Undeterred by McCain Denials, Some See Him as Kerry's No. 2

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, May 14 — Despite weeks of steadfast rejections from Senator John McCain, some prominent Democrats are angling for him to run for vice president alongside Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, creating a bipartisan ticket that they say would instantly transform the presidential race.

The enthusiasm of Democrats for Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, is so high that even some who have been mentioned as possible Kerry running mates — including Senator Bill Nelson of Florida and Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska senator — are spinning scenarios about a "unity government," effectively giving Mr. Kerry a green light to reach across the political aisle and extend an offer.

"Senator McCain would not have to leave his party," Mr. Kerrey said. "He could remain a Republican, would be given some authority over selection of cabinet people. The only thing he would have to do is say, `I'm not going to appoint any judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade,' " the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, which Mr. McCain has said he opposes.

Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist who once worked for Mr. Kerry, said such a ticket "would be the political equivalent of the Yankees signing A-Rod," referring to Alex Rodriguez, the team's star third baseman.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/15/politics/campaign/15MCCA.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1084588869-zecsvIwIKbAy49gmTtURYw

[2Design]

1. McCain can help us more on the other side besides his values are differen

[PurityOfEssence]

39. Let's just get DeLay; think how many HE could deliver

Why bother with this candy-ass coalition crap? Let's see if we can tempt Gary Bauer to climb aboard. Hell, Bob Dornan's available, why not him? There's always Phil Gramm; I'm sure he wouldn't have any qualms about re-selling whatever portions of his soul he can even locate these days. Hey, David Duke got out of prison on April 9th, he'd probably play second fiddle for us if we asked real nice.

This crap is ridiculous.

"Them Dems, they so stupid they can't even find two guys in they whole party. Har har har."

McCain is an extremist; he is not a friend of even the center, much less the left or humanity at large. Yes, he's got nice eyes and a sweet smile, but he's another running dog for the kleptocrats, and he's not even subtle about it.

Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

[Voltaire99]

49. Nice idea. But see here, sir: why not get Rumsfeld as veep?

As long as military whackos are being considered, why not go whole hog? Sure, McCain is a social extremist, and he even scores nicely on any military nutcase scorecard (being among the first to advocate use of US military force). And let's not forget the famous McCain temper: ai yi yi yi! But Rummy, now--he's actually invaded a non-threatening nation and killed lots of civilians! Hard to beat that kind of experience.

The Kerry-Rumsfeld ticket will be seen as an olive branch to red-blooded NASCAR fans everywhere who feel the world is in need of more US-led liberation. In lighter moments, Kerry can let Don put him in a headlock; that'll play well in TV-dinner land! And in more serious moments, they can address the "dangers" to "freedom" that make us more "secure"--by bombing and invading the entire planet!

[are_we_united_yet]

62. Surely your forgetting Wolfowitz.

[pres2032]

2. wow

I think that'd pretty cool. Despite being a solid democrat, McCain is probably the one republican I would consider voting for. I say go for it!

Kerry/McCain 2004!

[warrior1]

4. mccain's voting bush

Why in the hell would JFK ever want this guy on his team. One thing is JFK doesn't need him to win, he's doing just fine. Second we need a democrat ticket.

[pres2032]

7. not saying he needs him to win

but if there was ever a time to show a united front, now is it. Let's show the world that Americans are united against Bush. This may sound overly optimistic, but how awsome would it be to really change American politics, end all the stupid bickering and actually work for something good, that something that really is America. The America that really is united and stands for something. The America who puts squabbiling by the way-side and looks after its citizens. Everyone is talking about how we need change, how we need to change American government. This would be a huge step in the right direction.

[spotbird]

19. The freeps view McCain the way we view Zell

The analogy is false, but that's the way they see it. Maybe the uneducated would be fooled, God knows they're gullible. But Clark brings what McCain would without the luggage that he campaigned for Jeb.

[iamjoy]

45. IF That's True

If the Freepers view McCain the way we view Zell then that is an outstanding reason to support McCain!

[serryjw]

60. The Spaceship is leaving for my parallel universe!

Sorry, But you said the wrong thing. I am a Liberal Democrat, I am a DK delegate and in this life I will not vote for McCain. This is not a personally contest. I am voting for a president of a secular Nation. Have you ever looked at his voting record. He is NOT a RINO.....He is a REPUBLICAN. We don't agree on anything!If this happened the liberal end of this country would 'write in' Kucinich or vote Nader and we would all lose. THIS IS CRAZY!!!!!!

Check McCain's voting record

http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/John_McCain.htm

[playahata1]

77. Dream on.

This country is TOO polarized for any show of solidarity between the anti-Shrub forces and Republicans who can't stand Bush.

[prolesunited]

13. I am NOT voting

for a Republican! If you look at his record, McCain is not a RINO. The only reason he sounds sane right now is that he hasn't drank the neocons kool-aid.

[Zhade]

57. He has an article describing him as a neocon-supporter on his gov website.

http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewArticle&Content_id=703

McCain has become the champion for the hard-line, neoconservative thinkers who want to move quickly against Iraq, no matter how many countries agree.

Not only does McCain not disavow the label, he posts the article in which it is contained on his own official government website.

That people can support McCain is ridiculous. The man is not to be trusted.

[burythehatchet]

3. McCain has been EVERYWHERE lately

[aquaman]

6. McCain is not an option.....

I will not vote for a republican, this is ridiculous that it is even being considered.

[Bok_Tukalo]

24. Just winning isn't enough

Sooner or later a LEADER is needed to unify this polarized nation. If all we are going to do is follow a Pierce with a Buchanan, what's the point other than Democrats get to be the ones making excuses for the Executive's mistakes instead of the Republicans?

I doubt, seriously, that either Kerry or McCain, the Democrats or the Republicans, are capable of such an act of unity and true vision.

Things just aren't bad enough yet, I guess.

[moondust]

70. Of course. He's running for President.

Unofficially. I sense the Pugs are pushing him out in the media as much as possible for exposure as a stealth alternative to the collapsing Bush* regime. If their numbers drop much lower by convention time they'll dump the Gump to try to cut their losses.

This may also be one of the main reasons McCain dismisses working for Kerry: he may eventually be the Repug candidate running against JK. And this may be part of why the Kerry campaign sometimes mentions McCain for a possible top job in the next administation. If they can lure him into working for Kerry maybe he won't consider running for President himself.

Hmmmmm...

[burythehatchet]

80. sounds perfectly plausible to me

there is going to be a great deal of turmoil when the pugs realize the reverse coat-tail effect could be in play.

[PartyPooper]

5. WRONG! McCain is NOT the answer to our prayers! It's Wesley Clark!

He could bring far more to the ticket than any repug!

:kick:

[sendero]

81. If Kerry does this..

... I will truly have to hold my nose to vote for him.

Enough is fucking enough. Clark is twice the man McCain ever hoped he could be. If military credentials are all important, its not that McCain is the only choice.

McCain's constant defense of the indefensible has me on edge. I would have a very hard time voting for him in any way.

[Skip Intro]

8. NO!!! NO repub on the DEMOCRATIC TICKET!

Sheesh - this is 2+2 stuff.

[lebkuchen]

64. Agreed!

I barely tolerated William Cohen as Defense Sec. under Clinton, although he was a hell of a lot better than Rummy is now.

[Langis]

9. I used to think McCain was a good idea, but he is not!

He is a republican, granted an honest republican. Just take a look at his voting record and tell me if you want him to have the tie breaking vote in the senate. He is as hard right as you can get.

[NNN0LHI]

28. I don't think the tie breaking stuff in the Senate is important

If McCain voted for something Kerry did not approve of Kerry would simply not sign it into law. And then he could replace McCain to boot if he chose to.

Don

[Art_from_Ark]

72. A tie-breaking vote could be important

if it was for legislation Kerry wanted.

In addition, once McCain were elected, he'd be in there for four years. And if something happened to Kerry during that time, we'd just end up with another wacko right-wing repug as president. And the repugs would try every dirty trick in the book to get Kerry out. Just think of what Ken Starr's witch hunt against former Arkansas Democratic governor Jim Guy Tucker which resulted in the then lieutenant governor, a repug named Mike Huckabee, replacing Tucker. If the lieutenant governor had been a Democrat, you can bet Starr wouldn't have wasted his time with it.

The whole idea of McCain as Kerry's veep is just too nauseating to swallow.

[CharlesGroce]

10. well I'm not voting John Kerry unless Dennis Kucinich is his VP...

Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, or Secretary of the Department of Peace. If he appointed DK to some VERY influential position, I'd vote for him, since he'd be reaching out to me. Otherwise our richest Senator in history can just lose.

[prolesunited]

16. And if HE loses

Bush WINS! You really that will make the world a better place.

Please be pragmatic about this. The fate of the world truly rests on the outcome of this election.

[JoFerret]

84. Compromise and the middle way can sometimes be considered, BUT

we won't win umless we stay true to some DEMOCRATIC values.

[PartyPooper]

18. So, if Dennis Kucinich does not have a position...you want JFK to lose?

What kind of logic is that?

Originally, I was a Dean supporter (and I loved Kucinich). Frankly, John Kerry was not my top-tier choice.

But, I will vote for anybody but Bush. How about you? Would you just not vote...and, thereby allow Junior another four more years to further wreck this country and the world?

:kick:

[ibegurpard]

67. If he put McCain on the ticket that's exactly what I would do.

eom

[JoFerret]

83. Erm...wrong way round....Kerry

has to WIN first, THEN appoint. So VOTE.

[CJCRANE]

90. Please vote for Kerry

I live in the UK, and I have relatives who live in Africa and the Middle East, you would make all our lives a whole lot better.

[UTUSN]

11. Well, *I* Don't. We're Dems, We've GOT Dems, Dems Dems Dems n/t

[kskiska]

12. If McCain were to be on Kerry's ticket and they win the election,

and if something should happen to Kerry, wouldn't we be stuck with a Republican administration?

[Old and In the Way]

29. Exactly.

Last thing I want is for some sicko to come to the same realization.

I don't think Kerry will choose a Republican as VP. But he might bring a couple of them into his cabinet. Hopefully a couple of Senators from states with Democratic governors.

[kskiska]

53. You know? There's a precedent for that.

I just finished a book, "Dark Horse," about how President James Garfield was assassinated. The Republican party was divided into two factions. A "sicko" heard voices telling him to remove Garfield so that VP Chester Arthur, of the desired faction, would be president. He succeeded.

[Art_from_Ark]

74. The ironic thing is

Arthur didn't live up to his radical billing. So the repugs replaced him with James G. Blaine in 1884.

[JoFerret]

85. Better. A deal with McCain about

some role or other. Then he can fire him when he has one of his off the charts hot-headed meltdowns.

[Frances]

14. Kerry's keeping us guessing and that's good

I don't think he would pick McCain anyway, but it's good to keep Bush and Rove off guard. You can be sure they are busy digging up bogus complaints about other potential candidates.

[Skip Intro]

15. A thought - Have Kerry declare McCain as Sec. of Def. - and

have McCain refuse to rule it out - in the media, big time.

That way we have a Dem ticket, we have a repub refusing to rule out serving in a Kerry admin - we get the cake and get to eat it too, eh?

But no repub on the Dem ticket. Nada, nope, no way, no.

[iamjoy]

44. Good Idea

I mean, that helps with the whole security angle since Dems are (unfairly) precevied as weak on defense.

Meanwhile, we know that the tie-breaking vote in the Senate and the man a heartbeat away from all the judicial nominations is not a Conservative.

McCain seems to be a gentleman and is funny.

[JoFerret]

86. Don't forget the Keating Five

in addition to the voting record. Just because Bush slandered him and hates him does not make him worthy (to be a Dem VP.) let the rethugs at least have their unBush hero.

[Deb]

17. Lehane

wasn't he the one behind the false Kerry/intern rumor?

[Nashyra]

20. We don't need a Repuke on the ticket

we have Wes clark

[DemExpat]

68. lol

n/t

[0007]

21. No way!!!

McCain is too wishy washy

[LoZoccolo]

22. I don't want him, but this is clever.

We've heard for months about how Hillary is somehow involved with this or that or that it's all a plot to get her elected...it seems like they basically keep trying to associate her with our presidential nominee, probably to polarize people...this can kind-of be like the same thing, but works the opposite way.

[NNN0LHI]

23. I don't like this idea one bit. But if...

...say Kerry and McCain know that the Chimp is considering pulling something like a military coup de' ta so he don't go to jail if Kerry wins, then having McCain on the ticket will rule that possibility out. I would say that if Kerry chose McCain we will all know just how close we have come to living under a dictatorship. Real damn close.

Don

[teryang]

Chimp won't go to jail

...too many guilty democrats. This government is rotten through and through.

[0007]

87. Yes Yes Yes, and Kerry isn't gonna change much in this rotten

government. And if those democrats are guilty of war crimes or robbing the people they should be dealt the same way as junior and his cabal.

[DemCam]

25. I just don't understand the love of McCain!

wtf?

He's like Lindsey Graham with more stripes...he sounds reasonable and then....BAM!....he let's us know that he cannot...CANNOT..be counted on...by either party.

Isn't there a name for someone like this?

[goclark]

36. Me Either

That Casper voice is soft but he can turn on a dime.
He is such a wanna be that he would screw Kerry in a heart beat.

[Toucano]

26. "Some" suck. n/t

[boobooday]

27. I see no need

To be bringing in republicans. Kerry is republican enough -- he's not far enough left for me, so to choose McCain would only make me angry.


http://www.wgoeshome.com

[madaboutharry]

30. This kind of talk

is for the purpose of reaching out to moderate non-neocon republicans who feel alienated by the right-wing wackos. McCain is not going to be on the ticket, but to talk about him in palatable terms serves to hold out an olive branch to those republicans who do not want to vote for Bush. I personally know two such people and they live in Ohio.

[truthisfreedom]

31. maybe the psychology here is to get the rethugs to think that Kerry might

think about doing it, even though in the end he'll select a Democratic candidate. that way Kerry is cool with some of the rethug base because they can say to themselves, "well, that's nice of him, to consider McCain. our guys would never have done that."

[Soup Bean]

32. I really feed strongly about this. This is a WONDERFUL idea.

Bold and unafraid, we turn the country back to the REAL values we were founded on....a place of open democratic debate about the real things that mattered. Compromise. Take care of each other. Work together even though you disagree. Take the best of both sides and learn from each other.

It would be such a watershed event for those becoming interested in democracy now. The successes they had could reverberate for centuries. They should do it. We should support it.

Unite and heal. Become stronger and more noble and compassionate at the same time. Take care of our less fortunate again, and fix our military, scale back empire, DO IT>

[pres2032]

33. exactly

that's what i said, see post #7. I think it would be a great idea and put America on a wonderful new course towards real democracy.

[leQ]

50. SOLD!

whether it be mccain or... ?

a ticket like that would be, first, unprecedented.
and second... a kingsized blow to all those power thugs.

what a shakeup. i dont know anything else that can save our sorry asses this time. i dont think kerry's capable of doing it without having both houses of congress backing him up. having a split ticket would guarantee that.

a brilliant idea imho.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

61. The first step toward one party rule

Get a clue, people!

[TankLV]

95. I f McCain is in - I stay home on election day.

It's that simple - I will NOT vote for repuke lite.

That will be the last straw. That will be the line I never cross.

Never have, never will.

[Tellurian]

34. No, No, No, No, a 100X NO!

Chris Lehane is not connected to what the people want...

We want to CLEAN house..

People love the Kerry/Clark ticket.

[Tellurian]

40. I don't think Kerry would be disingenuous about fielding McCain for VP

Kerry isn't a 2face..

[leesa]

35. What a disgusting thought! Why the hell should we have a

REPUBLICAN on our ticket!! One loyal to Bush and the neocon agenda?

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Tellurian]

41. Grovelbot...I'm mailing my donation out domani !

:hi:

[2cents]

38. It would be spun...

...and seen as desperation, weakness and surrender to the GOP (Kerry and Dems. have no ideas, etc.)

A "unifying" move like that would only be credible from a position of strength, not by a challenger from a minority party.

Additionally, if he choses a pug, he would negate "coattail" possibilities for fellow Dems.

[Q]

42. More calls for 'bipartisan date rape'?

- I simply wouldn't vote Democratic if there were a Republican on the ticket. And why McCain? He has a decidedly conservative voting record and was a HAWK that helped Bush* push the illegal Iraq war on us.

- Is this more DLC bullshit? What the hell is WRONG with our party when we can't find a good DEMOCRAT to run as VP?

[ibegurpard]

66. I'll go you one further

Not only would I not vote for a ticket with a Republican on it, I would ACTIVELY WORK AGAINST IT. Any Republican who isn't speaking out against the radicals who control their party is complicit with them. And putting a Republican on OUR ticket would signal that we find nothing wrong with them either. I would see this as evidence that conservatives have truly taken over the Democratic Party and would do everything in my power to stop it.

[mitchtv]

43. No choice- no vote

I won't vote for an anti choice politician D or R. What a fooish thing to do. Defense would be ok, no connection to social policy.

[iamjoy]

46. Better McCainThan Breaux (DINO-LA) n/t

[teryang]

47. I don't like to criticise McCain

...because McCain is a genuine heroic character. Sometimes when his speech writers are on the ball, he even seems eloquent. But he is in no way competent to be considered for the executive office, especially as a democratic candidate. Just because he compares favorably to the idiot resident we have now doesn't justify this nonsense.

I accept that conservatives like McCain have an important place in American consensus politics. He is not one who deliberately sets out to destroy "enemies" and undermine the Constitution, like many of his party. Despite his bad temper which he conceals well, he is a likable guy.

He doesn't have the demeanor nor the intellect to be near the oval office. The HUD scandal showed how easily he is led. In any case, he's a freakin repug. While I would characterize him as a conservative rather than a right wing extremist, he has major blind spots when it comes to foreign policy, pentagon contractors and our botched one sided mideast policy.

Those blind spots are extremely profound. Frankly, you would think he would have learned from the Vietnam experience but he hasn't. He learned all the wrong lessons. He is one of the school who believes that if we had only "taken off the gloves," we would have won the war. He also believes, that we didn't lose the war on the battlefield, we lost it at home.

He would do nothing to alleviate the evolving diaster in the mideast. More bullets, more bombs, and more troops isn't the answer. He's been making excuses for one chimp blunder after another. He has a programed nature due to his immersion in the military culture and his rather severe experiences that give him an inflexible nature comparable if not more stubborn than the chimp's, not suited for the highest office.

He has the "been there got the belt buckle mentality" that gives some career military officers of modest intellect notions of infallibility and delusions about their understanding of the world, American power and American priorities. Military endeavors are job one with McCain. Having him in the VP position actually would put him in charge of the dirty tricks, start another war department of the covert government, which is always seeking to sabotage any democratic administration and its priorities.

People who posit him as Kerry's running mate are actually demeaning the democratic party and bolstering the chimp's position by constantly putting McCain, as if he were the inevitable choice, in the position of declining and denying that he aspires to this office. Leave him in the field after the upcoming republican losses to wound John Ellis Bush beyond help.

McCain is a trojan horse. Let him harm the Bush dynasty campaigns of the future rather than John Kerry.

[Enraged_Ape]

48. I don't get it, so Kerry's in the WH for 8 years, then another Repub?

No way in hell do I buy this. The NYT, as usual, can kiss my ass.

[depakid]

51. Some Democrats seem to never learn

In the event McCain is on the ticket, the party basically gives away hope of nationalizing the election and recapturning the House, Senate and State legislatures. It also effectively boosts Nader's support too, so probably for every voter who comes over via McCain, another will be lost to Nader- including several people I know. Maybe even me.

If you look at McCain's record, outside a few areas he's a far right as and as intellectually dishonest as they get- whether people percieve it that way or not (apparently many here don't get that- they should look again).

Frankly, I think this is all a lot of posturing- reaching out without doing anything substantive. Not entirely a bad thing- Republicans have used tactics like that succesfully for years. Turn about is fair play. So long as nothing comes of it.

[Voltaire99]

52. Ralph Nader: about to be proven correct?

Hmmm. Whenever Nader has pointed out that our political choices are between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, good little Democratic centrists predictably get bent out of shape. Now, they actually want Tweedle Dee on their ticket!

McCain is anti-choice and pro-war. He epitomizes what's wrong with right wing America.

Clearly, those backing this insanity couldn't give a rat's ass about the votes of women or progressives. And mark this well: if they go through with it, perhaps we won't give a rat's ass about this ticket, either...

[Tellurian]

54. NYTimes propaganda geared to confuse the masses...

[pacifictiger]

55. As republicans go, I do like McCain

but for goodness sake not for democratic VP! At best, perhaps a cabinet member in the spirit of bipartisanship.
I think the republicans must be pushing this story hoping to retain some influence after Bush is trounced.
Don't you think it's a little too convenient that the right wing media just happens to be keeping this story alive?

[Zhade]

56. FUCK that neoconservative asshole McCain. Fuck him right to hell!

I cannot fathom any informed progressive supporting this man. It boggles the mind.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

58. This nonsense pops up every couple of weeks on DU

The fact that so many people fall for it is a sign of how shallow and celebrity conscious this whole nation has become. :grr:

If the Democrats choose McCain, it will be a sign that they are morally and intellectually bankrupt.

[Desertrose]

59. as my state senator I've seen the crap he's pulled....

on the Navajo.
McCain cares about McCain...too many people make the mistake of thinking he's not your average conservative repub...they are wrong.

He screwed the Navajo here BIGTIME and doesn't care about the working people.
:grr:

If the Democrats choose McCain, it will be a sign that they are morally and intellectually bankrupt.

SO TRUE!


Peace
DR

[OneBlueSky]

63. very few things would cause me to stay home on Election Day . . .

Kerry selecting McCain as his running mate is one of them . . .

[VolcanoJen]

65. Is McCain the new Hillary?

Get over it, RW fantasy-fans. In your wildest dreams, would my beloved party set up your party for victory in 2012.

Right...???!!!??

[Spirochete]

69. Great Idea!

Elect Kerry with a Republican VP, then drive him around Dealey Plaza in an open car, and we're right back under Repug rule.
Who keeps coming up with this shit?

[robbedvoter]

71. Mccain? Wha? Cheney is chopped liver then?

Testimony of the power of the media + low self estime of some dems.
The media decided our nominee, now it goes for our VP preferences - and who cares that we cringe? The message here is: Dems are winpy and dumb. The only way you beat mighty Dush is by borrowing his re-election campaign guy - let's all beg nicely.
After all, here's a guy who, on occasion tells the truth - that should be good enough for us, lowly worms...

[farmbo]

73. If Chris Lehane's for it...I'm again' it!

Lehane's a slime-ballin', Oppo-researching, summa cum laude graduate of the Karl Rove College of campaign disinformation, who's been run out of more campaigns than Dick Morris.

He speaks for no one but himself.

[warrior1]

75. and another thing

IF goddess forbid anything were to happen to JFK, the repukes take over.

[playahata1]

76. Now why would we want this man on the Kerry ticket?

One minute he is giving * and the Repukes hell; the next minute he is kissing their asses. And I am repulsed by many of his positions. Keep the ticket straight -- and hope for the best.

[RaRa]

78. I agree.

I'm ABB, so if this happens it's no brainer for me. But I would be cringing as I vote.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

79. Nothing but NeoCon psycho-babble designed to unsettle Democrats....

...Kerry will NOT pick ANY Republican for VP. Period.

[DemonFighterLives]

82. The idea sounds nice on the surface

But why should the Dems have to be the ones to cross the isle first. We have been attempting to live under a "uniter" and we can see what BS that is.
McCain is ok, but should never be placed as #2 for the Dems. Maybe in the cabinet, but not in the tiebreaker and succession position.
Why can Kerry not get him out of his mind? McCain has brushed him off several times and that should be enough for anybody.

[UTUSN]

88. De-TER...........De-TER........!!!!! n/t

[Logansquare]

89. Another fine piece of fiction by Jodi Wilgoren

She's really got it in for Dems, and so do her editors, apparently. Using Chris Lehane as a source? How 'bout Dick Morris, Jodi? Was he busy?

[AudreyT]

91. I'm thinking of voiting against Kerry since he said he would make McCain

Secretary of Defense. I heard him on NPR and he actually called Israel and Turkey democracies and I thought "WOW, if this guy thinks that policies of racism, and exclusion and ethnic cleansing count as democracy, HOW THE HELL do they think he can bring democracy to Iraq?" And it was all over for kerry with me. I'll write in for Kucinich if I have too now.

[TeeYiYi]

92. This story seems to be growing legs . . .

. . . it was all over the national news tonight. Watch for it on tomorrow morning's Sunday programs. . .

TYY

[BattyDem]

93. If Kerry wants McCain as Secretary of Defense ...

fine. I don't have a problem with it. But a Republican as VP? No way! That would be a slap in the face to every Democrat in the country ... and it would be a big "f*ck you" to the liberal wing of the party!

As VP, McCain would be a heartbeat away from the Presidency - I don't want a conservative, anti-choice Republican as the number two guy. It would inspire too many whackos to do something to make him number one ... you know what I mean? Besides, he has blindly supported Bush* too many times for me to believe in him.

There are plenty of strong Democrats who would make great running mates - we don't need a Republican on the ticket. Honestly, there's only one thing that would prevent me from voting for Kerry ... and this is it!

[Just Me]

94. I have to agree.

My mother is a "conservative" democrat (my step-father is "Repuke",...I barely tolerate him,...it's tough *LOL*). Mom despises Bush, viewing him as a stingy liar who cares nothing about the American people and she is definitely voting for Kerry. I mentioned McCain as a potential running mate for Kerry and she was like, "NO WAY! That would disenfranchise all the idealistic young people that carry this country."

I was surprised.

[koopie57]

96. Kerry is not going to ask McCain to be his running mate

IMHO anyway. He knows that there are too many great democrats who could fill the bill, who have been loyal and worked hard for the democratic party and deserve to have this opportunity. I've posted this before, but you never know which one of McCain's personalities will show up when. To blow off all the qualified democrats would not only be stupid, but show a lack of loyalty.