Obama VP Vetter Johnson Resigns

WASHINGTON — A leader of Democrat Barack Obama's vice presidential research team has resigned amid criticism over his personal loan deals.

Obama announced in a statement Wednesday that Jim Johnson was stepping aside to avoid distracting from the vetting process.

Johnson served on the vetting team with former first daughter Caroline Kennedy and former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder.

Comments

[southafrica4obama]

Once again, Obama has shown his strength and 'straight talk.' No lobbyists or special interests pips in his campaign. We need the same from Mccain. Dean challenged the Reps this morning not to accept donations from lobbyists. People are waiting for the response.

[gditty]

Phil Graham, who is McCain's adviser on the economy blocked legislation that would have helped with predatory lending. He lobbies for UBS, which is neck-deep in the mortgage mess.

Phil Graham is STILL advising McCain.

[k6007]

"Do as I say, not as I do."

[goatsage]

To bad we didn't vet Cheney, "I pick me" before he went one to choose the most destructive and dishonest VP since Spiro Agnew, himself.

[MrGiggles]

Par for the course. Johnson was brought in for his particular expertise in VP background checks but it turns out he had some baggage of his own, though unrelated to his assigned task, and the Republicans jumped on it. It's fair game, folks. These sort of incidents will pop up from time to time as shifting to the General Election means bringing in new people, who sometimes have a stain that you miss.
Johnson did the right thing and resigned. End of story.

[CyberGal619]

How come it's always the Dems who are quick to dismiss or resign when the old farts on the GOP make whiney noises about a Dem - regardless of how meaningless the complaint may be?

Right wingnuts can say and do and hire anybody they want and ignore any and all criticism from any other factions, including their own, and get away with it.

Sometimes I don't like being one of the good guys.

[HBeachbum]

Don't worry, you're not one of the good guys.

[4wehttam]

What a shame, Mr. Johnson WAS NOT corrupt by a long shot. I'm sure the campaign just nipped it in the bud to not give the McBush camp any more fodder. Barack always does the right thing.

[jimmy2001]

if only we had this much oversight and "micro vetting" 8 years ago...

[Fabienne]

If only we had this much oversight and "micro vetting" 16 years ago.

Meanwhile, this seems like a nonincident to me. McCain has many more people who have spurious ties in his organization than does Obama.

[NotMcCain]

Hey, Obama campaign? You say you won't be swift-boated.

Newflash: This is what swiftboating looks like. Nasty, unfounded attacks that are spread through email to the media and reinforced by guest commentators.

There's NO REASON that Johnson can't work on your team, unpaid, to vet great VP candidates. Please tell me you're not going to roll over every time you get some criticism.

As in the primary, YOU STILL NEED AN ATTACK-COU­NTERATTACK TEAM!!!! (Whatever happened to Daschle? Wasn't that supposed to be HIS job?)

No. More. Swift-boating!!!!

Obama/Clark '08

[k6007]

re-eed and ke-rrry are torpedo-ing mc mush as we speak.

[Forsetti]

Getting "Swift-boated" is not the act of the opposition putting out ridiculous ads and claims. This cannot be stopped. It is not responding to unfounded, baseless attacks thereby making it seem like they are true. Obama has been pretty good at responding to attacks within the same news cycle so the falsehoods don't float around for very long.

[vshdst]

easy for you to say. You're not running for president!

[joeyp404]

This clearly is going to be a campaign of substance coming from both sides.

[DGregory]

im laughin that people blaming obama when it was johnson decision to go since he doesnt want it to be a distraction.

How is this a obama bad decision? some of you are going crazy or maybe your just campaign bloggers by mccain pushing a agenda.

obama has nothing to do with him resigning, if he wanted something to do with his resigning he would of told him to go and not stick up for him.

i think some of you have problems, i bet if obama is caught picking his nose. im sure i would find post saying "see he shouldnt be potus because he picks his nose!!"

[nuglet304]

well, that certainly didn't take long.

[XME]

This is why I truly hate politics. If you look (and twist) hard enough, you'll find something "questionable" in pretty much any single person. Sadly, finding that in people, and exaggerating it, is what politics is all about...ve­ry dirty and hateful.

[k6007]

For the Mc-lobbists campaign to bemoan 'questionable ties', is absurd!

[HBeachbum]

Did you see Obama stuttering and stammering while trying to explain this deal? He made GWB look like a great orator. BHO does not talk pretty without his script.

[BigLib]

John F. Kerry shows his exquisite sense of timing again: Kerry Defends Obama Veep Vetter.

CHICAGO — John Kerry defended Barack Obama’s Vice Presidential vetter James Johnson today.

“Jim Johnson is a very experienced, very discrete, very capable individual who is performing a voluntary function without pay, without any interest,” Kerry said on a conference call. “He’s not seeking a job and he is acting completely independently to gather information about somebody.”

Johnson served on Kerry’s vice presidential search committee in 2004.

Perfect timing as usual, Lurch.

[reelcobra]

Is Obama giving Ralph Kramden a run for his money, or what?

[Turtleluv6]

Or What

[jtown]

At least he had the good sense to resign unlike Gramm