McCain VP Candidate Ridge: Republicans Would Accept Pro-Choice VP (VIDEO)

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge said Sunday he thinks Republicans would accept a vice presidential candidate who supports abortion rights.

But, he said, whomever John McCain picks as a running mate should defer to McCain on the issue.

McCain opposes abortion rights, but he riled some conservatives last week when he suggested his running mate could -- like Ridge -- support abortion rights.

"What he was saying to the rest of the world is that we need to accept both points of view," Ridge said in a broadcast interview. "He's not judgmental about me or my belief. He just disagrees with me."

Ridge is believed to be on McCain's short list of vice presidential candidates, though it would be a major break with Republican orthodoxy for McCain to pick a running mate who supports abortion rights.

"I think that would be up to, first of all, to John to decide whether he wants a pro-choice running mate; then we would have to see how the Republican Party would rally around it," Ridge said. "At the end of the day, I think the Republican Party will be comfortable with whatever choice John makes."

McCain's statement last week was seen as an appeal to centrist voters. On Sunday, Ridge tried to soothe conservatives by stating that McCain's view on the issue would prevail in a McCain administration.

"The last time I checked, the vice president is not an independent voice. He echoes the position of the president of the United States," Ridge said. "I think it's the responsibility of the vice president. If you're unwilling or unable to do that, then I think you should defer to someone else."

Ridge was interviewed on "Fox News Sunday."

Comments

[chiefeditor]

Tom Ridge's somewhat confused remarks about his viability as a VP choice are up: http://www.entertonement.com/collections/2180/Tom-Ridge

[barackobama4prez]

R i d g e is in for a surprise. Republicans want pro-lifers.

[hopefulinpa]

I am from PA and I thought Ridge was a horrible Governor. He held us up for a gas tax to finish the "Road to Nowhere." That road literally went nowhere for 30 yrs and we had all the money needed to finally finish it (Ridge actually told us that when he promised to finish it) then he decides to hold us up for a gas tax before completing the road. He is a crook. Can't stand him. He was also a lousy Home Land Security Head.

[LillianB]

I'm fine with GOP choosing a pro-choice VP. Any choice for VP should be pro-choice. Any choice for P, too.
I am not fine with Obama choosing an anti-choice VP. (No Kaine, pleeeeeeea­aaaaaase.)

[Egalitare]

Tom Rige has clearly been taking massive quantities of LSD.

[bluesman49]

Ridge is completely out of phase with McCain's latest proclamation made at the Warren event that ALL of his cabinet and administration would be pro-life.

[HC4BO]

Is McCain Now Copying Solzhenitsyn?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/politicalinsider/2008/08/is-mccain-now-copying-solzheni.html

McCain is a Plagiarist ....

[cjk002]

Nominating Ridge would be the greatest gift McCain could give us, the evangelicals will be in uproar if he is McCain's pick.

[WatchIt]

Ridge looks like J. Edgar Hoover. Gives me the creeps, but more because he was associated with the DHS. To protekt die Heimat, it has always sounded to me. But regardless, Ridge would be pResident should McCain pass on. You want Ridge for President? Even in 2012 or 2016? Nahhhh....

McCain/Ridge/Hoover '08 Woo Hoo!

[hmmmmmer]

One more reason why the evangelical community is so way off base to view McBush as anyone who has a religious bone in his body. I am still amazed he didn't even get one question about wanting to pawn off his wife to the Miss Buffalo Chip contest. All he knows how to do is to pander to the audience of the moment.

[RRonin]

Repubs support a pro-choice candidate? Yeah, in 1976....

[JJeff88]

"The Big Parse" -

You see, just because you commit (before Evangelicals) to pro life policies and court appointments doesn't mean you couldn't choose a pro choic running mate - and then ignore anything he had to say on the issue.

Of course that would then make Ridge or any other pro choicer somewhat hypocritical if he agreed to be McCain's running mate.

[Forest]

Before we even talk about McCain's VP, I think we first deserve to know why he, John McCain, lifted the story about the guard drawing the cross in the sand from Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

[ebethgay]

Pro-choice or Mormon VP = President Obama

[ChescoMom]

From your mouth to God's ears, ebethgay.

[StevieRae]

Forget his pro-choice position, Ridge would be Cheney II. Consider his antics as Homeland Security Czar just prior to 2004 elections Weeks prior to the election, he directly aided Bush's re-election by accelerating the level of fear through a series of level of security upgradings. Apparently, there was a lot of chatter indicating a possible attack on the US.

Funny thing, (no tragic) immediately after the election, the constant drum beat of the alert level faded into the backgrond and we hardly hear about it anymore. This guy would comfortably become chief fear monger for McCain.

[billrott]

Ridge is not a Dick cheney. he was governor of my state and at most he is not competent for the position. If Ridge is picked, the Republicans will run on the vietnam war. Both John and Tom are former vets and they will run around everywhere telling war stories.