Obama veep could be retired military
WASHINGTON (AP) - June 10, 2008 North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad told The Associated Press said the
team asked him about potential candidates from three broad
categories - current top elected officials, former top elected
officials and former top military leaders.
Conrad would not disclose which names they discussed, and the
Obama campaign has been keeping the process a closely guarded
secret.
"We talked about many names," Conrad said, including "some
that are out of the box, but I think would be very well-received by
the American people, including former top military leaders."
A running mate from the military ranks could help address
concerns that Obama lacks foreign policy experience, having served
just three years in the Senate. It could also provide a
counterpoint to the military bonafides of the Republican ticket,
which will be led by Vietnam war hero John McCain.
Obama has a three-person team managing the vetting process that
includes one-time first daughter Caroline Kennedy, former Deputy
Attorney General Eric Holder and Jim Johnson, the former CEO of
mortgage lender Fannie Mae.
The vetters have been holding meetings with several Democratic
lawmakers on Capitol Hill to get their input. Conrad met with
Holder and Johnson.
"I sensed from this meeting that they are still very much
building the list and at the same time evaluating possibilities,"
Conrad said. "It's very clear they have reached no conclusions,
not even tentative conclusions."
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland also met with
Johnson and Holder. He also would not disclose names they
discussed, but said he advised that any presidential candidate
should tap for his No. 2 "someone they feel comfortable with,
someone who they believe is qualified in the event they could not
serve out the balance of their term for whatever reason, and
someone whom they believe will be helpful as they campaign to be
elected. And I think Mr. Obama will do that."
Many former military leaders have been involved in the 2008
Democratic presidential campaign. Some of Obama's most prominent
campaign advisers have been retired Gen. Tony McPeak, who was Air
Force chief of staff during Operation Desert Storm; retired Maj.
Gen. Scott Gration, who flew repeated combat missions and has
worked with Obama on a range of military issues since before he
began his presidential campaign; and Richard Danzig, who was
secretary of the Navy under President Clinton.
He might also look at some of former rival Hillary Rodham
Clinton's top military advisers in a gesture of unity, retired
generals who include Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff; or Wesley Clark, who led the war in Kosovo and
sought the Democratic presidential nomination four years ago.
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who served as Navy secretary under
President Reagan, has also been frequently mentioned as a possible
running mate.
NBC News reported that one name being discussed is retired Gen.
James Jones, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander.
Campaigning in St. Louis, Obama was asked about criticism from
McCain of Johnson, who received loans from Countrywide Financial
Corp. with the help of the firm's chief executive, Angelo Mozilo.
Countrywide is part of a federal investigation in the midst of the
subprime mortgage crisis.
Holder has also come under Republican criticism for his role in
helping fugitive financier Marc Rich get a pardon from President
Clinton.
Obama said he was not hiring "a vetter to vet the vetters."
"Jim Johnson has a very discrete task, as does Eric Holder, and
that is simply to gather up information about potential vice
presidential candidates," Obama said. "They are performing that
job well. It is a volunteer, unpaid position. ... They're not
people who I have assigned to a particular job in a future
administration."
On Tuesday, Democrats raised questions about Arthur B.
Culvahouse, the former Reagan administration official helping with
McCain's vice presidential search.
Several Republicans close to the campaign say that while McCain
and Campaign Manager Rick Davis are running the show, Culvahouse is
closely involved the process. He has played a role in vice
presidential searches before and served as counsel to President
Reagan from 1987-1989. Culvahouse also is a partner at O'Melveny &
Myers, an international law firm, and in previous years has been
listed in public records as a lobbyist on behalf of Fannie Mae and
Lockheed Martin.
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Associated Press writers Charles Babington in St. Louis, and
Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Liz Sidoti in Washington contributed to
this report.
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