Posted on 08/19/2008 12:17:41 PM PDT by GOPGuide
John McCain is seriously considering choosing a pro-abortion-rights running mate despite vocal resistance from conservatives, with former Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) very much in the mix, close McCain advisers say.
Under strong consideration: former Pennsylvania Republican Gov. Tom Ridge, and Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s running mate in 2000.
Multiple GOP sources say that party officials in Washington and in the states have been contacted by the McCain campaign in the past two weeks and asked about the fallout from such a choice. One person familiar with the calls said the party was being instructed to prepare for different candidate prototypes — including one in the mold of Lieberman, who is an independent but still caucuses with the Democrats.
One obstacle for Lieberman may be legal. A GOP official said that since he is not a Republican, Lieberman may have a challenge being certified on some state ballots.
But GOP sources say McCain and his close friend Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) still haven’t given up hope on making what some believe would be a game-changing decision by tapping Lieberman.
Lieberman’s office declined to discuss the topic. “Those questions are best left to the McCain campaign at this time,” said Erika Masonhall, Lieberman’s Senate press secretary.
Ridge also appears to still be on the short list, GOP sources say. McCain likes the fact that Ridge is a Vietnam War hero with a working-class background. Ridge worked in the White House as Bush’s homeland security adviser before becoming Secretary of Homeland Security, and could help McCain with his further reform of the nation’s intelligence apparatus.
“He’s McCain’s kind of guy,” said a close friend of the candidate.
McCain, who in the past had said it would be hard to choose a supporter of abortion rights, told Steve Hayes of The Weekly Standard last week that he would not rule it out.
One source close to the campaign who is sympathetic to such a plan sketched out a scenario in which Lieberman was the choice.
“First, if your instinct is to run on experience, it doesn’t hurt to have a vice president who’s got it, too,” said this source, a conservative.
But more than that, according to this source, picking Lieberman would dramatically support McCain’s theme that he puts “country first” above all else.
“It would fit well into the narrative of his not having any politics in the White House,” said the source. “No more Dick Morris, no more Karl Rove — we’re governing here. It’s an easy, natural message for McCain and it implies a one-term pledge without actually saying it.”
As for the inevitable blowback from the right, this person acknowledged the convention would be “a messy week,” representing a “shock to the system of a pro-life party.”
But would it be worth it? “The question is: On Sept. 15 or 25, is he in better shape or not?” the source asked.
McCain allies are hopeful that the candidate’s strong statement on abortion Saturday night at Rick Warren’s California church could assuage any concerns from the right-to-life community about what a supporter of abortion rights on the ticket would mean.
“I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies,” McCain said at Saddleback. “That's my commitment; that's my commitment to you.”
Others in the party — including several veterans of President Bush’s past campaigns — say such a choice would be untenable and are dreading the prospect of what Lieberman, or perhaps even Ridge,would mean to a base that is already less than enthusiastic about McCain.
“Lieberman would blow things up,” said the American Conservative Union’s David Keene. “That would be like Obama picking some right-winger that agrees with him on one thing.”
As for the convention, Keene said Lieberman’s selection would set off some sort of “protest” among the party’s rank and file. Tapping Ridge, Keene said, wouldn’t be as bad, but would still “overshadow” St. Paul.
Already, one website has begun a petition aimed at dissuading McCain from tapping a supporter of abortion rights.
“Please keep Senator McCain and his key advisers in your prayers as he nears a decision on his VP pick, and please sign the petition and pass on to like-minded pro-lifers,” Billy Valentine, a young Republican and former supporter of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback’s presidential bid, writes above the petition on “Catholics for McCain.”
Other Republican regulars, speaking anonymously so as not to anger the party’s nominee, warn of the consequences.
Another well-placed Republican official who is in regular contact with McCain’s campaign predicted a contentious gathering in St. Paul.
“You will not have a unanimous vote at the convention, that much I can tell you,” said this source. “There will be some blowback.”
Many leading conservatives have strongly pushed back on McCain’s suggestion that he might choose a pro-choice running mate.
For the third day in a row, talk radio guru Rush Limbaugh castigated the idea Tuesday on his radio show, saying the mainstream media — “the drive-by media,” in his parlance — is enthralled by the idea.
“The drive-bys are just hoping for it, because they know the base will totally turn on McCain if this is the case,” Limbaugh said. “If he picks a pro-choice running mate, it’s not going to be pretty, and the drive-bys know it."
“The question is how to get the message to McCain," he said. "You don’t get in McCain’s face and say, ‘Don’t do it.’ That’s a dumb thing to do. [You have to say something like] ‘Sen. McCain, we know you’re smart … and we know you don’t want to lose.’”
The answer to what McCain is thinking could come soon. Republicans were told that barring a change, McCain plans to appear with his pick at an arena in Dayton, Ohio, on Aug. 29 — a week from Friday, and the day after Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination in a Denver stadium.
Campaign advisers said Obama’s performance is likely to be so strong they think it will “scare” Republicans, and they’re eager to change the conversation to their own No. 2 the next morning.
Obama is likely to make his pick this Friday, Saturday or Sunday, according to advisers. But they warned it could come any time.
Ugh!
Disagree. With good reason, McCain has decided that he count on conservatives to support him no matter what he does. He figures that Iraq (and disdain for Obama) will trump everything else with conservatives. I suspect that a Lieberman pick will anger some folks here but the majority will rally around the nominee (as they always do).
Totally agree...and so many fall for it hook, line and sinker!
I guess if a liberal VP is what you are looking for...she loves, loves bill clinton and thinks he was/is the greatest president to ever live.
It shouldn't--but apparently it would. :-(
After watching him for, lo, these many decades, the rational person never presumes to know McCain's mind until after he's actually done something. In fact, with his state of mental deterioration, McCain doesn't know what he stands for from moment to moment.
Good one
Rat mis-information. Fox is reporting that mcqueeg won’t choose a pro-abort VP.
Is it? Really? Sure about that, huh? Willing to bet the farm?
My guess is the answer in this case would be no. It’s doubtful one would hear a whimper or a sigh from within the woods...
The second to last paragraph is correct in all aspects. Conservatives will “settle” this time. The problem is, it won’t help. Who cares what the VP’s positions are, seriously. Lieberman represents a Pax Judeo-Christiandom that should play well with the electorate. He’s a great champion for keeping our guard up with both arms. He’s an interesting person.
It would be the Grumpy Old Men Ticket.
That’s the scary thing about McCain—he’s all over the map. I like steady and predictable.
Every person that surrounds McCain makes me scrunch up my nose. Heck McCain makes me scrunch up my nose.
LOL! Mordy! I guess that’s why she thinks bill clinton is the greatest president that ever lived...’cause compared to Jimmy Carter, anyone/anything would look the ‘greatest’ whatever.
I take it you did NOT see the Saddleback debate Saturday.
It seems Lindsey Graham gets up every morning and asks himself what he could do today to weaken conservatives and Republicans . Then he does whatever that is.
I have been posting for quite some time about how I find it so difficult to hold my nose and vote for McCain - yet the Libertarian candidate opened his fat mouth and reminded me why I cannot vote for that bunch...
Which leave Chuck Baldwin who hasn’t opened his mouth much at all. Then again, he doesn’t have much money either, and may not even be on several ballots...
And we somehow need to keep Obama from the office...
I really don’t know what to do. And the idea of McCain having either Dem-Lieberman, or Ridge as VP concretes my inability to vote for McCain.
At least if McCain were to pick a good solid conservative as VP, it MIGHT make a vote for him more palatable.
What to do????
Seems someone on the McCain team is talking out their ass “off the record”. Either that or the source is not nearly as high up as they think they are. Total BS
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