Obama/Biden 2008

Capping off a day of "suspense" with the most predictable choice conceivable, Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate.

Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.

Obama announced the pick on his Web site with a photo of the two men and an appeal for donations. A text message went out shortly afterward that said, "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee."

Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

Be watching today for feigned shock and betrayal from communities which wanted an all-minority ticket at his choice of "another old white guy" for veep.

McCain/Clinton 2008: Not Gonna Happen

I used to respect Mike Gallagher in his early days in WABC radio in NYC. He was a talk show host who tried to keep the perspective of the common man, but with a Conservative spin. Unlike Rush Limbaugh, he did not engage in theater for its own sake. And unlike Shawn Hannity, he did not lapse into shtick when he got bored or annoyed. But after he was paired with a particular partner, Mr. Gallagher decided that the "honest, common man" approach was not paying the bills, and began a career of constantly shooting at easy targets to get a reaction via cheap shots.

http://townhall.com/Columnists/MikeGallagher/2008/05/09/the_ultimate_conservative_nightmare

This newest article is another attempt at the cheap shot. He asks the what-if question (which he claims a caller brought up first) of a McCain/Clinton ticket for 2008, and speculates that such a ticket would be unbeatable. But the reality is that such a ticket would be unelectable for a number of reasons. (1) Only hard-code McCain and Clinton supporters could stomach such a ticket. The base of the GOP (Conservatives) could never vote for any ticket with a Clinton on it, and the base of the Democratic Party (Liberals) could never vote for a ticket that includes someone who opposed their nominee. Without either base, you're in a minority. (2) John McCain's draw is as a man who sticks by his guns, even if his ideas are sometimes at odds with his friends. Hillary Clinton is opposed to John McCain in nearly every important issue. (3) While McCain is known for crossing the aisle and working with Democrats, Hillary Clinton has not been known for the same kind of spirit. It would be one thing to embrace Joe Lieberman, but another entirely to embrace an extreme partisan. (4) Hillary Clinton has seen what Vice President meant for mean like Al Gore, and that being a losing running mate can end your career. She wants power, not position, and would only take VP in an administration she knew she could have considerable control over. (5) Hillary Clinton has ambitions beyond the presidency. If she loses this nomination, she would be a front-runner for New York Governor. And even if not, she has considerable power in the Senate. Why give all that up for a political stunt? (6) Whatever John McCain does in this election is his last political Will and Testament. Do you really think he wants his last memorandum to history to be "I'll hitch my wagon to anyone to win."

So, if you hear this meme on Talk Radio, see it on Drudge, or get forwarded it by a well-meaning panicky friend, recognize it for what it is. It is a cheap shot at a showman looking for ratings. It has no connection with reality.

VP: I am not an Executive

I have only held off posting about this story, because it is almost impossible to find an article on this which is not a commentary piece. It is so weird that right-wingers are trying to ignore it, and left-wingers can't talk about it without a sneer. I am, of course, talking about VP Dick Cheney's comments earlier this week on the role of the Vice Presidential office within the U.S. governmental structure.

Mr Cheney had been complying with a presidential order to surrender sensitive papers but then stopped, saying although he works in the White House, he is not part of the executive branch.

He argues that he is a member of the legislature because of his dual role as president of the Senate.

This is truly a bizzare statement, although not entirely without precedent as George Washington originally refused to include John Adams in his cabinet because he viewed his role as President of the Senate as an inherently Legislative function. But that being said - and that is about the only defense I can imagine for the statement - historically otherwise the VP has always been viewed as part of the Executive and even President Washington's view changed for his second term. The White House should bite the bullet and admit this statement for what is - a lawyerly delaying tactic on releasing some information they want to keep classified for some (maybe even good) reason. It doesn't pass the sniff test in the public, and is only serving to weaken an already lame duck presidency in the eyes of the public.