Why does this send my Spidey senses tingling?
Posted on 07/05/2012 9:33:47 AM PDT by SharpRightTurn
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s search for a running mate is allegedly entering its final phase, and establishment Republican Ohio Senator Rob Portman is believed to be at the top of the list. Portman has campaigned repeatedly with Romney, and he is flying to New Hampshire this week — where the Romney family is vacationing — to appear at a Republican fund-raiser.
Portman continues to garner plaudits from the establishment media, but most importantly, he is the clear favorite of many establishment Republican insiders.
As The New York Times observed, “he [Portman] is among a select breed of politicians who have a keen and deep understanding of the inner workings of government.” And to the big government Republicans who were Portman’s colleagues in the George W. Bush administration and the House under Speaker Dennis Hastert, this makes him not just a safe choice, but the best choice.
Portman, who was elected to the Senate in 2010 after representing the Cincinnati area in the House for 12 years, has been around Washington for some 30 years. He may be unknown to many Republicans across the country, but in Washington -- where he worked in both Bush administrations -- he is the ultimate insider. He's also the ultimate Bush Republican.
In addition to working in both Bush administrations, Portman campaigned hard for George W. Bush in 2000, dogging Senator John McCain across Ohio, crashing McCain campaign events and contributing mightily to W’s victory in Ohio.
As the Budget Director of the George W. Bush administration, Portman became an acknowledged expert on the federal budget. Indeed, as a newly elected senator, Portman pulled out his own charts and graphs on the Senate floor to analyze the nation’s rising deficits and its then-debt of $15 trillion.
But Portman’s problem on spending is not his knowledge of the budget, it is his failure to actually do anything to end the deficits and debt that are destroying the American dream we just celebrated on the 4th of July.
Portman, like many establishment Republicans, comes across as a basically conservative Main Street Ohio politician -- but he’s no Bob Taft.
If Republicans want to defeat President Obama, and in the process get America off the road to economic disaster, they must reject the big government Republicanism that led the Republican Party to its defeats in 2006 and 2010.
Mitt Romney claims that he is a Washington outsider who was not part of those Republican disasters. If that’s true, he will certainly choose a conservative “boat rocker” like Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal or Jim DeMint, not the chief architect of George W. Bush’s budget deficit disasters.
If it's Portman, all bets are off--one more inside-the-beltway, party boy, establishment, big government Republican.
The Stupid Party; giving a whole new meaning to a flat learning curve.
Is Portman pro-life?
I wish he would seriously consider David Petraeus.
Romney is light on foreign affairs, anti-terrorism and the military and Petraeus could provide balance.
Also, I would like to the this ticket adopt a new campaign theme:
“Competence”
Let’s see...a big-government Bush administration insider who has been around Washington for 30 years? What could possibly go wrong?
Choosing Portman would be all about winning Ohio. And finding someone who would not out-charisma Myth. For my money they’d be better off focusing on Florida, bringing on Rubio, and letting the charisma issue go.
So two tall skinny pale white guys........
Natalie?
Why would Romney pick someone different than him?
Paul Ryan. It’s the economy, jobs,and health care. No one comprehends the substance of the issues better than Ryan.
“Is Portman pro-life?”
Not sure.
“Let’s see...a big-government Bush administration insider who has been around Washington for 30 years? What could possibly go wrong?”
It’s like we’re stuck in a time warp where a stupid decision is made, it plays out to its inevitable disaster, then loops to repeat itself endlessly.
“So two tall skinny pale white guys........”
Non-preferred gender persons of non-color.
Why does this send my Spidey senses tingling?
Cool!
Didn’t Petraeus describe himself as a ‘Rockefeller Republican’ or something similar?
There’s nothing in a military man resume suggestive of small-government instincts.
I hope not. Voting for Romney is hard enough to swallow let alone having Portman on the ticket.
For Real.
Who the heck is he anyway. He’s been there 30 years and I don’t recall any peep out of him. He certainly wasn’t getting TV time pushing back against Reid. Did he tote McConnell’s oxygen bottle? He’s a budget/finance guy?? Heck of a lot of good that is when the Senate hasn’t done a budget in 3 years.
This sucks. Get some gonads so-to-speak in the VP slot.
I favor Ryan at this point.
Condi Rice would fit that bill. Works for me.
I mean, I’m already holding my nose and voting AGAINST the Kenyan - not necessarily FOR the Republican contender.
How many times can the author use the word “establishment” in the article. Pretty much answers your question concerning the possible VP selection.
Must have been a bit nippy in that room.
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