Obama's VP List: MSNBC Gathers Names

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Domenico Montanaro:

So you think you know who's on Obama's veep short list? Well, think again. According to sources on the Hill, Obama veep vetters -- specifically Jim Johnson and Eric Holder -- have been asking Dem members of Congress this week their input about potential running mates. The conversations are free-flowing but one name the vetters are inserting in the conversations is one that is not a household name... Ret. Gen. James Jones, the former Marine-turned-NATO Supreme Allied Commander. ...

Besides Jones, the other names on the list bandied about with congressional Dems include (and not in any order): Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, Evan Bayh, Kathleen Sebelius, Ted Strickland, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Bill Nelson, Jack Reed, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Tom Daschle, and Sam Nunn. You'll notice a few names NOT on this list (that's not my exclusion -- hint hint). Besides Jones, I'm told the two other names that invited extended discussion were Biden and Strickland.

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The Huffington Post recently published profiles on two of the top names on the list: Jim Webb and Kathleen Sebelius. For more on Obama's veepstakes, check out HuffPost's rundown list of the pros and cons of the potential vice president candidates.

Comments

[SwingingFromCenter]

A lot of those names are pretty poor and unspectacular. I think it'd be a mistake for Obama to go with a purely military guy just to try and go against McCain's record. His foreign policy record can be attacked on its own merits; don't need a military specialist to make it valid.

[ProgressiveinBerlin]

... and why wasn't Wes Clark on this list? How could Obama's team overlook someone as solid as him?

[pmorlan]

I'd love to see John Edwards as VP.

[MizLiz]

How about Attorney General? God knows THAT needs cleaning up, after 8 years of utter misrule.

[only1Demvoter]

Liz : Yep.


-ralph

[ProgressiveinBerlin]

Dream Cabinet:

VP: Gen. Wesley Clark

Atty General: John Edwards

Sec. of State: Gov. Bill Richardson

Health and Human Services: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Sec. of Defense: Sen. Jim Webb (or Sen. Chuck Hagel if you want to go across party lines for one or two posts)

Homeland Security: Rep. Adam Smith

Then throw in some names like Biden, Daschle, Sebelius, Clyburn, and Wexler and Conyers and the country"s on the right track already!

Obama/Clark 08/12

[useyourbrain]

He needs a known person with experience to balance the fact that he is still an unknown to the public. Nunn is evil and who the fuck dug that corps up. He left the Senate over ten years ago.
He is not "change". Neither is Daschle, who's wife is the top lobbyist for the airline industry and he is about as old Washington as you can get -- he was there before Hillary. And, I am very sure he, like many of those pictured, voted for the Iraq resolution. So if that's a big disqualifer for HRC, then it should be with them.

Don't pick an unknown. America may not be ready for a black president. America will have a tough time electing a black man America will have a tough time electing a black man with little experience. America will have a tough time electing an unknown black man with an unknown VP.

America is not Huff Po or Daily Kos. Get used to it. America elected Bush twice so look at the stats and don't be fooled by the cable talking heads who know nothing about voters or America.
They are an incestuous group in a spiraling circle jerk. They take each others lead, comment on it like it was fact then compare the real facts to their "factoids" and find the facts lacking.

[GLaB]

Hell, I logged on just to "Mark as favorite" this comment!

Truer words were never spoken!

[returnofthejedi]

Attornet General would fit John Edwards very nice. For V.P. give me Either Kathleen Sebilius or
Joe Biden

[slobone]

We just tried that, remember? Didn't help Kerry, won't help Obama.

[pmorlan]

Well I voted for Kerry because he had Edwards on the ticket.

If Kerry had listened to Edwards and gone after the Swiftboaters earlier it might have made a difference. It might also have made a difference if Kerry had done advertising in NC (he didn't). Kerry was so worried about being upstaged by Edwards that he kept him pretty much out of sight the entire campaign. I also like the fact that Edwards wanted to use the legal team the campaign had put together to fight the obvious voting irregularities but Kerry gave up immediately despite evidence of widespread problems that should have been investigated. Hell, they probably won in 2004.

[Georgiapundit]

I bet it will be Kaine.

[HarlemNYC]

Kaine would be good
catholic, from a red state, roots in Missouri/swing state, and speaks fluent Spanish. He is pro life, this can center Obama or hurt him with Hillary's base...........

Tim Roemer is good too for some of the same reasons catholic, red state, business and foreign relations experience.

I doubt it will be Richardson I hate to say it but that 's too much for some people to handle if you know what I mean...
I also like wes Clark.. but I must admit I don't know too much about him,

[TheOneironaut]

Keep your eyes on Warner! He's young and reaches across party lines just like Obama and he's very very favorable in a historically Republican state! Virginia is also a military state and these families want their men and women home!! Mark my words!!