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Arthur "A.B.'' Culvahouse, a prominent Washington attorney who served as White House counsel to President Ronald Reagan during the president's final two years and led Sen. John McCain's search for a running mate - a search that included a "long list'' of 26 candidates - told the tale today of picking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. After the vetting of all the candidates, and paring them to a short list, McCain asked Culvahouse for the "bottom line'' on Palin. ""I said, 'John, high risk, high reward,''' Culvahouse said today. "His response - 'You shouldn't have told me that. I've been a...

Cheney pushed for expanded presidential powers. Now that he's leaving, what will come of his efforts? The new president won't have to wait long to tip his hand. Dick Cheney, who will step down as vice president on Jan. 20, has been widely portrayed as a creature of the dark side, a monstrous figure who trampled on the Constitution to wage war against all foes, real and imagined. Barack Obama was elected partly to cleanse the temple of the Bush-Cheney stain, and in his campaign speeches he promised to reverse Cheney's efforts to seize power for the White House in...

There was a time, not so long ago, when a third-level ideologue at an interagency meeting could stop White House policy deliberations dead with eight words: "The vice president will not agree to this." Such was the sway of Dick Cheney, America's 46th vice president and arguably the most powerful and influential occupant of the office. As he completes a remarkable career as a Washington power player and transitions to an aggressively low-key retirement, the 67-year-old Cheney also departs as perhaps the most controversial veep ever. Many of his most ardent defenders admit his distinguished pedigree as a White House...

Cheney: I'm actually 'loveable' By: Andy Barr January 7, 2009 07:09 PM EST Vice President Dick Cheney said Wednesday that his image has gotten a bad rap in the press and that he is in fact “a warm, loveable sort.” Cheney conceded in an interview with CBS radio that he sometimes expresses himself “rather forcefully toward some of my compatriots, like Pat Leahy from Vermont” but dismissed as a caricature the idea that he is a “Darth Vader-type personality.” “I think all of that’s been pretty dramatically overdone,” the vice president said. “I’m actually a warm, loveable sort.” Cheney also...

The U.S. Vice President is, it seems, a part of the Legislative Branch and not the Executive Branch of the United States government. A vote on Nov. 4 for John McCain as Commander in Chief of our military is a concomitant vote for Sarah Palin as President of the Senate. Let us imagine and grasp this opportunity. Article I of the Constitution describes the powers and prerogatives of the legislature, House of Representatives and Senate, and Article III contains the only reference in the Constitution to the Vice President's powers and prerogatives. Article III states: "The vice president of the...

Palin's Campaign For The Presidency ... Of The Senate By Michael David Sklaroff and Robert B. Sklaroff, For The Bulletin 10/09/2008 During the Vice Presidential Debate, Gov. Sarah Palin's perception of this office was wrongly and repeatedly disputed by Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. In contrast, her portrayal was consistent with both the Constitution and historical precedent. This is how Mr. Biden incorrectly depicted this position, referring to Vice President Dick Cheney: "Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that....

THE torrent of damaging stories which have emerged in the days since Sarah Palin was tapped to be the Republican vice presidential nominee have done nothing to dampen the chants of "Sa-rah! Sa-rah!" at rallies across the United States. Votersdon't seem to care about a Washington Post story describing how Palin, the advocate of slashing wasteful spending, billed taxpayers for 312 days of meals and expenses when she spent the night at home. And the revelation that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant and intends to keep the baby simply made her seem to many like more of a regular person...

A spectre is haunting the liberal elites of New York and Washington--the spectre of a young, attractive, unapologetic conservatism, rising out of the American countryside, free of the taint (fair or unfair) of the Bush administration and the recent Republican Congress, able to invigorate a McCain administration and to govern beyond it. That spectre has a name--Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old governor of Alaska chosen by John McCain on Friday to be his running mate. There she is: a working woman who's a proud wife and mother; a traditionalist in important matters who's broken through all kinds of barriers; a reformer...

The hostess with the moosest [Mark Steyn] Over in the Frumistan province of the NR caliphate, our pal David is not happy about the Palin pick. I am - for several reasons. First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay describes her, "all-American", but hyper-American. What other country in the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up a terrific moose stew? As an immigrant, I'm not saying I came to the United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high on my list of priorities. And for the gun-totin' Miss Wasilla then...

Note: The following is from Meghan McCain's blogette which covers the behind the scene events of the her father's campaign. It's not so much political as it is just a daughter who admires her parents as she gives you pictorial insights to the day to day campaign on the road. "Governor Sarah Palin"POSTED BY MEGHAN AND PHOTOS BY HEATHER "Yesterday was incredible. Again I got to witness history in the making, from a front row seat. Starting out the day with Dad's choice of Governor Sarah Palin as his nominee for Vice President is a moment on stage I will...

It did NOT take long for the left to smear Sarah Palin, who has re-ignited the conservative base like no one has since the Reagan days--and appears to be ready to pull a LOT of PUMA's and others from the Dem side. The thing is:: Since they have little to go after her for in reality--they are now suggesting something SURE to enrage nearly ALL women across America::And that is--Sarah's latest child is NOT hers--but her daughters!! This, is, of course, designed to show that she is just a "hypocrite" and was too ashamed to admit her daughters unwed pregnancy....

We posted an extensive VP analysis back in February and updated the list in May. From a very strong Top Ten, Sarah Palin was #6 on the first list and #8 on the second. The contenders were ranked via six important characteristics: Is she presidential? Will the Republican base see her as a party standard-bearer? Does she provide ideological balance to the ticket? Does she offer a geographic advantage? Does she bring a different set of experiences? Will she make it a more diverse ticket? So, how does Palin stack up?

Though I'm no big fan of John McCain, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a stroke of genius. Brilliant. I'm not into affirmative action picks, but Palin is smart, articulate, and competent in her own right, regardless of whether she has a uterus. And in this case, McCain picking a woman--a bright conservative who happens to be female--was necessary. It was necessary because Barack Obama made a big mistake in picking Joe Biden. He angered female Hillary supporters. Now, they will have a tough time voting for the Obama-Biden ticket, which dissed them, and...

Three news items: 1) John McCain has picked a running mate and may announce/leak the choice tonight. 2) McCain has admitted he is computer "illiterate." Both of which make it unlikely that he will be much swayed by ... 3) "The Directors" of the conservative site Red State have endorsed Rep. Eric Cantor (Va.) as the best choice for VP. Why Cantor? "While a young man, Cantor has served in federal office twice as long as Barack Obama -- and was a member of leadership when Obama was still in Springfield. In that short time, he has established himself as...

PITTSBURGH (AP) The who and the when in the GOP veepstakes are still unknowns. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain told KDKA NewsRadio in Pittsburgh that he hasn't decided yet on a running mate. McCain is expected to name his vice presidential pick this week possibly tomorrow to create momentum heading into next week's Republican National Convention. The Arizona senator has a rally planned for Saturday in Pennsylvania at which both former Governors Tom Ridge and Mitt Romney are scheduled to appear. But McCain cautioned against assuming that meant either one would be the pick. Other names said to be...

No link yet but Drudge says McCain has made the decision...

Romney is so talented. But two very rich guy Republicans do present problems. Lieberman is a dear man, but would be a disaster. His support for the war in Iraq and for a muscular defense makes him seem moderate. But on everything else he is an orthodox liberal. He has voted against all our good judges, for taxes, and even for partial-birth abortion. That puts him to the left of Joe Biden! John Kyl would be a great pick – a hero to conservatives — except that he’s from Arizona. Sarah Palin is appealing but too inexperienced. Vitiates the argument...

Mitt Romney suggested Tuesday that criticisms he leveled at John McCain during the GOP primaries would not block him from becoming the Republican nominee for vice president, arguing that he never questioned his one-time rival's readiness to be president the way the Democratic nominee for vice president questioned Barack Obama. "The clips that they have of Joe Biden," said Romney, referring to a McCain attack ad, "are ones in which he questioned Obama's readiness to be president. "I didn't say that he was not qualified to become president," said Romney, referring to his criticism of McCain. "Republicans in our debates...

McCain plans 3-state VP rollout By JONATHAN MARTIN | 8/26/08 10:45 PM EST Text Size: DENVER — John McCain is planning to rollout his vice-presidential nominee in three battleground states this weekend, with large-scale rallies planned for Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri, according to aides and advisers. The GOP nominee-in-waiting will move to immediately change the campaign conversation from Barack Obama’s football stadium acceptance speech Thursday to the new Republican ticket, to be revealed at a noontime Friday rally in a Dayton, Ohio, basketball arena. McCain and his running mate will then travel by bus to Pennsylvania, where they’ll hold an...

Rendell says McCain will announce running mate Friday in Pa… and it won’t be Ridge By Dan Hirschhorn Category: President, US Senate, Governor, LocalTags: Tom Ridge, John McCain, Ed Rendell, Democratic National Convention Gov. Ed Rendell DENVER--During his opening remarks to the Pennsylvania delegation to the Democratic convention here this morning, Gov. Ed Rendell shared what he said was presumptive Republican nominee John McCain's plans for announcing his running mate. Rendell said that McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, would reveal his running mate Friday in Washington, Pa. He said that former Gov. Tom Ridge, whose name had been floated...

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain may announce his choice for a running mate earlier than expected, sources told FOX News on Monday. [snip] Several names have come up repeatedly as McCain’s possible running mate, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and, perhaps, Democrat-turned-independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Also named is Gen. David Petraeus, the incoming head of Central Command.

I think General David Petraeus would be a great choice for McCain's VP. It would be the Heroes vs. the Zeroes.

Since Barack Obama failed to choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate, is the table set for John McCain to select a woman as his Vice President? Dick Morris has made a strong suggestion that McCain - who picks his running mate on Friday - should select Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as his #2, to help push dismayed Clinton voters to the GOP. Hutchison burst onto the national scene in 1993, when she was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill the remainder of Lloyd Bensen's term, when he left to serve as Bill Clinton's first Treasury Secretary. Since...

The Biden pick is very good news for our side. Again, someone’s own arrogance (Barack’s) has tripped himself up. The McCain campaign is already running an ad showing what Biden said about Obama in the primaries and, conversely, what he’s said about John McCain. This will be very effective unless our side were to make the mistake of also picking someone who was visibly/forcefully against John McCain in the primaries, in which case the media would only highlight that, leaving out that Biden had done the same. Our side also can’t afford to blow this opportunity by selecting someone who...

I swear that I heard Biden say the "F" word earlier this week in frustration when the reporters were trailing him to get his comments on being the Dem VP nominee. He was with a friend walking to his car in a golf outfit, with golf clubs nearby. When reporters called out to him, his back was to the camera as he was walking to his SUV car door. I swear I heard him say the "F" word -- I think expressing frustration that his nomination as the Dem Veep had been found out, days before it was to have...

LENEXA, Kan. -- After weeks of speculation and days of intense rumors, the answer to who Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would name as his running mate may have come down to a bumper sticker printed in Lenexa. KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reported that the company, which specializes in political literature, has been printing Obama-Bayh material. That's Bayh as in U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Word leaked out about the material as it was being printed up by Gill Studios of Lenexa. The Obama campaign had said it would make the announcement by text message on Friday. Gill Studios, would...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Presidential candidate Barack Obama is hours away from naming his running mate, as little-known Texas congressman Chet Edwards (D-Tx) is emerging as a finalist. Democratic officials say that Edwards was one of the few Democrats whose background was checked by Obama's campaign, and he was a finalist for the job. Edwards is among a small circle of people mentioned, including Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and Evan Bayh of Indiana. Obama was expected to text message his choice later on Friday or Saturday. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS...

WASHINGTON - Presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday the running mate he has chosen — but has not yet announced — had to meet three standards to join the Democratic ticket: Prepared to be president, able to help him govern and willing to challenge his thinking. .... "Obviously, the most important question is: Is this person ready to be president?" Obama said in an interview aired Friday on "The Early Show" on CBS. Second, he said, was: "Can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at...

After a day of campaigning in Virginia, Barack Obama is overnighting in Richmond tonight as the guest of Gov. Tim Kaine, Politico has learned from Old Dominion sources.

Here's the text of Moore's missive: Dear Caroline, We've never met, so I hope you don't find this letter too presumptuous or inappropriate. As its contents involve the public's business, I am sending this to you via the public on the Internet. I knew your brother John. He was a great guy, and I know he would've had a ball during this thrilling and historic election year. We all miss him dearly. ... The media is reporting that Senator Obama has narrowed his alternatives to three men: Joe Biden, Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine. They're all decent fellows, but they...

That's what Mike Allen is reporting, and Mike knows his stuff. [snip] Plus, whispers from my Dem friends about the Obama collapse. They know he'll give a great acceptance speech (but what if he doesn't?) but untethered to the prompter, his ums and ahhs have begun to be noticed far and wide.

Only Sen. Barack Obama knows who he is going to pick for his vice president. Well, that is probably not exactly true. The two Davids’ (Axelrod and Plouffe) and wife Michelle probably know as well. The Drudge Report is suggesting that Obama's pick might become public as early as Tuesday, Aug. 19. In celebration of that event, Drudge is running a poll for readers to guess who that nominee will be, with Sen. Evan Bayh, Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Sen. John Kerry, Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn and a wild card making the Drudge short...

AIDE'S MISTAKE REVEALS OBAMA'S VP PICK EARLY (PULLED FROM CNN) It's Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana. Original link is dead. This is a screenshot courtesy of roses of sharon.

It is crunch time with respect to the vice presidential sweepstakes. With the Democratic Convention beginning next week, Barack Obama could announce his running mate at any moment – in fact, by the time you read this, it is possible he has already done so. John McCain seems to be – smartly – waiting until Barack Obama drafts his VP before he picks, or at least announces, his guy. I obviously have no idea who it is going to be, but my previous prediction of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty remains a very likely choice. Unfortunately, it would also be a...

POLL QUESTION for my fellow FReepers: If John McCain picks Mitt Romney as his vice presidential nominee, will it make you more likely or less likely to vote for McCain? 1. More likely 2. Less likely 3. Neither more nor less likely (Elaborate) 4. Unsure

Eric Cantor, 45, would be a dramatic choice for Mr McCain, who is running almost level with Barack Obama in national polls but whose aides believe he needs to shake-up the White House race if he is to prevail in November's general election. Aides to Mr McCain revealed that Mr Cantor, the only Jewish Republican in the House of Representatives, had been asked to submit documents as part of a rigorous vetting process to hunt out any closet skeletons. He joins a shortlist believed to include Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and Mr McCain's bitter rival during the Republican primaries,...

So the news is that Barack Obama will pick Tim Kaine, possibly to the Democrat party ticket as VP. As we all know, Barack Osama has a mere 3 years in the senate. Tim Kaine has more experience than Obama, 4 years as governor of Virginia. I know this would be a pretty novice ticket, but how novice? To find a ticket this inexperienced, I had to go back far, even past Peanut Farmer, as at least his VP, Walter Mondale had 12 years as Senator and 4 years Minnesota AG. The most recent ticket with as little experience as...

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 JOHN MCCAIN, MITT ROMNEYPawlenty or Romney?The individual who told me yesterday that he had heard McCain's pick is coming soon, and that it was Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, now tells me that McCain's list is down to Pawlenty or Mitt Romney.I urge readers to take this with the requisite caution. Neither man's schedule has had any last-minute changes or cancellations, which to me is a leading sign of an announcement being lined up. Pawlenty is still scheduled to speak before the American Legislative Exchange Council tomorrow, and Romney is on vacation in New Hampshire until next week....

As Senator Barack Obama turns to the choice of his running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has emerged as one of the campaign’s potential finalists, sources familiar with conversations in Richmond and in Chicago said. Kaine, an early Obama supporter whose biography nicely dovetails with the Illinois senator’s, "ranks very, very high on the short list," said a source who has spoken recently to senior Obama aides about Kaine. Kaine "is getting a critical examination," the source said.

Has Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's chances of landing the coveted spot as Obama's Veep risen? According to stories at both The Politico and the Washington Post Kaine has risen to the level of serious contender, along with Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. The WaPo story has close Kaine associates acknowledging that Kaine has told them that he has had "very serious" conversations with Obama about joining the ticket.

Announcement coming “very soon.� Geraghty notes that Pawlenty’s still scheduled to give a routine speech on Wednesday, but TNR noted over the weekend that he’s already pulled out of one event and his plans for this week are suddenly and suspiciously hazy. See this recent item from Marc Ambinder, too, passing along a rumor that McCain was planning to meet with his inner circle about VP yesterday. And then of course there’s that CNN item claiming an attendee at a fundraiser heard McCain say conservatives are “really going to like� Pawlenty. Put it all together and today’s scurrilous veep du...

Obama won't pick VP for 'funeral duty' From correspondents in Washington July 28, 2008 05:42am Article from: Agence France-Presse DEMOCRATIC White House hopeful Barack Obama said today he will pick a vice-presidential running mate who will "help me govern" and not just somebody "who I send off to go to funerals". Obama, in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, said his vice-presidential choice would be "somebody who can help me govern, who I can work with, who has a shared vision". "I'm not interested in a vice president who I send off to go to funerals," he said. "I...

John McCain and Barack Obama need to err on the side of caution in choosing their running-mates THE foundations of American capitalism may be going up in flames. But no amount of dismal economic news can dull the appetite of Washingtonians for playing one of the oldest games in town—picking the candidates’ running-mates. Every other day seems to bring news of one potential candidate rising (Al Gore is flavour of the moment on the Democratic side) or another one flaming out (Carly Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett-Packard, doomed her campaign for the Republican slot when she complained loudly that...

In this week’s McCain vs. Obama, we look at the vice presidential selections. Today, we begin with a look at Obama’s options. I’ll offer some analysis of outlier options for Obama, and then I’ll give my top five picks for the Democratic Party’s nominee. Mind you, these represent my belief in who would be the best pick for Obama, not who I think he is most likely to pick. On the one hand, the Obama camp clearly believes that theirs is a transcendent candidacy. The campaign that claimed the Moses-like quality of halting the rising of the seas and announced...

BIDEN RISING IN VEEPSTAKES June 14, 2008 -- BEFORE multimillionaire Democratic power broker James A. Johnson quit as Sen. Barack Obama's chief vice presidential screener, the name that came to the fore in his internal discussions was 65-year-old, six-term Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware. Biden, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, made a good impression in his losing bid for the presidential nomination this year. The downside on him is that he talks too much. But he provides expertise and experience in national security that Obama lacks and, as a Catholic, adds cultural diversity to the ticket. A footnote: Presidential...

Sen. John McCain praised Mayor Bloomberg yesterday - talking up Hizzoner as a strong candidate for governor and refusing to rule him out as a vice presidential candidate. Asked during an interview with The Post whether the term-limited billionaire mayor should be able to seek re-election to a third term, he said there's been "some speculation" about Bloomberg trying to move to Albany. "Do I think he could serve the state of New York and the country well? Of course," McCain said, during a sitdown at the New York Hilton. He was also asked about having the mayor as his...

Why does Barack Obama have trouble finding untainted members for his three person panel vetting vice presidential candidates? Eric Holder vetted the March Rich pardon for Bill Clinton. That bad judgment should disqualify him. Now comes news that a second member of the panel, James Johnson -- former head of Fannie Mae -- received a sweetheart "mortgage" from disgraced Countrywide Finance, one of the major sources of our mortgage crisis . Johnson was forced out of Fannie Mae when a regulator found the company had violated accounting rules in an effort to conceal fluctuations in profit and had failed to...

WASHINGTON - Finding a running mate tops the summer to-do lists of John McCain and Barack Obama, and each needs to decide what he wants as much as who he wants. Are they out to offset their own perceived weaknesses, or reinforce an area of strength? Are they looking for someone from a particular region or demographic niche? How much should personal chemistry count in the equation? It's all about achieving balance. The end of the Democratic primary season this past week touched off considerable debate about the relative merits of an Obama-Clinton "dream ticket." Obama could decide to pick...

On the heels of Thursady night's meeting between Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, talks of a dream ticket continue. But with the choice of vice president still up in the air, local lawmakers have not ruled out a possible Kansas vice president. State Representative Raj Goyle believes that Sebelius would be a perfect choice for Senator Obama...

MSNBC is reporting that Obama will have a 3-person crew searching for a vice-presidential pick, and one person will be Caroline Kennedy.