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DNC Web Site: Possible McCain Running Mates Are "The Next Cheney"

The Democratic National Committee unveiled a Web site this morning spotlighting seven people discussed as potential running mates for John McCain: Eric Cantor, Charlie Crist, Carly Fiorina, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, Fred Smith and John Thune.

In a press release, the DNC write that the purpose of the site, called "The Next Cheney," is to illustrate "the most important thing the voters need to know about each of John McCain's potential vice presidential picks: no matter who he chooses, any ticket with John McCain on it means more of the same."

Visitors to the site are offered critical information about each of the potential veeps – they can "Learn more about Pawlenty's ethics violations," "Crist's admiration for Bush," or "Romney's position changes," for example. Clicking on the links takes media reports and other documents painting each politician in an unflattering light.

The site prominently quotes McCain telling Cheney in 2001, "With a little more luck, I might have been able to ask you to be my Vice-President." It will be updated with information about additional vice presidential candidates in the coming days, according to the DNC release.

UPDATE: Republican National Committee Spokesman Alex Conant responds to the site: "The irony is that Obama – not McCain – voted for Cheney's energy bill. While everyone else is debating the all-too-real energy crisis, it's good to see Democrats are obsessing over hypothetical political match-ups. The DNC is having fun with Washington parlor games, but the rest of the nation is debating the merits of McCain's 'all-of-the-above' energy plan versus Obama's 'inflate-your-tires' approach."

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