Congresswoman: Edwards, Nunn On VP List

Rep. Kilpatrick Met With Obama's Vetting Team Wednesday, Says The Two Are Being Considered

(AP)  Former Sens. John Edwards and Sam Nunn are on a list of potential running mates for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a congresswoman said Thursday, one day after she met with members of Obama's team vetting possible candidates.

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Michigan Democrat who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, said members of her caucus asked her to forward the names of Edwards and Nunn when she met Wednesday with Obama's vice presidential search team. The vetting team, Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, indicated the two were on the list.

"We've been brainstorming in the Congressional Black Caucus. Former Sen. Sam Nunn's name has come up, as well as John Edwards' name has come up among our CBC members. I reported that to them and they had both of those names on their list," Kilpatrick said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Kilpatrick said she made several suggestions during the 45-minute meeting, including former Vice President Al Gore, Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Gore endorsed Obama in Detroit on Monday.

"I asked them what type of person the senator is looking for? And they said in general someone who could help him rebuild the country ... talking about change. How we reinvest in America, get people back to work and reinforce our education system and bring the jobs back," she said.

She declined to say which names were put forth by Kennedy and Holder during their meeting. The prominent Democratic attorneys have been meeting with lawmakers to receive feedback on Obama's potential running mate.

When Kilpatrick said Gore was her personal choice, "they had a smile on their face. They have a list of candidates. I think I may have been the first to do that. They didn't say one way or the other."

But she wasn't the only one to mention Gore.

Rep. Joe Baca, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, met Wednesday with Kennedy and Holder. A former Clinton supporter, he offered Clinton's name but said he mentioned others, too. Those included Edwards, Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, Gore, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

"These are all good names," Baca said. "Ultimately the decision will be up to Obama."

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and John Kerry's running mate in 2004, could help Obama appeal to white, working-class voters who largely favored Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primary and will be a critical voting bloc in the general election. The drawback of an Edwards pick is that he was the vice presidential nominee four years ago, while Obama's campaign is about turning the page.

Edwards has said he is not seeking the vice presidency.

"I'd take anything he asked me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something I've done and it's not a job that I'm seeking," Edwards said last Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Nunn would bring national security credentials to the ticket, having served as the longtime Armed Services Committee chairman. The former Georgia senator is a member of Obama's foreign policy advisory group.

But Nunn has not been in office for more than a decade so he is not well-known nationally. He is a conservative Democrat who supported school prayer and opposed gays in the military, while Obama tends to have a more liberal viewpoint. Nunn will turn 70 in September.

Other lawmakers who have been briefed say there about 20 names on the list Obama's team has been discussing. The list includes current elected officials, former elected officials and retired military generals, lawmakers have said.

Kilpatrick said most of the names she was asked about were in the Senate.

[trbundro1277]

Edwards / Obama 2008!

[trbundro1277]

If you take Richardson as VP to carry those states, you have to make up for losing PA, Ohio, Michigan, and even possible other states like New Hampshire and New Jersey. California we would take with or without Richardson, Texas is still Red even with Richardson. So I would take Edwards as VP to help with GA, Virgina, North Carolina(where he was senator and won the 2004 primary there) Pa(where he polls better as VP than even Rendell(who is a popular democrat in PA) the working class in Michigan and Ohio would tilt Democrat with Edwards on the Ticket. If Obama takes Edwards as VP, there will be an Obama/Edwards 2008 bumper sticker on my car as soon as that is announced

[trbundro1277]

Before Richardson should be considered for VP, he should go back to his Governor''s job and make the kids of illegals pay for college the free college they currently recieve! If i''m white and poor, and my parents make less than 25 thousand per year combined, why did I have to pay my way through college, yet people that came here illegally and had kids, or even kids that were born in Mexico and came here illegally, why should they get free college? Make it fair, give whites, blacks and hispanics that make under a certain amount every year get free college. It is bull that illegals get free college, while poor whites and poor blacks have to pay the same as all the rich kids. Richardson supports benefits for illegals. If Richardson is VP, I still won''t vote for Mccain, but then I won''t vote for Obama either. Barr or Nadar would get my vote if Richardson is on the VP spot. Sure Richardson would help with the hispanic vote in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizon, California, TX, and Florida, but those are the only states with high hispanic population.

[trbundro1277]

TRBundroll, LOL!!! Do you just make this stuff up as you go along?
Posted by TruUSA at 02:12 AM : Jun 20, 2008
** Make what up? I voted for Edwards in the South Carolina primary. I was very sad when he dropped out. I wanted him to go to the convention because if he stayed in the race, he would have won later contests in Pa, Ohio, and some other states towards the end. He got 7 percent of the vote in West Virginia even though he dropped out 4 months or more before WV voted! Edwars is very much less divisive than Clinton. Richardson, forget it, with Obama trying to become the first Afro-American president, taking a white male VP from a southern state would be the best idea! You don''t have to be racist to agree with that statement, that is just want the working white class would like to see. I didn''t say hard working white class like Hillary Clinton. I''m a white working class voter, but that doesn''t make me any better than a black working class voter. I just really think Obama would be very smart to take Edwards. In poll after poll Edwards polls great as VP for Obama in lots of swing states and states we hope to make progress in. I think VA, OH, PA, Michigan and NC would be very big wins for Obama with Edwards as his VP. The reason Edwards didn''t help Kerry take NC and other swing states was because Kerry was very unelectable. He should have responded to that swift boat *** right away! Obama/Edwards 2008!

[trbundro1277]

My choices would be Edwards or Richardson - they bring unique perspectives to the table
Posted by SamTheTVCat at 01:10 AM : Jun 20, 2008
*** What perspectives does Richardson bring to the table? The fact that as New Mexican governor Richardson allowed the kids of illegals to get free college???? How is that fair and ending poverty? If I am white and grew up poor and my parents made less than 25 thousand combined, why wouldn''t I qualify for free college too? That is why I think Richardson would actually detract from Obama''s votes. I would love Edwards. We need a white guy on the ticket to win mainstream white working class voters. If there is an Obama/Richardson ticket, you can give Ohio, PA, possible New Jersey, definately Michigan and VA to the REpublicans. White working class voters are heading towards Obama because we hate economic conditions in this country and would fear Mccain giving amnesty to over 12 million illegals that would come take our jobs from us. Obama says in his immigration platform No amnesty. Putting a mexican-American on the ticket would scare me away from Obama this November and force me to vote for Nadar or Barr!

[trbundro1277]

Hahaha, a great swing state VP?
Posted by indivthinker at 02:19 AM : Jun 20, 2008
*** It wasn''t Edwards fault for losing in 2004! Kerry gave up right away. Kerry was so unelectable! John Edwards was the best part of Kerry/Edwards! Democrats have a history of nominating the wrong candidate. This year should have been and Edwards/Obama ticket! Americans would have been more likely to vote for the first black VP, and after 8 years of doing a great job, People would have voted for the first black president. I''m not racist, but I know that getting america use to a black vp, would make it easier for alot of white to swallow having the first black president! It was Kerry that lost 2004, not Edwards. Edwards tried his best to help a losing cause. Kerry needed to come out quicker against those swift boaters! That is what lost 2004! Stop blaming Edwards! Besides, the political landscape in 2008 is alot better for Democrats than 2004. A Kerry/Edwards ticket in 2008 would have carried alot more states and would have beat any possible republican combinations in 2008!

[trbundro1277]

Whoops...typo :)

I''''m fine with any of these:

Obama/Edwards

Obama/Clinton


Obama/Richardson
Posted by jh6379 at 09:00 AM : Jun 20, 2008
*** I would be okay with Obama/Edwards or Obama/Clinton! I would NOT be okay with Obama/Richardson. I''m not racist, but lets fact it, most americans have some racist thoughts even if they don''t directly know it. How would it look to the white people in this country that there would be 2 minorities on the Democratic ticket? We are trying to win the working white class voters in PA, OH, Michigan, Minnesota, Flordia, GA, and Virginia! How the heck does Bill Richardson carry the people in those swing states. Sure Richardson would probably carry the hispanic vote in Florida, but that is the only one of the swing states that has a high hispanic population. Edwards or Clinton would vastly help in states like PA, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and VA, where there are not many hispanic voters anyways. Sure I say give Richardson a cabinet possition, but no vp spot for Richardson. I refuse to vote for John Amnesty Mccain, however, If Obama takes Richardson as VP, I will vote for either Barr or Nadar! So I know this is a test throwing those two VP names out there. I really like Edwards. Edwards is a rising star in the Democratic Party!

[trbundro1277]

I wonder why the obama vetting team let it be known that the 2 were on the list. I guess they wanted to see what the public thought. Edwards was a losing candiate for kerry and did not help much. Nunn has been out of ppolitics for a while and allowed his seat go republican. If he is interested now why wouldn''''t he kept in the senate. While in politics he opposed the first persion gulf war. He could not get his presidential campaign of the ground. Not very good choices in my opinion.
Posted by Zerato at 02:14 PM : Jun 20, 2008
*** Edwards would be a great VP! So what if Kerry/Edwards ticket lost. Edwards wasn''t the problem on that ticket! Kerry was very unelectable, Edwards almost made it possible for Kerry to get in anyways! Just because Kerry/Edwards lost, doesn''t mean it was Edward''s fault! Edwards would make a great president someday!

[trbundro1277]

I agree I don''''t want Obama for President but if it happens I would sure feel better with Edwards at his side!
Posted by american30 at 08:50 AM : Jun 20, 2008
I like Obama/Edwards! I don''t really like Obama that much either, but I hate Amnesty Mccain!

[zerato-2009]

this is a test
---
Posted by aldon61

Are you passing and should I make cheat notes?

[aldon61]

this is a test

[zerato-2009]

I wonder why the obama vetting team let it be known that the 2 were on the list. I guess they wanted to see what the public thought. Edwards was a losing candiate for kerry and did not help much. Nunn has been out of ppolitics for a while and allowed his seat go republican. If he is interested now why wouldn''t he kept in the senate. While in politics he opposed the first persion gulf war. He could not get his presidential campaign of the ground. Not very good choices in my opinion.

[aldon61]

This is a test.

[realpatriot1]

ndpinpent-ru,

Can you say P-A-R-A-N-O-I-D?

[zykracosmos]

Obama "dream team"
Hillary Clinton- VP
Joe Biden- Sec of State
Richard Clarke- Sec of Homeland Security
Nunn- Sec of Defense
Gore- Sec of Energy
Robert Kennedy Jr- Sec of Interior
Mario Cuomo- Sec of Education
Bloomberg- Sec of Treasury
Bill Clinton- Ambassador to UN

And I''ve got more...

[von_marko]

Obama''''s short list of VP Picks:

1. Oprah
2. OJ
3. Osama
4. O''''mama
5. O My God!
6. Oreo
7. O U 8 1 2
8. Ozzie
9. OOGA-BOOGA
Alternates; Farrahkan, Wright, Pfleger, Michelle, Ayers, Rezko, Sinclair, Dorn, Hamas

[american30]

I agree I don''t want Obama for President but if it happens I would sure feel better with Edwards at his side!

[jimjus]

I like Pease not war. I like construction not destruction. War mongers should never be in politics. Lot of energy and money has been wasted because of war.

[shameonbush]

Ok, now there is hope. John Edwards would have made one of the greatest presidents this country has ever seen. I was sick when he dropped out of the race. However, Obama even considering to run with John Edwards gives me hope in Obama. I will vote for Obama for sure, if he runs with Edwards.

[jedi080808]

As long as Hillary isn''t on the ticket, Obama could pick almost anyone and beat McCain.

If he had Hillary on there, he would get crushed