Senator says Obama VP search team discussed 20 names
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s vice presidential vetting team discussed roughly 20 names with a senior Senate Democrat Tuesday, including some well-known options and others that are “outside the box.”
Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota told CNN that some of those on the list are “top officials now,” others are “former lawmakers” and others are “former top military leaders.”
Conrad said Obama’s team wanted his impressions about the people on the list, including the respect they command and their “standing with their colleagues.” He termed their discussion “wide-ranging.”
Jim Johnson and Eric Holder, two members of Obama’s vice presidential vetting team, arrived on Capitol Hill Monday for several days of meetings with top Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Another Democratic senator, Dick Durbin of Illinois, a close Obama ally in the Senate, left the Capitol at noon on Tuesday saying he was headed off the Hill for a meeting with the search team.
Interactive: Who might be on Obama's VP shortlist?
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Hillary should be at the bottom of his list – by the way, this coming from a white woman! I don't respect her pulling the "sexism" card because she lost – this cripples our reputation as women, not advances it.
But then again, her followers/voters are also low and will do anything out of spite.
j June 10th, 2008 1:18 pm ET
What happened to Caroline Kennedy? Was her nomination to the team symbolic?
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Probably sharing the list somewhere else - with fundraisers and backers. Probably with someone else from the campaign. In a way, they avoided the visibility of Capitol Hill... which the other two could not.
I agree with Tara in Sarasota. It's Hillary or I vote for McCain.
I'm tired of hearing about "Party Unity". My loyalty lies with the candidate, NOT the party.
Obama/Sebelius (that's sounds oh so nice!)
ABC: Anybody But Clinton; Never ever Clinton
My money would be on someone with military credentials. One of Obama's Achilles' heals (he has several) is certainly on defense and foreign policy issues, where he has essentially zero experience. (And he has shown little personal interest in beefing up those credentials during his short time in Washington. i.e., trips to Iraq as a senator? None)
Just having lived abroad for a few years as a youth ain't going to cut it.
On those counts, Sen. Webb's an obvious choice, provided that the Obama campaign thinks that the choice wouldn't drive away women voters (some of Webb's writings on women in the military might be offensive).
I'm sure Senator Obama will make a fine choice. My gut is telling me it won't be the obvious choices of Webb or Clinton.
Please CNN, you are good. Oh, please forgive me and post my pathetic little words that I may be acknowledged by your loyal followers.
CNN- your pro hater bias in these posts may increase your ratings... but it will damage your golden boy in the end.
Lets hear more of "not hrc" and " anyone but Hillary"
All you Obama bloggers…
We get it... You HATE Hillary and her demographic but still want our votes.
We get it… HRC did not utilize the internet to get professional bloggers filling the posts 24/7.
We get it, HRC did not manipulate the press to gain an advantage.
We get it… older people and activist women did not rally to her until it was too late.
We get it… Hillary did not use lies and propaganda to unite by dividing the people and being boastful.
We get it… Hillary was not comfortable by presenting herself with fancy hype and stuck to the issues and got "policy wonked" for it.
We get it… HYPE trumps subbstance.
We get it RACE trumps gender.
BUT ARE YOU VOTING FOR A CAMPAIGN OR A LEADER?
THAT IS WANT COUNTS IN NOV.
Here's one for you... even those he's a republican, how about... COLIN POWELL????? (talk about a bipartisan ticket....)
Obama/Wexler 08 for sure they will win. No more of the Republicans. Wexler will smack them right down.
Obama/anybody but McBush!
We can be confident he will make a great decision in his choice for V.P. and I will support his decision fully.
To those who feel that McCain is a substitute for Clinton, we never needed your vote in the first place. Republicans in disguise, we don't need you
NO HILLIARY
There was a crooked man who ran a crooked race and smiled a crooked smile.....
R may trump D after all. Stop lying. Even your leader stopped for now.
She lost. Obama had most delegates, most states won and popular vote (count all of them remember, even all of the caucus states that Obama won.) Listen up Hillary supporters. If you love Hillary so much then why didn't you support her financially?. Stop whining and help her where she needs you most. You can't help her with the primary, its over. You can't make Obama choose her as VP but you can help get her out of debt. If not what good are you. If Obama doesn't win because Dems stay home, vote for McCain or write in Hillary, you better bet she won't win in 2012. We will make sure of it. What goes around comes around, haven't you people learned that yet. Its the nasty tactics that made her lose the primary. Hopefully Hillary has learned and better tell her people if they want her to have a shot of winning in 2012 they better vote for Obama because for the simple fact that he is the Nominee and he's a Dem.
I am positive Hillary is on the short list but I have complete faith in Senator Obama that he will choose a strong running mate who will
balance out any weaknesses he may have
I do not agree that Hillary will try to compromise him in any way if picked
She is a smart political lady….she would know her place
I wonder if Bloomberg is on that list.. that would be my choice for VP
Hello to the fools for Obama...
Keep it up.
We love the hate
It unifies us AGAINST Obama.
since everything else was done for him in the primaries,what makes you think oprah and dean havent picked his vice already!put the kool-aid down,look at his voting record and choices for money donors, churches and realestate deals. i am voting for him but he is very flawed,thus,the extremely close primaries.he is not a good closer,god help us with this election
r may trump D....get over yourself...sore bitter loser.
I hope that Barack is as wise as 1/2 the party thinks he is. Because if he does not pick the right candidate (HILLARY CLINTON), We will not win in November. I am a Clinton fan and I will vote for Obama, however, there are so many who will not if she is not on the ticket. And just know, it is not because they want to spite the party it is because they do not know Obama or trust Obama. So, Please be wise you Clinton Haters out there and know if you care about our country and our party, encourage an Obama/Clinton ticket.
Anyone who's claiming to be a Hillary supporter and now voting McCain is truly a McCain supporter from the beginning. Don't listen to these idiots attempting to divide us. Pity, that these weak people can't make up their minds.
Hillary is so polarizing she would cancel any good she would bring to the ticket. I, for one, would vote for McCain if Hillary is the VP choice. Obama and anybody else is a winner.
I'm getting really tired of the Hillary supportors whining. Enough already, People. She ran a HORRIBLE campaign. She's up to her eyeballs in debt. It took her until the very end to define herself. She was afraid to run AS A WOMAN until it was too late. Her judgment was lacking.
It's not Obama's fault. Get over yourselves.
She may be the VP candidate but you're not swaying any of the Obama backers that are dead set against it with your continued temper tantrums.
Obama supportors stop being mean and rubbing the salt in the wounds of these highly immature people. They're going to do what they're going to do but bashing Hillary isn't helping Barack out at all.