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

[iPolitics]

America doesn't trust Hillary.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

I agree. Why would Obama make Hillary is running mate?

Almost 60% of Democrats think she is untrustworthy. After Cheney, we need a VEEP that Americans can trust.

That sure is heck aint Hillary.

I bet the percentage is higher among independents, which are needed to win in the general.

[speakingtruth2power]

Let HRC play Obama's LBJ and see how long this war will go on.

Who killed Dr King & the Kennedys? The Bush legacy runs deep.

[mellene]

I don't care if it's a good idea or not. If Obama/Hillary on the same ticket will get a democrat elected, then I'm for it. The way they've split the party now, it will be nearly impossible to win in November. The corporate media has given McCain a free pass around his aiding of the Savings and Loan melt down in the 80s and his endorsement by Pastor Hagee. Worst of all, they've barely challenged his desire to bomb Iran and stay in Iraq for 100 years. We know that big business and Wall St. don't want a dem in office as they fear losing the freedom they've enjoyed under Bush who has been anti-regulation.

[estreya]

The corporate media has given Hillary a free pass. This will go down as being a disgraceful time in our nations political history.

[BJMS]

The best summation yet offered about this "dream ticket" was on MSNBC the other day. Pat Buchanan was saying that he though Obama & HIllary HAD to run together - probably Obama/Clinton...

Eugene Robinson then said, "Do YOU want to be Obama's food taster (if Hillary is VP)???"

I wouldn't...

[Moderatenation]

I believe the "Dream Ticket" is a done deal. History has a lot of examples of Presidents and their Vice Presidents who were at odds with each other. Remember "Voodoo economics"? How about Kennedy and Johnson? How about Roosevelt and Truman? Eisenhower and Nixon? It seems to me that some of the most successful administrations were comprised of a president and a vice president that did not agree on issues. But they learned to work together and produced good things. Regardless of who is VP and who is POTUS, Hillary and Barak will be the first in the history of the United States, which means history will remember them. It is too historically significant to be denied. Keep in mind that Hillary and Barak are campaign warriors. And like good warriors they will know how to bridge a peace. They will come out of the convention and kick ass.

[k6007]

None of the people you named were ex-prez, or ex-first lady. With the baggage the Clintons are dragging behind them, there is no way they are going to let these people back in the white house, in any capacity what-so-ever. This is what the Clinton supporters fail to understand.

[TurnThePageGA]

Hell to the Naugh! The only dream ticket that Obama will be VP on is one with Al Gore as POTUS. If Hillary somehow Steals The Nomination she is on her own. She can't win it by the way the campaign was established from the beginning.

[2CoolCats]

You're kidding yourself.

[PrincessZelda]

The dream ticket would be like the old practice of "weaseling" a dog. A farmer has weasel problems, so needs a good weasel-catcher. So he gets a pup and puts it in a barrel with a weasel, and then lets the weasel rip the puppy to shreds, almost to death. Then puppy is taken out of the barrel. When it heals up, it seriously hates weasels, and so makes an excellent guard for the chicken house.
This analogy is imperfect, and probably confusing, but in my example Barack would be the pup (not that I think he is a "pup"- I don't) and Hillary the weasel.
I don't think it would work, unless Hillary had an ego transplant and was willing to be second, not first; I fear she'd sabotage Obama from within if she were VP. On theother hand, an Obama/Clinton team might be the ONLY way to get the votes to keep BamBam out of the "Formerly Known as the White House"- which, after Bush's destructive and mad reign, should be repainted the color of dried blood.
As for VP- Jim Webb is my choice.

[Snafu]

I like Jim Webb, Wes Clark would be good but i think he's tied tight with the Clintons. Obama needs someone with military cred.
I'd be afraid to have Hillary as my vice-president. I wouldn't put it past her to arrange an "accident" or scandal that would put her in the big chair.

[KPinSEA]

I wouldn't expect that Obama would want VP Hillary any more than Kennedy wanted LBJ, and it would be just as poor a fit of ideology and style ... but if it's for the good of the party and the electability of the ticket, maybe he would be willing to hold his nose and do it.

But ... I absolutely don't see Hillary & Bill settling for VP, knowing that she'd be totally marginalized in an Obama Administration. Give up her role in the Senate to be the person who goes on fact-finding missions to Botswana? I don't see it.

[GerryS]

marginalized- she should be used to it after her failed health plan under Willie-

[HadEnoughCrap]

It's clear that it's all or nothing for HRC. If she can't win she'll be damned if she'll let Obama to win. Her ego is so huge that she's willing to destroy the party.

[friendofjimmy]

good thing obama doesn't have an ego.

[dawlishgal]

It won't work because she would never settle for second place, and her petulant paranoid crackpot enabling supporters wouldn't vote for the ticket unless she heads it.

My idea of the best hope is that somebody in the party leadership should take her aside and tell her that if she admits that it is hopeless and quits now AND supports Obama with some kind of enthusiasm, then she will be given the first available supreme court slot. But that can only happen if Obama wins, so at least the Clintons would FINALLY have something at stake in not ripping apart the party (anymore than they already have) just to give her a better chance in 2012.

As is, if Obama gets the nomination, they can do what they did in '00 and '04...sit on their hands and hope for a Republican to win in order to keep the seat warm for her in 4 years.

[erichitchmo]

petulant paranoid crackpot enabling supporters = obamabots

You see, both camps have so much in common!!! :)

[Nonamnesiac]

Whether Hillary or Obama get the nomination, Jim Webb will be the VP candidate.

[AdLib]

Not.

[margi]

Andrew Cuomo is the one pushing this idea of a dream ticket. It should be called the "nightmare Ticket"

It won't happened, HRC has enlisted the help of the right wing to destroy Obama, she also said that McCain is her best buddy and he is more qualified than Obama. Therefore Obama would be a fool to even consider that possibility.
She lies so much , that if would be a disservice to Obama's presidency. Her baggage is too heavy, for him to carry. HRC is only a Bill's Parrot, Bill wants to come back through the back door , he is using her as he has always done. Her senate seat is in jeopardy. After this , the black constituency that helped her will desert her.

[osage]

Who can blame Obama for not wanting Hillary Clinton as his VP? That is precisely what Pelosi is saying. Add to that reality that Hillary's campaign is so personally critical of Obama's abilities, it's obvious she doesn't want to be his VP. If she did, she wouldn't be questioning his readiness or playing the race card, which, despite denials, she and or Bill have done repeatedly. If I'm Obama, I wouldn't want a running mate who was emphatically against me before she was reluctantly for me. Ideally, I'd want John Edwards to be my running mate. He's a southern Democrat who appeals to white working males and has advocated policies that are beneficial to older Americans. If Edwards didn't want the job, I'd select Bill Richardson. If I felt a lesser experienced politician would benefit my presidency, I'd focus on Claire McCaskill or Jim Webb.

[Benmyoho]

And why not? Obama is wounded politically, so he has no choice but to compromise. Hillary has been telegraphing her desire for Obama to be her VP, and the latter has always demurred. If Obama is indeed a UNITER, he should agree to be Hillary's VP. Before he fixes the macro, he has to do the micro fixing first. Or that charity begins at home.

[k6007]

"Obama is wounded politically..."

That leaves HillBill among the ranks of the walking dead.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

How is Obama wounded politically?

He has won more states, more votes, and more pledged delegates.

What is Hillary's path to the nomination?

[McFlipFlop]

Tim Kaine, Governor of Virginia, for VP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkQ04Tk7dTk

[ColoradoDan]

Pelosi is wacky ... SHE is not a good idea. She has been responsible for the continuation of the insanity of this administration daily. Why would anyone at this point listen to anything she says or thinks?

Obama needs to stay clear of the Clintons once he gets the nod. They are not just bad news but terrible news. The GOP/NeoCon machine is working overtime to get Hillary in and there's many reasons why she is their lady on the left. Once Hillary would get the nomination, it's NeoCon time for the next 4 years regardless of McCain of the Hill-Bill team. Our nation would be destroyed even more.

Pelosi never has a word to say about her 'impeachment off the table' crap she dumped on our nation at the ONE time we needed leadership ... yet is running over to Tibet and now more BS from the dumb-dumb. Pelosi is about as bad as a Democrat can get and Hillary is right there at #2.

[YankeeCanuck]

Pelosi has been a lightning rod for a lot of (rightfully felt) disapointment and anger at the Dems. But really, voters have themselves to thank for their lack of turnout (35%) in the 2006 elections. A small majority in the House and a non-existent one-vote majority in the Senate put the Dems between the devil and the deep blue sea. OK, I've said this before and it raises ire-- but it's true nonetheless.

Sound bites sound bites don't convey the depth and breadth of Pelosi's thought, not that I agree with every word. But she has more substance than she's been given credit. Hearing her at length and in person changed my view.

[lvdragonlady]

If I were Barack, the last person I would trust as VP would be clinton. I can see her underminding him are every turn and stabbing him in the back. It is oh so not a good idea.

[ProgressiveThought]

He would need a food taster.

[PatrickWalker]

Don't worry. Obama will never be president.

[Subway]

Help keep him safe
As Head of State
Make Howard Dean
His running mate

Burma Shave

[dapperd72]

I don't agree with Pelosi about taking impeachment off the table, but she's absolutely right about this so-called "dream ticket," maybe only such for Freddy Kruger! This notion was always DOA and I'd never vote for Clinton whether or not she chose Obama as her running mate. It would add further insult to injury and I know her ego would never allow her to settle for VP either. Michelle repeatedly asserted that they won't run for President again, so it's now or never for Obama. There are clearly more crucial reasons why a Clinton-Obama ticket would be a bad idea than Pelosi's rationale, not least of which is Clinton's talent for uniting Republicans to slam her as a pinko Commie leftist socialist, apply whatever typical right-wing epithets you can imagine. The word "leftist" BTW has a very negative connotation, reminiscent of USSR & Reagan's reference to the "Evil Empire." I distinguish between progressive and reactionary more than left or right. Are you looking to improve the state of humankind & life on Earth for all beings or are you violently seeking to maintain the status quo that preserves power for those born with the greatest resources, leaving the majority to fester as dust in the wind? Obama's approach represents the former while Clinton's embodies the latter, notwithstanding her contradictory rhetoric. Obama at least seeks to eliminate the mentality that leads us to go to war in the first place. Clinton is part of the problem, not the solution.

[WestLittleRock]

It's obvious Mrs. Pelosi wants to remain the highest level female democrat in office.

[AdLib]

How insightful. Good thing Pelosi rigged the primary against Hillary. And what about Pelosi faking the moon landing?

[MeLuvHillary]

And what about Hillary being responsible for the holocaust and every other atrocity imaginable? How come it's unreasonable to attribute any ill-intentions to Pelosi, but every ill intention to Hillary? It's a 2-way street people.

[oscarp]

BINGO !!!! Mrs Pelosi can not have Hillary near her, it would be a lot of female competition !!so personal interest is working against the party's interest !!!