Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who gave such a potent introduction of John McCain at Friday’s Wichita event, is in the mix of names for possible running mates. The Hill newspaper also notes that Brownback is leading McCain’s outreach to Catholic voters and other religious conservatives, and is a key adviser on judicial nominations. “My heart was more with Huckabee because the social issues are clearly a strong agenda item with him,†Brownback told the Hill. “But he didn’t have the rest of the package and I didn’t think he could build out to include economic conservatives.â€
As for a McCain-Brownback ticket: “If it comes up, I will certainly look at it,†Brownback said.
But McCain appeared to rule that out at the Wichita rally. McCain said of Brownback, “I’ll be proud to have him by my side in any capacity as president of the United States.†He then added, “And by the way, I’m not talking about vice president.â€
33 Comments
“By the way, I’m not talking about vice president.” Wow, what a slap in the face of Brownback. Is this another example of “straight-talk”?
Here’s a new one for the rumor mill. What say ye Republicans on a McCain/Rice ticket?
There are many possible ways for McCain to go for vice president, and I agree it’s odd that he would rule out Brownback that early, given his need to reach out to traditional Republican conservatives. It’s true that Brownback, being from Kansas, doesn’t add anything in terms of winning a key state McCain wouldn’t win anyway in the fall, if that’s what he’s thinking of. I would expect McCain’s choice will be a highly popular swing state governor or ex-governor, a person of great national appeal, or a trailblazer (woman or minority), and it will be someone much younger than McCain.
Yeah RD, I head the pundits floating Condi last night too. Keith was pretty funny.
While they need to reach out to minorities and women, and Condi is a “two-fer”, her star is sinking, not rising. Maybe she’s been keeping a low profile so she can re-emerge from the background as VP… but I doubt it.
I think McCain will chose someone who’s reputation was NOT tarnished by the war. He’s got the war thingy covered. He needs someone like, um the huckster, to bring in the wingnuts.
I bet we see a lot more trial balloons from both parties as the end of the primary season approaches.
By all means I hope McCain will put Brownback on his ticket! That will insure a 48 state sweep for the democrats in November instead of the 3 or 4 state win we expect to get!
McCain does have weaknesses.
Brownback does not fix those weaknesses.
Huckabee does not fix those weaknesses.
Condi Rice would be good, but she has no political experience. I also don’t think she would be interested.
Senator Martinez, in Florida, makes the most sense, to me.
Let me check on that a little, but I am thinking a conservative Hispanic from a large, swing state is the way McCain should go.
I just put a FLASH message on the open thread. I just came from Century II to try to vote in the Republican caucus. A tremendous line extends from Century II over to Main Street and then south and through the Water Walk area. Must be thousands of Republicans there. I needed a jacket so left and will return about 10:30 AM.
It appears Wichita Republicans are sending a tremendous message with this unprecedented turnout. I WONDER WHAT IT IS?
That they won’t allow those upstart Democrats to take over their state without a fight?
Brownback is a legend in his own mind. Imagine him putting his qualifications against fellow Kansan Dwight Eisenhower … or John McCain.
NO COMPARISON.
God help us if Brownback tries to run for Kansas Governor, much less than VP.
If you’re not in line by 10:00, they’ll send you home.
McCain says he will get Obama! Have we heard that one before? Maybe he’s talking about Barrak!
Obama=Osama
Somehow, I don’t think they’re gonna send anyone home. They might say that, but I think if join the line you’ll get counted – maybe TWICE!
Well, as previously noted, the republican registration is about three times the democrats in Kansas. So they start out with an advantage on any caucus numbers. I’d be interested to know if they have the same number of caucus sites in each district as the democrats.
And if the early turnout large numbers are true, I guess the “crossover” voters who caucused with the democrats didnt hurt the republicans a bit. They just determined who Kansas DEMOCRAT delegates would be. Who wants to bet the’ll cross back over before November and vote republican, no matter HOW much smoke they blow about supporting obama.
We’ll see.
Most were wrong before and many are wrong now about Mike Huckabee’s chances of winning the GOP nomination. Mike Huckabee was welcomed with great excitement at the CPAC convention this morning. The GOP voting block is split due to John McCain and looking for a true conservative not a candidate like John McCain who worked against most conservatives on many issues. Mike Huckabee will do well in the up coming primaries. R33
Voter registration by Republicans in Kansas isn’t anything close to being 3 – 1. As of Dec. 07, there were 432,500+ registered Ds, 446,900+ Uns, and 734000+ Rs statewide. In Sedg Cty, there were 67,000+ Ds, 62,700+ Uns, and 105,600+ registered Rs as of Dec. 07. So the Republicans don’t even hold a 2 – 1 edge over Ds. If we include the Uns, then Uns and Ds outnumber registered Rs statewide as well as in Sedg Cty.
It will be interesting to see how these numbers change before the primary this year. But it isn’t so important what the percentages are or might be but, rather, how citizens vote. If you want a Demo in the White House, then voting for someone who can contend with McCain to receive the support of Independent (Uns) voters is the key. This is as true for Kansas as it is for the country.
If I were a betting man, I’d predict the Kansas Republic Party caucuses go for the Huckster.
Ok. Sorry. I’m not too proud to admit if I am wrong.
Three to one is what my county is.
And I could say “nearly” two to one if you dont count undecideds.
And I see how well adding up the undecideds and democrats has worked down there in term of toddly and your ks legislative delegation.
We unseated two incumbent R legislators two years ago from Sedg Cty, another in Sumner Cty, plus we dumped an incumbent R Cty Commissioner. So we are making progress. And we will make more progress this election cycle when we have an 85% voter turn-out – or higher – by registered voters, and when a lot of those Inds and newly registered Ds vote against incumbent Rs.
And we’re working on Toddy. Want to help? I’m curious what your prediction is for Moran in 2010. Governor or Senate?
I think that Brownback made the same mistakes that Pat Robertson made earlier in the race. First, He UNDERESTIMATED the “viability” of Governor Mike Huckabee. Second, He COMPROMISED his core values in the name of political “strategy”. There may come a day in November when we are really left with a “lesser of two evils” kind of a choice – especially in regard to certain SOCIAL issues. If I am left with that choice then I will RELUCTANTLY still vote for the better of these “two evils”. We are not there yet!!!! As long as there is a candidate to vote for who SHARES MY VALUES AND POSITIONS I will vote for that candidate EVEN IF it looks as though that candidate “can’t win”. In casting my vote in this manner I send a message to EVERYONE in the race, to everyone in the Party, and to everyone in America that simply says – This is who I am and this is what I VALUE in a candidate!!Go Mike Huckabee!!!!!!!!
So micheal, why arent you at the caucus?
Kelly, I know you made a little progress. AND thank goddess that bonbon is gone gone. I’d be glad to help unseat toddly if the democrats down there could field a viable candidate.
I predict Senate. His kids are getting old enough that being in the state for them is not as important as it used to be.
And he doesnt like to lose, and wont want to face former Kansas Republican Chair Parkinson for governor. Jerry hasnt fought a real opponent that I can recall. At least since he ran for the Kansas legislature the first time. He’s assured a win for the Senate seat. All he has to do is have an R behind his name and not piss off the powers that be.
Two things he’s good at.
Plus? I think governor “leadership” is getting weaker in the state, not stronger. Maybe that is why so many ks repubs support obama? In the hopes he will make governor “leadership” his vp and get her out of the way for Jerry?
Just a thought. I’m sure they dont think that deep. But it could happen. Hope, dontchya know.
Of course, the KsGOP might convince him to run for governor as someone who could actually take on the turncoat parkinson. And if the Senate goes overwhelmingly Democrat, he may find it not so fun and choose to come home and play footsie with the republican dominated Kansas legislature.
He does seem to love the path of least resistance.
Interesting comments, KFG. I think it is an intriquing question what federal future might Sebelius have. My guess is that her chances of landing a Cabinent post in Education or Ag or Interior are more likely than a VP spot, but who knows.
I agree about Moran. He chose the path of less resistance in 2002 when he bowed out of running against Sebelius, despite intense Party pressure.
On the subject of Toddy, I don’t know if you’ve heard but the Betts campaign is making great strides forward. He hired in Jan. Myrne Roe to be his campaign manager, and she has things hopping since. There was a big fundraiser last night at the Docking home for Betts, and I also understand that he has a new treasurer who will be helping with fundraising. Stay tuned.
Toddy has been publishing editorials in the Wichita Eagle every month for about six months, and sent out a taxpayer-paid-for big glossy “I’m really in favor of SCHIP” mailer to 4th district voters last month. I think Toddy has been reading the tea leaves.
I love Donald Betts. He’s a great man. I’d vote for him and work for him anytime. Anywhere. For any office. I’ll never forget my personal exchanges with him.
And he better have some good handlers who can motivate him to run hard. I’m just saying…
I agree that governor leadership has little or no chance for vp this time around. Ed or Ag? Well, I think they will offer her something, but she has no expertise in either of those. And her ag record consists mostly of supporting BIG ag and ethanol, with little or no regard to water issues.
On second thought, that is USUALLY who they put in charge of the dept of ag. Nevermind…
I think they are going to need a real education person to overturn NCLB. I doubt a layperson will hold that job anytime soon. All she did was follow a court order on funding education.
kfg, while I truly hope that NCLB will be overturned, I just don’t see it happening, easily or otherwise, any time soon.
I base this on my limited experience as a “civilian” volunteering at a public high school. Most parents I talk with “love” NCLB as they are seeing it. The annual assessment reports; the idea that someone is watching out for their kids. The ability to change schools if the current one is failing. All that stuff.
They don’t see the rush to mediocrity NCLB mandates in reality. They don’t see that State Assessments, while assessing something, aren’t doing what they are purporting to do. They don’t comprehend the “lock step, teach to the test” approach being taken by, or forced upon, teachers in the classroom. They don’t appreciate the loss of real instructional time arising from both preparation for the assessments and taking the darned things.
You note I say “most”. There is a group, small in number, and for the most part made up of parents of “above average” students whose attitudes are most definitely negative towards NCLB. They see their student(s) not being challenged academically; the rush to mediocrity; the waste of time; and the abusurdity of the use of standardized tests to measure academic achievement of the type and kind promoted. While they, too, share the belief that there must be accountability, they understand that how its being done now isn’t providing the same in any meaningful way.
Doing away with NCLB will require a very strong person to explain to those in favor of what they see why it isn’t working. Many of the larger group have a fundamental distrust of government officials and of “professional educators”, and will likely not listen well, if at all, to all the good reasons to do away with NCLB.
I believe there is a place for an “accountability piece”, to use a favorite phrase of the school district administrators. For the same to have any validity, however, something other than the way it is currently presented and executed must be developed. Of course, this will be more costly; that’s why the current model using standardized tests were developed. Of course, any replacement will be of necessity more complex than the current reporting of results in five broad categories, and thus will not be easily understood. Finally, horror of horrors, an accountability system that really does show how “well” things are going for the students will likely show, I believe, just how bad the system is failing those subject to it in terms of real academic achievement.
Add to that the current system appears to be popular still within the Halls of Congress, and you start to arrive at where I’m at when I say NCLB isn’t going anywhere for a long time.
Sorry about the long rant; you hit one of my hot buttons, kfg, and, as you know from reading my posts on this topic in the past, I can go on and on and on….
KFG: Dan Glickman, the self-professed Jewish city kid from Wichita, didn’t have any experience in the field, but the named him Secretary of Agriculture.
And did a good job.
Somebody needs to go onandon about NCLB and Vaughn, you make an excellent case. It is, as you know, one of my hot buttons too. But, there are many with their heads in the sand. Maybe they have never known what success is and have no concept of actual achievement??
Sebelius is no Glickman. LOOK how many years experience he had on the Ag committees.
But… you may be right. I sure as hell hope she takes adrian polansky with her….
VT, your posts are always so good you can go “on and on” anytime, on any subject.
May we call you the Stephen Bishop of the blog? :)
Huckabee is evil and this blogger has proven it pretty conclusively.
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