WASHINGTON, May 22, 2008
Sources: Obama Begins VP Search In Secret
Select Group Of Advisers Handling Process, Vetting Of Potential Picks Set To Begin
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Who Will Win The Veep-Stakes?
Barack Obama and John McCain have begun to consider who they'll plug for the number-two slot. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is waging her own battle in Florida. Dean Reynolds reports.
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Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., listens to questions at a town hall meeting in Kissimmee, Fla., Wednesday, May 21, 2008. (AP)
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Sources told CBS News the Obama campaign will begin vetting potential choices soon.
CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder reports that the campaign is starting to collect dossiers based only on open source research on a large number of potential picks so that Obama has something to read when he starts to think about the choice. (Read more from Ambinder on the process and potential picks.)
Obama also has asked former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson to begin vetting potential vice presidential picks, Democratic officials said Thursday. Johnson did the same job for Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984.
Obama refused to acknowledge Johnson's role when The Associated Press asked the Illinois senator about it in the Captiol Thursday.
"I haven't hired him. He's not on retainer. I'm not paying him any money. He is a friend of mine. I know him," Obama said. "I am not commenting on vice presidential matters because I have not won this nomination."
The Democratic officials spoke on a condition of anonymity about a process that the campaign wants to keep quiet.
Vice presidential searches are usually closely held secrets, but Obama campaign officials say the effort is being handled by a particularly tight circle of advisers.
By June 4, the day after Democrats finish voting, the campaign hopes to have a full team in place, Ambinder reports.
"He wants this done right," one person who is privy to the candidate and campaign's thinking on the matter told Ambinder. "He takes this very seriously."
The campaign did not want to publicly discuss the effort because they are still engaged in a fading primary campaign against Clinton, with three primaries left in Puerto Rico, South Dakota and Montana. The voting ends June 3. Obama has repeatedly declined to discuss possible running mates while the primary is ongoing.
"We're not commenting about this process," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.
But they are taking behind-the-scenes steps to move toward the general election campaign, with just 70 delegates needed to clinch the nomination according to the latest CBS News count. Obama has 1,956 delegates to Clinton's 1,773, with 2,026 required to secure the party's nod under Democratic National Committee rules.
The Obama campaign is rapidly adding to its campaign staff, both at the headquarters and in general election swing states. Obama has been traveling to some of those battlegrounds - Missouri, Michigan, Iowa and Florida in the last nine days - while the campaign is registering voters across the country for the November vote. And top Obama organizer Paul Tewes is in discussions to take over the Democratic National Committee.
It's all part of an effort to lay the groundwork for an aggressive kickoff to a general election campaign. Republican John McCain has a head start and has been building his effort for several months since the GOP primary race wrapped up in early March.Horserace: The Mating Dance Begins
CBSNews.com's Vaughn Ververs provides some helpful ground rules in watching the process by which running mates are chosen.
McCain is hosting at least three Republicans mentioned as potential vice presidential running mates at his Sedona, Ariz., home this weekend - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. A top aide said it's a social event with more than two dozen guests not meant for veep vetting.
Obama's campaign refused to talk about who was being considered, but possible options are Clinton; governors such as Arizona's Janet Napolitano, Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Tim Kaine of Virginia; foreign policy experts like former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd or Delaware Sen. Joe Biden; or other senators such as Missouri's Claire McCaskill and Virginia's Jim Webb.
He could look outside the party to people such as war critic and Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel or independent New York mayor Mike Bloomberg. Or he could look to one of his early prominent supporters such as former Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota or try to bring on a Clinton supporter like Indiana's Evan Bayh.
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 1118 CommentsThe Obama Shuffle will steamroll old man McCain regardless of who he chooses. We''re the CHAMPIONS baby!!!
Here''s a secret for you and all the rest of those individuals who won''t be voting for Senator Obama, read my lips: The Obama Shuffle don''t need you. The rest of America already knows that what with two wars and a slumping economy that Obama is clearly better than a girl or an old man in need of multiple daily naps. Sooooo, if you want to waste your vote or refrain from voting altogether, it doesn''t matter, we are the CHAMPIONS baby!!!
biden
nunn
webb
napeltino
kaine
Someone please start a website to co-ordinate it. Post it everywhere. E-mail it everywhere.
Do it NOW!
Pick a date. Start with a week or so....see if that has an effect. Independence Day would certainly be appropriate.
Higher oil prices are causing RUNAWAY inflation. It is actually killing people in countries who can no longer pay for food and it is a portense of things to come............here.
We are in deep doo.
Who has the know-how to start the ball rolling? You would be a true patriot and a hero now, legend later.
Do it TODAY!
Posted by TawpDawg11 at 11:54 AM : May 22, 2008
He''ll get the leftwing dems and some independents in the general election, but he''s much too flawed to carry middle America.
More and more people are finding out that instead of being a ''uniter'', he''s just another socialist liberal.
Posted by badaxmofo at 11:57 AM : May 22, 2008
No WAY! That would counter all the affirmative action goodies he and Michelle-ma-belle received up to this point.
Colin Powell couldn''t carry Obama''s briefcase. What a weenie.
How come the people who voted for GW Bush didn''t seem to have an issue with his qualifications OR his intelligence for that matter? McCain is also in the questionable intelligence range. Have you heard this idiot speak? Double standards if you ask me.
More and more people are finding out that instead of being a ''''uniter'''', he''''s just another socialist liberal.
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Posted by LibH8er at 11:59 AM : May 22, 2008
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Yeah I know! It''s rough being a Nazi these days...especially when your excuse for a Canidate has an AGENT of some Dictator running his chanpaign!! That with the War in Iraq should just about seal your fate...especially when you don''t have a Hate Target or Wedge Issue that''s working. But hey, chin up, so you haven''t won an election since the Fuhrer Scared the people into 2004... Just keep burning those Crosses... who knows?? ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush
Webb is decent, but L. Douglas Wilder balances the ticket with his age.
It''s time for racists to stop pretending they are black to start some kind of race fighting. You guys are true losers.
good points made on Colin Powell. What a weenie anyways.
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Posted by smoker991 at 12:10 PM : May 22, 2008
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Yes but the canidate picks HIS running mate by party rules... YOU don''t have to elect him VP I guess... just always been that way. Don''t worry, I''ve know Obama a LONG time... he''s going to make Democrats PROUD!! He''s THAT good!!
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Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 12:10 PM : May 22, 2008
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Like I said to a previous poster. I''ve watched Obama and his Head advisor work for years... Not to worry, either would be good but it''s really up to him. This is going to be a radically different Administration than Bush... He, Obama, will be running the show. Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 12:12 PM : May 22, 2008
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Yes and 4 more years of LOSING will really put us in a position where RADICAL decisions will have to be made. How anyone can vote for the same policy is beyond me. When you look at where we are not that is. FAILURE isn''t a strong enough word for the Bush Policy. LOL Sieg Heil Bush
This guy is not an Obama supporter and his posts are just meant to scare people. He keeps posting the same things for weeks on end.
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Posted by smoker991 at 12:14 PM : May 22, 2008
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Un huh! You really aren''t the sharpest tool in the old shed there are you sparky?? Hadn''t you better call a nurse of something??? Sieg Heil Bush
The idea here seems to be that as America''s power diminishes, we should set back and do nothing in the hopes that the rest of the world will like us so much that they''ll still let us be a world leader....a pretty wild liberal dream. This seems to go along with a lot of Obama''s ideas...like destroying our Nuclear Arms and them asking the rest of the world to destroy theirs as he said in the last debate he had with Hillary. No wonder he doesn''t want to debate Hillary any more. Open mouth and insert foot disease is not unknown to him. Perhaps the title of his next book.
Obama''s liberalism will lose him and the Democrates the White House.
America wants nothing to do with a POST American candidate.
Vote for America!! Vote for Hillary!!
L. Douglas Wilder can help carry Virginia, an important swing State, and may even generate more voter-registration in the deep-South.
Obama''s VP is going to have to be white, probably from the south or midwest, with no name that is ethnic, clearly a christian, and with a long political record. Those would be the traits that I''d see that might balance some of the fears of the Jerry Springer crowd.
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Posted by smoker991 at 12:16 PM : May 22, 2008
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LOL Right! What ARTICAL? What section?? ROFLMAO Did we take a nip early today? Sieg Heil Bush
Posted by badaxmofo at 12:07 PM : May 22, 2008
You don''t pay attention to the BA Obvious. Powell, as admirable as he is, just doesn''t have the BALLS to be the first black president, and in other words has admitted it. You have to laud Obama for stepping up to do this, because in effect, he will be commiting the rest of his life to a variation of prison.
And to further show how out of it you are, go watch the original Manchurian Candidate movie. He was an american captured in SE Asia, tortured, then ran for president. Now who fits THAT description...?
And YES, Webb would be a GREAT choice for Veep!!
As the Senator from New York, Hillary Clinton has made an appeal to the commissioner of Major League Baseball.
On May 15 The NY Yankees lost to Tampa Bay by a score of 5 - 2. Mrs. Clinton calls this an outrage and wants the results overturned. The Yankees actually outhit the Rays in that game by a margin of 7 - 5. This is an egregious case of hitter disenfranchisement and given that the Yankees outhit the Rays, they should be acknowledged as the winner of that game.
Major League Baseball has yet to respond to this appeal.
Let''s just agree to disagree on the women issue. We are a nation at war here and the VP has to be strong and steady--not a pretty face doll dressed up to look presidential. America is at war with terrorist hellbent on harming us, so like they say fight fire with fire, so, again, powder-puff susie is not an option.
That''s the ticket.
Your comments about Obama''s VP choice makes sense given the real challenges around it concerning some folks in our society. L. Douglas Wilder is a strong choice and has an established white support base.
Margaret Thatcher handled herself pretty well during the Falklands War.
Angela Merkel doesn''t seem like a pushover.
There are plenty of strong women out there.
If not Webb, I''d also offer Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.
Al Sharpton couldn''t carry Obama''s briefcase. Somebody put a muzzle on that clown.
Posted by ljb6599 at 12:24 PM : May 22, 2008
That''s the ticket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Margaret Thatcher handled herself pretty well during the Falklands War.
Angela Merkel doesn''''t seem like a pushover.
There are plenty of strong women out there.
If not Webb, I''''d also offer Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.
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Posted by whatithink at 12:25 PM : May 22, 2008
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You know when you start going through the Democratic Party today, there are so many good choices. :) There''s a NEW generation out there... they haven''t made themselves felt yet but they are getting ready too. We''re the first generation to leave them LESS than we got... They take that VERY seriously.
Let''s just agree to disagree about choosing a girl to be on the ticket. Webb is a good choice but don''t count L. Douglas Wilder out either.
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Posted by ljb6599 at 12:26 PM : May 22, 2008
They truly are a pathetic lot that''s for sure. When they do NOT have that Hate message, that Wedge Issue they are just lost... end up making up REALLY stupid stuff because the Reich isn''t putting it out for them.
If you really think the Obama Shuffle is going to lose, you may want to take some of those rite-aid prescriptions. This race is over; America knows an old man and a girl are not suffice at this juncture in our nation''s history.
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Posted by riteaidbob at 12:26 PM : May 22, 2008
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LOL This PATHETIC LOSER is one of those who thought IRAQ attacked us... HE thought Bin Laden and Saddam were PALS!! ROFLMAO I hope you don''t mind Bootlicker but I hardly think you have the ability OR the intelligence to be predicting ANYTHING! ROFLMAO Now go play with your Hood and Sheet!! Sieg Heil Bush
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