McCain's new VP is...

[Eikon]

Wilford Brimley!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...takes

Asked to hint which way he is leaning, McCain turned — as he has for days — to a joke, saying it would be actor Wilford Brimley. "He's a former Marine and great guy and he's older than I am, so that might work," said the four-term Arizona senator who turns 72 on Friday.

Seriously though... Who do you guys think it's going to be?

I'm curious about the idea of this Pawlenti guy from MN. I've not heard much about him. Romney seems like the best candidate, but those two hammered each other too hard during the primaries to be seen as a unified ticket now? Tom Ridge from PA would be decent. How about Joe Lieberman? Can you take a former Dem VP candidate who's now gone independant and now run him as a Rep. VP candidate?? I'm not so sure about that.

[96Qowner]

I can't see how running a woman as VP could do anything but help the McCain campaign and Republicans in general. Unfortunately, I am not all that impressed with first-term Governor Sarah Palin. She has those "wonderful" religious conservative credentials, but I'd like to see someone with more experience. I don't care about the religious stuff.

I want Christie Whitman. She'd take a big chunk of Hillary's women and would easily offset the disappointment of the religious right, AND would change the Republican Party - back to a public image as something more than a home for religious whack jobs.

I also like Carly Fiorina from Hewlett Packard - one of McCain's campaign co-chairs.

[rn79870]

I was hoping it would be Rudy Giuliani. McCain's houses and Rudy's ex wives would make for interesting Jay Leno stuff.

[OriginalWheelman]

Say what you want about Giuliani but he's damned good at his job.

[rn79870]

Didn't she anger Jesse Jackson and the other vultures over some civil rights stuff about 10 years ago? Profiling blacks or something like that?

I have a strong feeling that it's going to be Romney. He's clean and young and I think he said he'd be interested. Plus, like it or not, due to McCain's age and health issues, there is a chance that the VP will become P in this upcoming term. Romney wouldn't be a bad P.

[Cold_Zero]

Well Rudy was on NPR Morning Edition this morning making his rounds at the Denver DNC. Apparently Romney has done the same thing. While I dont hink Rudy will be the VP choice, he will probably get tapped as the Attorney General of the United States.

I have heard the names of Romney, Bobby Jindal and Liberman all mentioned as a VP pick. I personally would love to see either Michael Steele, Bill Richardson (doubt it would happen) or Mike Pense. Steele and Pense can go after Biden all day long...

[rn79870]

Get your bets in folks, you have 24 hours left.

Sen. John McCain is reportedly going to announce on Friday his choice for a Republican running mate but there is lots of speculation from people who just love to speculate that the choice will be leaked tonight.

Oddsmakers, rightly or wrongly, have narrowed the field to two men, and tabbed one woman as a long shot. Betfair.com says former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the heavy favorite at 3-2, meaning that you can put up $3 to win $2. Or $3,000 to win $2,000 should you find a bookie willing to take that wager. Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is the next choice at 4-1. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas is the interesting long shot, at 14-1.

I will make one prediction. It won't be Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. He's had his day in the sun.

Dogpile returned a Tom Ridge hit for his VP choice. Tom Ridge is McCain's VP Choice

If I put up 4 or 5 more names, then I can claim I got it right tomorrow at 9AM PDT when the announcement comes.

[Eikon]

So it's not going to be Wilford Brimley?

[srellim234]

Maybe he could pick Biden's mom. I'm sure she has some stories about Joe as a child the Republicans could use and she makes McCain look young.

[Cold_Zero]

Tom Ridge would negate Joe Biden since he was brought on to secure the Pennsylvania and West Virginia vote. That would be a smart move.

[telcoman]

So it's not going to be Wilford Brimley?

Perhaps Larry Craig?

Telcoman

[rn79870]

Rumor update...

Mitt spoke here in SD this AM. He isn't heading back to Mass and he's not telling anyone where he's headed after he leaves SD (or when he's leaving). Some of the news folks are saying this means he's headed to Ohio (or Minnesconsin) for the announcement tomorrow.

/Rumor update.

What's going to be terrible is if both VP candidates end up stealing the thunder and looking like the better choices.

[Eikon]

What's going to be terrible is if both VP candidates end up stealing the thunder and looking like the better choices.

That actually wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[96Qowner]

Pawlenty has just canceled his appointments for the rest of the day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...takes

[Eikon]

McCain just called me to see if I would clear my schedule for tomorrow.

[rn79870]

I wonder what happened to the regular cleanup crew?

[Eikon]

Oprah Winfrey just cancelled recording tomorrow and is said to be heading for Ohio.. http://www.imjustkidding.com

[ishkabibble]

I'm going with Romney.

[rn79870]

I understand he (Romney) just bought a home in La Jolla not too far from one of McCain's (I think #6, I'm not sure though) McCain needs a VP with only 4 or 5 houses to provide a more realistic loutlook on the average American's daily struggles.

[Cold_Zero]

NPR narrowed its choices down to Romney and Pawlenty this afternoon. We will see.

[szh]

I understand he (Romney) just bought a home in La Jolla not too far from one of McCain's (I think #6, I'm not sure though) McCain needs a VP with only 4 or 5 houses to provide a more realistic loutlook on the average American's daily struggles.

I wonder what Obama spends his money on? Here is some info on what he and his wife earned in 2005 and 2006.

Quote »Barack Obama's income took a big nosedive last year, but nobody's going to be holding a bake sale for the Democratic presidential contender.

The Illinois senator released his 2006 federal tax return Monday, a day ahead of Tuesday's tax filing deadline. Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported taxable income of $983,826, down from $1.6 million in 2005.

The big difference involves two lucrative book deals Obama signed before entering the Senate in 2005, one involving advances for three volumes Obama agreed to write for Random House and the other paying residuals for the re-release of his 1995 autobiography, Dreams From My Father.

The book deals netted Obama more than $1.2 million in 2005, but only $506,618 in 2006. The first of the Random House books, "The Audacity of Hope," was released in 2006 and became an instant best-seller.[/quote]
Z

[ishkabibble]

I wonder what Obama spends his money on?

In D.C.? Housing!

[Soravia]

Romney.

Admit it, everyone like Big Love.

[szh]

Equal opportunity information on McCain. Notice one interesting difference: All royalties from McCain's books go to charitable organizations.

Taxes Paid: For 2006, Senator McCain paid $72,771 in federal income, alternative minimum, and self-employment taxes (LINES 57 and 58) on taxable income of $215,304 (LINE 43), which is a 33.8% tax rate. View

For 2007, Senator McCain paid $84,460 in federal income, alternative minimum, and self-employment taxes (LINES 57 and 58) on taxable income of $258,800 (LINE 43), which is a 32.6% tax rate. View

Charitable Contributions: Senator McCain donates his royalties from his books to charitable organizations. This sum has totaled over $1,800,000 since 1998 when he signed his first book deal. Senator McCain's book income of $256,898 for 2006 and 2007 is comprised of earnings for Faith of My Fathers, Worth the Fighting For, Why Courage Matters, Character is Destiny, and Hard Call.

Beginning in 1991, Senator McCain has also donated the increase in his Senate salary for that year and each subsequent year to charity because he opposed the Congressional pay increase at that time and pledged not to accept the pay raises. The cumulative total of these donations is over $450,000.

Z

[HashiriyaS14]

Equal opportunity information on McCain. Notice one interesting difference: All royalties from McCain's books go to charitable organizations.

LOL, well yeah, when you're already worth 9 figures....

I mean, Obama is doing well now because of the books, but before that he was more or less a regular guy, from a financial perspective. If someone dropped the opportunity to secure your retirement and your kids' education in your lap, you wouldn't keep it if you needed it?

It isn't much of a statement to release a few million bucks in profits when you're already worth $100MM+++

Not to say it isn't nice of him to do that, because it obviously is, plenty of other people wouldn't, but it's not like it's comparable as some huge sacrifice he's making that Obama's not. It isn't a sacrifice for him whatsoever.

[Rev_D21]

Say what you want about Giuliani but he's damned good at his job.

He's a cross-dresser though. I'd hate for him to be caught in the act during a terrorlst attack and have to address the nation dressed as a woman.

[Cold_Zero]

Reverend, the same could have been said about Hillary Clinton as president. J/K

Seriously back on the topic of John McCain. Doesnt he support his poor aunt (or someone related to him) in one of those houses free of charge? How rich/bad can the guy really be?

[ishkabibble]

He's a cross-dresser though. I'd hate for him to be caught in the act during a terrorlst attack and have to address the nation dressed as a woman.

Hilarious.

NBC is reporting that Romney and Pawlenty are out. Must be GW Bush!

[Rev_D21]

McCains VP choice...very inexperienced! There's change and then there is blatantly mocking the country by grabbing at straws. What is McSame thinking? He must think Hillary supporters are stupid and only will vote for a woman for the sake that she's a woman no matter who she is. And she's already under investigation for abuse of power, this country is doomed.

[srellim234]

The Democrats need to be very wary of the choice of Palin as V.P.

40 years ago they didn't take an unknown Spiro Agnew seriously and lost the election.

20 Years ago they didn't take an unknown Dan Quayle seriously and lost the election.

Regardless what happened after those two took office, the Republicans still wound up with the top dog in the Oval office.

If they make Sarah Palin the main campaign focus they'll lose this election, too. They can't allow themselves to be distracted by her.