wouldn't stop him from accepting Hitlery's 2008 VP offer.
McCain doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who could be number two in any hierarchy, much less a number two to a pompous idiot SOB like Kerry.
"It koes to show you that Kerry himself considers his position weak to have to ask a REPUBLICAN (even if he more of a RINO) to be his VP to boost his stock."
A Pro-life Republican no less. Kerry is a huge loser.
They could have called it the "Use your illusion" ticket, make pretend one is Republican and the other Irish.
After this past week, it would have been a cheesy move, even for McCain.
It makes me wonder if he actually made the offer in the first place. He might have, knowing McCain would never accept. McCain won't keep quiet about it.
Indeed.
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