Pelosi On The Dream Ticket: "No, I Don't Think It's A Good Idea"

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton shouldn't share the Democratic presidential ticket unless they really want to.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea," Pelosi said in an interview with CNN talk show host Larry King aired Thursday night.

"I think first of all the candidate, whoever he or she may be, should choose his or her own vice presidential candidate," said Pelosi, who will chair the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August. "I think that's appropriate. That's where you would see the comfort level on not only how to run, but how to govern the country.

"And there's plenty of talent to go around to draw upon for a good, strong ticket. I'm not one of those who thinks that's a good ticket."

But Pelosi added that if Clinton and Obama "think that it's a good ticket, maybe it is. But I don't think that we should thrust the vice presidential choice onto the presidential nominee. That's her or his decision to make."

Pelosi also said she agrees with Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean that the nomination should be settled before the national convention.

"I don't want a brokered convention. I think there's too short a time _ maybe just about eight weeks between the end of the convention and the election. And I don't think that's enough time to bring everyone together," Pelosi said.

"I do think that the campaigns have to work their way through this, that we should have all the elections, let the people speak and then we'll find out who our nominee is."

The last Democratic primaries are June 3 in Montana and South Dakota.

Comments

[klintonista]

Doesn't it look like Pelosi's right eye is always on the verge of popping out?

Haggard.

http://clintonista.wordpress.com/2008/04/26/as-for-the-symbolism-war-quod-erat-demonstrandum/

[WongChin]

If so many Hillary supporters actually mean they would not support Obama if he WINS the nomination, then I am sorry they have a problem with what Obama looks like.

This is not the first time a woman would be seeking and losing the Dem Party nomination, but that has never been such a threat of a backlash. Why?

Is there anything wrong with WINNING a nomination playing according to the rules? Why would Obama be treated differently?

Besides, for a group saturated by feminists to vote for McCain, who emblematizes everything anti-feminist, even if Obama WINS (not steal) the nomination--again, given there has never been a backlash when a women lost the nomination to white men, there is no way we cannot admit race is a factor.

We are just too reluctant to call somebody racist in this country, even when the FACTS are there.

It would make no sense trying to dismiss my hypothesis without first addressing my questions.

[kardwell]

Pelosi has so many good ideas....I think I'll just follow her lead.

[Sloane7]

I agree with this and it goes both ways. If Clinton somehow stole the nomination, I would not want Obama to feel like he had to be her VP because so many people hated her. Let her lose on her own.

[Centaur]

I will say this..if she gets the nomination she'd better borrow Monica's knee pads to get Obama as her VP because she doesn't stand a chance to win the presidency without his backers.

[xrayman]

This is the kind of Misogynistic rhetoric that Obama supporters are known for.

[xrayman]

The trouble is on the other side. It is the Clinton voters who have said they won't vote for Obama. He needs HER. You have to remember that the Democrats are evenly split between the two. Obama backers somehow think they can say the most reprehensible things about Clinton without any backlash from her backers. Guess again.

[Charmed]

She needs HIM....A strong VP that's the right race for the people that wouldn't vote for a black man would get some of the votes that hillary has BUT who can SHE choose as a VP to get his diverse community of people....we are of all races, genders and age on this side.....hillary's side is mostly older white women sprinkled with a few Nash McCabes(bigots). If they choose to vote for McCain then that's on them....McCain wouldn't even vote for them to have the right to sue for equal pay but if that's who they want, more power to them.

[kenjisan]

amen

[kikiva]

Well it is probably the only way the Demos can win this year. But if you don't want the Demos to win, then by all means don't support it.
Enjoy McCain.

[cloudy]

I agree with Pelosi that Obama (the likely nominee) should NOT pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate. There's just too much tension, & she would bring all her negatives to the ticket that Obama is fortunate to do without. BUT, there'll be many many disappointed women, & for this as well as many other reasons I DO think Obama SHOULD pick a female running mate (but not HRC). As for her & her personal fans being disappointed, there are PLENTY of ways she could play a central political role, & be proportionately rewarded by Obama, without endangering the election outcome, as she would if she were on the ticket.

As for who would be a good woman to be on the ticket, my first choice is Barbara Boxer -- she has LOTS of experience (something close to 20 years in the Senate alone), with LOTS of foreign policy experience, & is strong in other key areas like global warming. She's very popular & likeable, & has all kinds of political/electoral positives w/o Hillary's negatives at all. And she would help unify and energize the Democratic Party.

Some people note that she's (hopefully) not from a contested state. Sebelius of KS is suggested by some, & she sounds like a good pick too, though she has little experience especially in DC. There are possible other female candidates from MO & elsewhere, but I think a GOOD discussion of Barbara Boxer would be VERY much apropos, especially after Obama wins in

[Roopez123]

Dream ticket is never gonna happen. Hillary is running a racist campaign. Every time she calls him and Michelle "Elitists" she's calling them "Uppity N*****". She's playing to the lower class whites in the most disgusting way possible. No dream ticket here.

[monique]

No, there is quite a difference between calling his statements "elitist" and calling he and his wife "uppity n***gers!"

The statements were elitist, whether they came from a white man or a black man.

And they were foolish. He is running a campaign for Pennsylvania votes, yet he denegrates their citizens?!

It was elitist -- pure and simple. Quit putting derogatory words in people's mouths.

[Promisin1]

Monique
I started to not respond to your e-mail because it's apparent you did not investigate what Obama said about voters who are bitter and clinging to their guns, religion, etc. You took Hillary's and McCain's spin on just those words. But, I understand why because you really believe in what Hillary stands for. So, I'm going to explain what Obama meant in a different way using George W. Bush as an example. There are people that were suffering extreme economic hardship and yet voted for Bush and voted for many Republicans in their congressional races. Why? Because the Republicans succeeded in raising issues that essentially blinded his supporters to the fact that he has contibuted mightily to their economic woes. Now, think about recent issues about Holiday Trees versus Christmas Trees (a religious issue), the big brouhaha over prayer in schools, more huge flaps over gun ownership. Well guess what, when voters go to vote for Mccain in November it will likely be more about one of these single issues rather than home foreclosures, millions of jobs going overseas even if these issues are affecting their pocketbook. For you, it only requires that you check things. Even as an Obama supporter I check things out via the Internet for myself. The worst thing you can become is a "ditto head." Young voters have seen Wright's full sermon, Bill Ayers background & so called Obama ties for over a year. They have the full story from the Internet.

[MeLuvHillary]

I'm black an I support Hillary. Your ignorance is profound. She has worked for equal right and civil rights for nearly all her adult life. Running against a black man an showing contrast (hell, even I think he's smug as hell sometimes) is not racism. Quit trying to shut down the debate with this idiocy.

[SharonB]

I find no fault with any of your post, except when you say "She has worked for equal right and
civil rights for nearly all her adult life."
My dear what part of Pluto do you live on? This woman has not done a darn thing for anyone but herself and Bill. (And, only for Bill because it furthers her carreer.)
Even when she claimed she was going to reform healthcare, she buckled to the media and ran with her tail between her legs.

The woman is a joke when it comes to working for anything other than herself.

[MeLuvHillary]

*and I support Hillary* *equal rights* *and showing* Sorry for the typos. I was a little angry when I typed it.

[SharonB]

Be gone. POOF!

[kardwell]

Pleeeeaze! I am an Obama supporter and what some might call an agitated radical....but even I don't buy that.

[Gasparilla]

What have we here. The Tampa Tribune online site, Sept. 30, 2007. "Barack Obama hinted during a Tampa fundraiser Sunday that if he is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, he'll seat a Florida delegation at the party's national convention, despite national party sanctions prohibiting it."
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/30/obama-vows-do-whats-right/?news-breaking

[Softnsweet]

What do you mean what do we have here Gasparilla. You starting problems? Hillary said the same thing and it is all what the DNC said. Fla and MI will be seated so shut up and not causing trouble

[Steamboater]

If Hilllary does get he nomination, Pelosi would be a disaster. She's been a miserable 'leader' on the war in Iraq so even considering her is bad judgement. Besides, two women on the ticket would insure a democratic loss.

[syllepsis]

No need to worry. I believe that we wilol have a 3-way GE this year: Hillary, the Republican warmonger, and Obama. Obama could win such a 3-way.
Election of 1860 anyone?

[zitlight73]

I'm afraid it might be more like when any real threat to the status quo was eliminated on June 6,1968. I pray I'm wrong.

[zitlight73]

She'd be perfect. No one would have to worry about being up staged by her. She's very compliant. If she left congress nobody would ever even know or care. She could make herself useful for a change by going to state funerals, cutting ribbons and making coffee for the White House staff. Can she bake cookies? That would be a big plus

[SharonB]

Pelosi, Reid, Dean are calling for super delegates to make up their minds and pick someone... in the mean time none of the three of them has enough balls to publicly back either candidate.

This sounds like a great big dose of Do as we say and not as we do.
It would be nice to have some leadership, please.

[PAposter]

It would look like they were trying to influence the remaining Superdelegates. I don't think they need to back anyone yet. However, I think all Superdelegates should be identified, then their constituents can pressure them.

[luvthelaw]

Contact your local Dem party to find out who the delegates are.

[SharonB]

Well, they sure as hell ain't influencing anyone now!

The longer they take to declare who they will nominate, the more power they hold. They are gonna end up costing us congressional seats if they don't end this soon.

[vet64]

We know the Neo Con owned News Media Conglomerates are in Collusion with the Neo Con Parasites infesting the Executive Branch so...
Why are they concentrating their news coverage on a catfight between Obama and Clinton. Everything is on them attacking each other. I've heard their talking points on the reasons how come they're running for President but the Mainstream Media is only talking up a catfight between them... Meanwhile..
There's nothing but a running commentary on how come McBush is running. So these Neo Con owned News Media Conglomerates are being paid billions of American Taxpayer dollars for propaganda purposes to lie to and deceive the American Citizens by obfuscating the truth and burying the facts.
Not just on this election but on every facet of the United States Constitution and our government.
This is how Hitler came to power in the 1930's... A bought off News Media and a population who was deceived.
The new Fourth Reich. And the scared sheep bleats everytime King Pinocchio mentions Bin Laden.
At least the Founding Fathers aren't around to see their sacrifice has been in vain.

[rwe]

Your best bet is to have Ayers send you a package and put you out of your prograssive misery

[Stevelagain]

Obama is doing a good job of repressing the Michigan and Florida voters. I wonder if they will flock to him in the general after he told them they couldn't count in the primary? LAUGH.

[OrionGal]

That is a LIE -


Those votes are not being REPRESSED by Obama.

[venicesurfer]

yes they are, he refuses to have a recount cuz he knows he'll lose.

[EyeWantOneNation]

That's the best ya got, sport ???? Then you're in serious trouble there !!!!

LMAO !!!!!!

[BWonka]

Wow, steveie - you sound just as desperate as Hillary. And more wrong than McCain. But not unexpected from a bushie-gone-wild.

[Softnsweet]

Where were you when the DNC made the ruling for FLA and MI. They know the deal. I hate when people hear someone say something and start carrying it as well. Go check for yourself. This is not Obama's fault.

[oscarp]

I live in FL. And not even if Hillary begs me I will vote for Obama, sorry, it's a matter of principles, oh yes, my principles, before others start calling me names. I am entitled to have them.

[venicesurfer]

pelosi is a complete and utter failure. she has done nothing and given bush everything. she needs to be overthrown.

[SharonB]

Well, come on now... I know that she may not have done as much as we would like to see her accomplish. But, goodness would you rather have had Newt instead?

[LiberalBuzz]

As the top of the ticket Obama could NEVER have Hillary as his VP, He'd have to hire a food taster.

[DavidK08]

SO TRUE!