Pundits tend to obsess over people who will never accept the #2 spot on the ticket. For instance, during the 2008 election, every other article was about how Barack Obama was “definitely going to select Hillary Rodham Clinton as his VP,” but deep down, you had to know that wasn’t going to happen — not after all they’d been through. This election cycle, people are still pining for Clinton. For the GOP ticket, the obvious favorite is Marco Rubio… but again, I really don’t see that happening. Every once in a while I come across a name that hasn’t been widely circulated in the Veepstakes yet, but ends up being so perfect I have to wonder why no one is squawking about it. One of these people is Paul Ryan.

Roots

If you’re looking for someone who appeals to middle class voters, Paul Ryan could talk nostalgically about how his hardworking great-grandfather started the Ryan Incorporated Central construction business. Or perhaps he’ll stump about his years of driving the Wienermobile for Oscar Meyer to put himself through college. Some of his other odd jobs during college included opening mail for Wisconsin Senator Bob Kasten as a lowly intern, waiting tables at the Tortilla Coast restaurant, and fitness training at the Washington Sport and Health Club, to name a few. He’s a pretty “real” guy, wouldn’t you say?

Career

Once he had his BA in Economics, his mother urged him to give up his dreams of being a ski bum and accept a position as a staff economist for Bob Kasten, which he did. Once Kasten was pushed out by Russ Feingold, Ryan went on to write speeches and contribute to conservative think-tank Empower America. He wrote speeches for Jack Kemp during the 1996 election cycle and worked as legislative director for US Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas. He was elected to the US House of Representatives (WI) in 1999, where he still works today. He was one of three founding members of the Republican “Young Guns Program” (along with Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy) in 2008, which was wildly successful in recruiting and generating enthusiasm for up-and-coming Republican leaders. In 2010, The Daily Telegraph ranked him the “9th Most Influential US Conservative,” and he won 68 percent of the vote that year in his re-election bid. He outlined his vision for America in a detailed paper entitled, “Roadmap For America’s Future,” which discussed topics like healthcare, job creation and debt reduction — all hot topics for this election. On Capitol Hill, he is very much known as a man who thinks bold and comes up with realistic solutions to America’s greatest problems. Just last year, he was named Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget.

Continue reading to learn about Paul Ryan’s popularity & what Mitt Romney has to say about him…

Popularity

This year, editors of Human Events magazine lauded Paul Ryan as “Conservative of the Year”. Honestly, he would probably be the most exciting fresh young face Romney could use to enhance his conservative appeal.

Romney himself had this to say of Ryan (who has been serving in the Wisconsin House of Reps since 1999):

“Paul Ryan has three qualities that make him central to the definition of conservatism in America today. He’s not afraid to speak the truth. He has the gift of marrying conservative principles to practical solutions. He has the leadership abilities that turn thought into action. His success in gaining bipartisan support for his latest Medicare reform proposals exemplifies exactly what I am talking about.  With the country facing a slow-motion entitlement crisis that will eventually bankrupt us, we are extraordinarily fortunate that someone with his combination of courage, probity, and wisdom has come to the fore.”

Does this not sound like everything that Mitt Romney would need to get things done in Washington?

He’s also received positive accolades from well-known superstars like Marco Rubio, Newt Gingrich and John Huntsman to key figures like Mark Levin (Conservative Radio Host), Reince Priebus (Chairman of the Republican National Committee) and Al Cardenas (Chairman of the American Conservative Union). If you were to use Facebook as any gauge of popularity, then you might note that Romney has over 1 million fans, but Paul Ryan has over 87,000.

Interest

Paul Ryan recently told local news station FOX6 that he didn’t want to run for president this cycle because he has three young children, but he would consider a spot on the ticket as vice president because the campaign is much shorter and less demanding. He reportedly told the news station:

“I’m not going to focus on that only because it’s someone else’s decision, so what’s the point of answering that question? I’m focused on doing my job right and that’s so far away and it’s out of my control, so I just don’t spend my time worrying about it. I spend my time worrying about my job, which is balancing the budget, getting this debt under control and creating the conditions that will get jobs created in this country.”

I think it sounds like he is up to the task… don’t you?

Also at VicePresidents.com This Week…

A History Lesson: How We Choose VPs

VP Speculation Takes Center-stage!

1944 Political Cartoon

When Do We Pick The GOP VP Nominee?

“What goes up must come down,” as the old adage says. Mitt Romney was flying high like a kite on a windy day for so long, that it’s reasonable to assume he would have a hard time captivating the nation’s attention until election day. To be fair, Mitt still seems the most electable candidate in the race and it’s likely he will continue his lead, despite what these so-called “opinion polls” believe. Yet, with Herman Cain bowing out of the race, it seems a surge of voters have swung over to the Newt Gingrich camp. There is an undercurrent of people in this country whose slogan is “Anybody But Mitt.” In fact, there is a whole website about it. Newt Gingrich has emerged as the “Conservative” darling in the race. Despite his sordid past (that includes every bit of salaciousness as Herman Cain’s), Newt has been so off-the-cuff about it that it doesn’t seem to hurt him all that much. We’re still a long way from the finish line, so it’s hard to tell who will be whose VEEP just yet, but the main presidential contenders are all talking about it this week. As the campaign drags on, some of the candidates are changing their tunes from “I’m in it to win it” to “Uh, sure, I’d take #2. Who wouldn’t?” Others have too much pride to accept second fiddle after having come so far. It takes a special kind of person to be a sidekick.

- Rick Perry Still Doesn’t Want It.

If you recall, back in July, Perry told The Houston Chronicle, ““I think you kind of go, ‘vice president, governor of Texas…’ ” (Imagine Perry mimicking a scale with his hands as he says this.) “John Nance Garner had a pretty handle on that” (when he infamously said the job of VP “isn’t worth a pitcher of warm spit.”) Despite his ailing campaign, Rick Perry hasn’t changed his tune on the #2 job in the land. He recently asked Wolf Blitzer on CNN, “Why would you leave being governor of the state of Texas to be vice president?”

- Michele Bachmann Sets Her Sights on Trump & Santorum.

Michele Bachmann declined The Donald’s invitation to appear in his December 27th debate (which is perfectly understandable… a debate two days after Christmas? What kind of Grinch is Donald Trump anyway?) Yet, Trump felt personally insulted by her cold shoulder. “I’m very disappointed [in] Michele Bachmann,” Trump told radio host Don Imus on Friday. “She’d come up to see me four times — four times, she’d call me, she’d ask me for advice. She said I should be her vice-presidential, you know, if she wins she’d like me to think about me for the vice presidency.” Trump for VEEP? Really? It could have been an epic disaster. Rumor has it, Trump spent hours robo-calling for Bachmann, but declined to say he endorses her (because, truthfully, he hasn’t) and when she caught wind of that, she refused to participate in his debate. “Unbelievable. It’s actually called loyalty. How do you do that?” Trump grumbled. On Wednesday, Michele spouted off her shortlist of VP contenders, which included…

• Rick Santorum
• Donald Trump
• Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina
• Marco Rubio of Florida.

She is reported as saying, “We’ve got a lot of wonderful candidates who would fit that bill. Easily comes to mind I think would be Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Marco Rubio of Florida certainly would be in that category. There’s a lot of great people out there. And Donald Trump is someone that I think a lot of people would be intrigued with, too.” She told Fox News’ Greta van Susteren, “I think that Rick Santorum is a wonderful man personally, but also, I think that he’s very gifted when it comes to the area of legal issues. I think I could see him as an attorney general. I think he’d do a great job. I haven’t talked to Rick about that, but I think he’d be wonderful, or another cabinet position.”

- Newt Gingrich Will Always Be There For Romney.

Gingrich named Mitt Romney as one of his VEEP shortlist candidates in no uncertain terms. “I think the consensus is that he’d certainly be on the list, whether he’d want to or not,” Gingrich said. “He’s a very competent person. This is a very serious man. I would certainly support him if he became the Republican nominee.” So, in essence, if Newt gets it, he’ll ask Romney to be VP. If Romney gets it, Newt wants him to know he’s available for the #2 spot.

For more on the race for second place, visit www.VicePresidents.com or VicePresidents on Facebook!

Vote on this week’s VEEP Picture Poll: Which VP Had The Coolest Gun?

Learn what Joe Biden’s been up to this month and read some of his latest quotes.

Check out Rob Portman’s credentials and learn why both Republicans and Democrats think he’d be a great #2.

Also, we have a feature titled: Gingrich, A Rising Star, But Who For #2? 

Click to visit Vicepresidents.com on Facebook!

This morning, I came across an interesting little interview of the Republican Presidential Hopefuls, where the question was posed, “Who should be the fifth president on Mount Rushmore?” I’d have to say I’m with Perry on this one — there are enough Presidents on Mount Rushmore; why add another? But I also expected to hear a few “Ronald Reagans” mentioned, which I did… what I didn’t expect was for the name of a VEEP to come up. Was it Truman? Silent Cal?

Not quite…

Mitt Romney feels JOHN ADAMS would make a great addition to Mount Rushmore!

… Really?! Anyone with a clear idea of history would find it EXTREMELY curious that Adams deserves such a prominent memorial. Let’s start with his vice presidency. In his opinion, this position was “laborious” and “wholly insignificant.” He took great pride in lecturing the senate until members were bored to tears. Even Benjamin Franklin confessed that Adams was wise and honest, but “sometimes, in some things, absolutely out of his senses.”

What A Snoot…

Adams was one of those annoying founding fathers who longed for more traces of royalty in the American presidency. He thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have “His Majesty The President” or “His Mighty Benign Highness” in America? Few agreed and he soon became known as “His Royal Rotundity” behind his back. Adams didn’t quite find the humor in their sentiment, which sparked him to come up with the famous quote: “I have reached the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, two are called a law firm, and three or more become a Congress.”

Gross, Dude…

Not only was he notoriously snobbish, obstinate, curmudgeonly and difficult to get along with, but Adams was also a little bit gross. He smoked, drank and ate to excess, which gave him a frumpy, swine-like demeanor. He refused to wear false teeth after losing his own and spoke with a particularly horrid lisp. His health was poor and he was constantly depressed. He was, however, very self aware, admitting, “I am obnoxious, suspected and unpopular.”

The Presidency

Say what you will, but somehow this crank became the president. You’d think he’d finally be happy to have the #1 spot in the land — an aspiration of all VEEPs, to be fair — but alas… John Adams wanted to be King of America. He is frequently characterized as independent-minded and power-hungry. He was emotional, insecure and ungracious in defeat. The controversial Alien & Sedition Acts were passed during his presidency to limit any criticism of his administration and deport anyone he didn’t quite care for. He was also criticized for appointing “midnight judges” right before Jefferson’s election to undermine the new Democrat-Republican executive branch with his Federalist judge friends. To his credit, he did build up our Navy and avoid war with France through diplomacy (although this was a very unpopular position at the time).

So one has to wonder… what was Romney thinking when he recommended a carving of John Adams on Mount Rushmore? Did he just like the fact that he, too, is from Massachusetts? Or was he impressed that no major personal scandal overshadowed the Adams reign?

As John Adams himself said, “Facts are stubborn things.”

For more Vice President trivia, facts, analysis and news, visit www.vicepresidents.com.

In the past, choosing a vice president wasn’t always such a big to-do. In fact, prior to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the party conventions just selected a running mate and that was that. The prevailing sentiment in the early years of the vice presidents was more or less, “Who cares what sidekick the President picks? It’s not like he does anything anyway.” Although, modern vice presidents are far busier than ever before. Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden have been in charge of a number of presidential tasks from international trips and publicity stunts to working on late-night deals in Congress and making tough foreign policy calls. We must always remember that these men in the shadows are only one bullet, case of pneumonia, accident, or impeachment away from becoming America’s head honcho. In this article, we take a look at a few of the most disastrous choices for VP nominee in history.

A Bad Choice Was Made In 2008…

Historians will argue forever who ranks as the absolute worst VP nominee, but there are many names that come to mind. The most recent disaster was undoubtedly Sarah Palin. One could see why (then) 72-year-old John McCain would choose her. On the Democratic side, the fervor for Hillary Clinton was really heating up in her race against Barack Obama. Why not take advantage of the growing calls for a woman in charge in the White House and show that he’s a true “Maverick” by being one of the few Presidential contenders in history to run alongside a woman? After all, she was super popular in her home state of Alaska and had some good governing experience that would pair nicely with McCain’s largely legislative work. There were a few problems, however. First of all, Palin was more insular in small town Alaska than anyone had thought and her never-ending series of foreign policy gaffes and limited intellectual curiosity became the focus of media scrutiny.Saturday Night Live enjoyed high ratings with Tina Fey’s spot-on impression of Palin. It also didn’t help that the two hardly knew each other and lacked the chemistry needed to make a ticket run smoothly. In essence, McCain took a huge gamble… and lost.

More Awful Choices…

Dan Quayle

Even though Dan Quayle technically helped George Bush Sr. win his ticket, holding promise as the “Republican JFK,” he wound up as a laughingstock. He was seen as evasive and uncertain in debate performances. Americans painfully watched how Quayle told an elementary school child he had misspelled “potato” by forgetting the “e” at the end. He was ridiculed by the San Diego Union Tribune as an intellectual lightweight and incompetent. He constantly made unbelievable gaffes on very basic common knowledge, saying that Mars was in the same orbit as Earth, or that the holocaust was “an obscene period in our nation’s history.” He garnered more backlash when he attacked Murphy Brown and the idea that single mothers raising children were somehow “mocking the importance of fathers.” Needless to say, he did not help the ticket win re-election after the public got a taste for his buffoonery.

Thomas Eagleton

Another terrible VP pick was Senator Thomas Eagleton, who ran alongside George McGovern in 1972. McGovern hastily selected Eagleton after he was shot down by his initial choice, Gaylord Nelson. He failed to run a full background check of the Senator, or else he would have noticed a number of hospitalizations. He was, in fact, on an anti-psychotic called Thorazine and two of his doctors expressed serious concern in his eligibility for office, calling him “manic depressive” and “suicidal.” Shortly after being added to the ticket, he was hospitalized for “nervous exhaustion,” for which he received electroshock treatments. Unbeknownst to McGovern, Eagleton was talking all sorts of smack behind his back. He allegedly told a reporter that, “The people don’t know McGovern is for amnesty, abortion and legalization of pot. Once middle America — Catholic middle America, in particular — finds out, he’s dead.” The reporter named him as an “unnamed Democratic senator” and the truth only came out in 2007, several months after Eagleton passed away. Here is a cool ABC News video about Thomas Eagleton’s troubles back in 1972.

Geraldine Ferraro

It was an emotional time to see the first Italian-American and the first woman appear on a major party line for national office. Early coverage was very favorable, painting her as a strong woman who was the child of poor immigrants and rose above. On the stump, she was formidable in foreign policy and very critical of Reagan, often overshadowing Walter Mondale himself. Trouble started brewing when theNY Times began digging into her financial records. There was much secrecy surrounding her husband’s finances and he refused to release his financial statements. When the statements were finally made public, it was discovered the couple was worth about $4 million and that they had once paid $53,000 in federal back taxes due to “an accountant’s error.” Even though a press conference put the issue to rest once and for all, she later became embroiled with the Catholic Church when she espoused her belief that abortion was “open to individual interpretation.” A month before they lost in a landslide election, the NY Post published a damaging (but true) report that Ferraro’s father had been arrested for possession of numbers slips from illegal underground gambling.

James Stockdale

Ross Perot and James Stockdale met through Perot’s wife’s work with the families of Vietnam POWs. Perot asked Stockdale to be his “provisional” running mate in March and planned to eventually replace him, but he never got around to it. In fact, Perot dropped out of the race in July and returned in the fall, with Stockdale still by his side. A week before the October vice presidential debate, Stockdale received the memo that he was expected to participate. He opened with the famous opening statement, “Who am I? Why am I here?” — which was later mercilessly parodied on Saturday Night Live. His performance went downhill from there with senseless rambling, missing questions because his hearing aid wasn’t turned on, continuously repeating the term “gridlock,” stuttering, wandering around to Gore’s podium, and losing his train of thought.

Who do you think was the worst VEEP nominee in history?

(Let’s hope the Republicans make a better choice this year!)

For more on all things “vice president,” visit www.vicepresidents.com!

In a recent National Journal poll, Marco Rubio smoked the competition as both the Democrat and Republican choice for a Republican running mate. See what other names came up. (Eric Cantor… really??)

Also, in the news this week, there’s a Romney / Christie love-fest brewing, which leads many to speculate that, if given the nomination, Romney will have his heart set on wooing Governor Christie away from New Jersey. (Good luck, Mitt! NJ has Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi!) Check out what Romney said!

Herman Cain must have felt his Tuesday debate performance was plenty good enough because he’s floating possible VP short list names around already. Newt Gingrich might not come as a surprise, but he has also mentioned Jim DeMint and Paul Ryan as favorites. Here’s our analysis of these picks. 

Election Season is an exciting time to cover politics, especially when you look at all the limelight players shifting in the winds. It may be subtle, but people who want to be involved in the next White House Administration on some level must be making bold moves to capture the national spotlight right now. They don’t want to “look like they want it,” but let’s face it: being asked to run on the Republican ticket would be a huge honor to anyone in politics.

On Friday, I took a look at who DOES and DOESN’T want to be the Republican VP nominee in Running Mate Roundup. (You won’t believe what Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich said this week!)

I also have a piece for you: A Closer Look At VP Prospect Herman Cain. (Learn more about Cain’s business acumen and educational background, as well as the shocking story about how he first became involved in politics!)

And if you love polls and history, check out this week’s VEEP Poll: Which VP Had The Hottest Wife? (Don’t forget to vote for your favorite on our Facebook page! PS… You can also read a few neat stories about the VP’s wives.)

Photo by Joshua Farnsworth

During the early months of the election season, Republicans are keeping busier than ever — seeking the national spotlight by speaking out against Obama, writing books, giving interviews, and publicly supporting the GOP candidates.

See which VP Hopefuls have been in the news recently!

In other news, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell would make the perfect running mate for any Republican contender. He’s extremely bright and he’s got one heck of a track record. He hob-knobs with celebrities like Steven Spielberg and Donald Trump. He’s working on all the right issues in his state right now and he has the sort of practical values that appeal to both Conservatives and left-leaning suburbanites. He comes across as a real down-to-earth fellow who creates consensus and gets things done. One has to wonder why he’s not running for President himself!

Learn more about Bob here. 

During the Fox News debate last night, the GOP hopefuls were posed one of our favorite questions during the election season:

“If you had to choose one of your opponents on the stage tonight to be your running mate in the 2012 election, who would you choose, and why?  And why would this person help you make the country better?”

Click here to read what they said!

Joe Biden – German Shepherd – “Champ”

Joe Biden came under fire from PETA for buying his German Shepherd, Champ, from a breeder in Pennsylvania, rather adopting from a shelter. The breeder regrets the sale, saying that she was later attacked by all sorts of animal rights groups and inspectors who cited her for multiple “violations” – all of which were subsequently dropped, but not after $4,000 in legal fees! All kerfuffle aside, a Biden spokesperson said that Biden had three shepherds before this one and just absolutely adores the breed.

Click to read more VP dog stories to learn which dog is banned from Camp David, which VEEP rejected a puppy sent to him as a gift, which dogs were used for political purposes, and more…

Dick Cheney – Yellow Laborador Retriever – “Davey”

Just this past August, Cheney’s yellow lab, Davey, was banned from Camp David after making an unprovoked attack on George W’s Scottish terrier, Barney. In 2008, Davey also came under fire for biting a Reuters reporter on the hand. What can we say? This is one dog that takes after his master!

Al Gore – Black Labrador Retriever – “Shiloh”

Al Gore’s dog, Shiloh, was caught in the middle of a campaign flap, where Gore told seniors in Tallahassee, Florida that his mother-in-law “pays $108 a month for the brand-name drug Lodine, while it only costs $37.80 a month to administer the same drug to his arthritic dog”. The Bush camp accused Gore of “inventing his own facts.”

George HW Bush – Springer Spaniel – “Millie”

“My dog Millie knows more about foreign affairs than these two bozos [Bill Clinton and Al Gore],” Bush Sr. once quipped. Millie, who has been dubbed “the most famous dog in White House history,” allegedly penned her own book (Millie’s Book: As Dictated To Barbara Bush) and also starred on episodes of Murphy Brown and Wings. She also has a Texas dog park named after her.

Walter Mondale – Beagle Mix – “Digger”

In Julia Szabo’s The Underdog: A Celebration of Mutts, she recalls how Digger lived in the Vice President’s house and in Tokyo, when he served as ambassador. The dog lived until the ripe old age of 17 and was buried in Japan. The Mondales then named their Minnesota weekend house “Diggerwood” after the family pet.   

Gerald Ford – Golden Retriever – “Liberty”

Here Liberty is pictured with Nelson Rockefeller, who loved her as well, but she actually belonged to Gerald. From the get-go, Liberty was a big hit with the media. She had a litter of puppies at the White House (most of which Ford could not part with), swam at Camp David, and frequently played on the White House lawn. SNL frequently parodied the relationship between Ford and his dog. Rumor has it, whenever Ford wanted to end a conversation, he would signal the dog who would begin wagging her tail so enthusiastically, it would create a natural break in talks.

Lyndon B Johnson – Mixed Breed – “Yuki”

Yuki was a mixed breed found by President Johnson’s daughter at a Texas gas station on Thanksgiving Day in 1966. The VEEP also had Beagles (one of which was run over on the White House grounds!) and a rare white Collie named “Blanco”. Dog fanciers were angry when Johnson lifted his Beagle’s ears for a photograph, but he was a known dog lover.

Richard Nixon – Cocker Spaniel – “Checkers”

Nixon was accused of referencing his dog Checkers in a speech to seem like “an everyman wrongfully accused of tainted wealth.” In the speech, Nixon told this story: “One other thing I probably should tell you because if we don’t they’ll probably be saying this about me too, we did get something—a gift—after the election. A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was? It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he’d sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl—Tricia, the 6-year-old—named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.”

Harry Truman – Irish Setter – “Mike”

On Christmas of 1947, an unsolicited gift came to Truman’s White House — an adorable cocker spaniel pup named “Feller” ! Truman didn’t feel the White House was any place for a dog, so he gave the pooch to his family physician… who later handed him off to a Naval Admiral… who then passed the dog to someone else… who passed it to someone else… and finally the forlorn pup made it to a family in Ohio, where he lived out the rest of his days happily. Truman did, however, accept another gift when someone sent Margaret an Irish Setter.

Calvin Coolidge – Collie – “Prudence Prim”

Prudence Prim was the most commonly photographed Coolidge household dog. She was very prim and proper, wearing straw bonnets to garden parties where she would greet each guest in a dignified manner. She was a total mommy’s dog, sleeping by her bed and on her couch at night when no one was looking. She was good friends with their other collie, Rob Roy. The Coolidges essentially ran a zoo, with a menagerie of cats, birds, dogs, a raccoon, a bear, a wallaroo, two lion cubs, a duiker, and pekin ducks.

Vote on this poll at the VicePresidents.com Facebook page! 

]]> http://donklephant.com/2011/09/23/poll-which-vp-had-the-cutest-dog/feed/ 5 http://donklephant.com/2011/09/23/wheres-joe-biden-been-hidin-2/ http://donklephant.com/2011/09/23/wheres-joe-biden-been-hidin-2/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:54:50 +0000 Jennn Fusion http://donklephant.com/?p=21546

What hasn’t Joe Biden been up to this month? He’s been flexing his foreign policy muscle with Asia, Romania, and Iraq. He’s started stumping in the Southeast, where breakfasts with Biden fetch $5,000 and dinners over $38,000 a plate. He is taking some heat over Solyndra, but he’s also shown his “human, Average Joe” side in parts of Pennsylvania that have been devastated by floods. He’s talking golf with Boehner and sending beer to Scott Brown, but he’s also cutting government waste by the millions and getting down to business on important matters like violence against women and job creation.  Continue reading the specifics here!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, where you’ll get links, photos, video and analysis pertaining to US vice presidents of the past, present and future. 

Look Who Doesn’t Want To Be VP This Month…

You know the games we play at this time in the election season. Don’t act like you want it. Keep your head down. Show your dedication to the job. Make them court you. Finally agree to it once the media has responded favorably and every important voice in politics has demanded that you come out of hiding. Even then, it’s practically political suicide for anyone with real ambitions of becoming the president one day. Only FOUR vice presidents in U.S. history have gone on from the office of the vice presidency to win a direct election:

    John Adams (1796)
    Thomas Jefferson (1800)
    Martin Van Buren (1836)
    George Bush (1988).

That being said, let’s take a look at who’s playing the game…

Rick Perry, Governor of Texas

What He Says: “I think you kind of go, ‘Vice President… Governor of Texas…’ ” Rick Perry said, mimicking a scale with his hands as he weighed the jobs. “John Nance Garner had a pretty good handle on that.” (As you may recall, John Nance Garner was famously quoted as saying, “This job isn’t worth a pitcher of warm spit.”)

Why He Should Want It: Rick Perry is one of the longest serving governors with a tenure of 10 years and 216 days. He’s tough on crime, he saved the state more than $3 billion by using his line item veto powers, he fought frivolous malpractice lawsuits, he’s kept taxes low, and he’s managed to increase spending on education when most other states are cutting their budgets. Since the 2012 election will undoubtedly be about the economy, a Republican ticket could sure use a fiscal conservative.

Marco Rubio, Florida Senator

What He Says: “I’m flattered, but I will not be anyone’s running mate. I’m focused on this job here in the U.S. Senate.” Also, one of his close advisors is rumored to have said, “I’ve heard that rumor too. But he may not think he’s ready yet. There’s always 2016.”

Why He Should Want It: Marco Rubio has been called a “Rock Star” by Texan Senator John Cornwyn, who adds that Rubio is “a popular guy, not just in Florida, but around the country.” Strategists point out that he’d bring the swing state of Florida over to the Republicans; he has Republican, Conservative and Tea Party support; he has Cuban roots so he could drum up support in Latino communities; and 57 of 100 ideas he brought to the table became law in what Newt Gingrich called “a work of genius.” In other words… this guy is Dynamite!

Read more at www.VicePresidents.com!

“We’ve debunked about a dozen myths so far — from the outlandish ‘Death Panel’ claims to the idea that we’re eliminating Medicare benefits. But the biggest myth of all is that our health insurance system is just fine, that there is no serious need for reform. I heard one opponent of reform in congress say and I quote, ‘This is not a major issue among the American people.’ Nothing, nothing could be more further from the truth.”  (8/31/09, online video)

If there’s one thing Obama has always loved, it’s getting people involved via viral videos. Now he’s asking the American people to speak up at Whitehouse.gov and make the case that health care is an important issue. It seems shocking that anyone would suggest it’s not important, although many critics in the purple states are saying that Obama has too much on his plate. They’re saying they’re not quite ready for so much change right now. However, presidential polls continually reaffirm the fact that the president is never as popular later on in his presidency as he is at the beginning, so if he truly wants health care reform, it’s wise of him to pursue it sooner, rather than later. It would also be wise for him to take a more bipartisan approach to the issue and move to pass things both sides can agree upon, rather than holding out for a Nancy Pelosi-esque, “All or Nothing” stand-off.

Read more of Joe’s comments about Ted Kennedy & Little League baseball at The Examiner!

“It’s not just a congresswoman. This is bigger than Debbie. This is bigger than me. I promise you: If the Republicans succeed in knocking off these new bright stars … What do you think the chances [are] for the kind of reform we need for that little 3-year-old beauty in the next four to six years?” (8/19/09 – Chicago fundraiser)

Gesturing to a 3-year-old girl listening to his speech may have been a cheap trick to tug at our heart strands and an overly emphatic way of making his point. (Do you think the Republicans want to block 3-year-olds from health care?) Yet the Chicago audience ate it up. Halvorson faces an uphill battle against a National Air Guard pilot/former commissioner, a farmer and an activist/church TV show producer. I guess you’d really have to be embedded in Chicago politics to understand why someone with 12 years in the state Senate and a year in the House would be so nervous that she’d have to call up Biden for support. Then again, maybe Biden is just that cool to “hang out with.” 

On another note, it’s interesting to see the same old battle royale is starting up again, fear mongering and all, which makes us roll our eyes recalling about all that silly talk about “bipartisanship” during the primary season. Barack Obama may be a fair-minded individual, but he’s certainly ready to play hard ball, especially when his batter is Joe Biden and he’s got Nancy Pelosi on first, Kathleen Sebelius on second and Rahm Emanuel on third. 

Continue reading what Joe has to say about Bush & Healthcare!

Some people say “a vice president is just a vice president,” that a visit from a #2 isn’t all that big a deal. However, it seems that Vice President Biden’s current trip has important meanings for all involved. While it may not be as big a deal as a visit from Obama himself, sending the #2 is a great way for Obama to highlight areas of the world that mean the most to the current administration.

One might ask, “Why not send Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on these missions? Isn’t that her job?” Yet, Obama has said that he prefers a “divide and conquer” approach to foreign policy, which is reinforced by his sending of Biden, his closest foreign policy advisor. As promised on the campaign trail, Joe Biden is proving that he’s involved in all the major operations within the White House and he’s getting the ability to wear that Secretary of State hat a little bit, while sitting tall in the second-highest position in the land.

Today, the vice president is traveling to Ukraine to reassure Russia’s embattled neighbors that the new administration will not abandon them as they improve ties with the Kremlin… Continue Reading…

Back when I first heard that Barack Obama had selected Joe Biden as his running mate, I wondered, “How’s that dynamic going to work out?” The Joe Biden I knew was a senior senator who liked his Amtrak commutes, his role on the foreign relations committee and his independence. But then Obama appeared on “Meet the Press” and said, “I’m going to want someone with independence, who’s willing to tell me when he thinks or she thinks I’m wrong. We’re going to have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do, and I’m not interested in a vice president who I just send off to go to funerals.”

After many interviews of putting down the Veep speculation, Biden finally told the world he was ready to serve, especially since Obama made it clear he wants more than just a figurehead for his vice presidency. When Biden was first announced as the VP-elect, they went on this whirlwind “rockstar” tour of America to show that they had the charisma, the passion and the gravitas to lead the nation. But over time, Biden’s independent spirit has done the administration well: while Obama stays in Washington, tending to business, he can send Joe jet-setting and globe-trotting on special missions.

Continue Reading…

In a show of good faith, Vice President Joe Biden flew to Baghdad Thursday evening on his unprecedented three-day visit. Typically, a high-level official – like Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney – only remains in the country for a day or less, so the trip is unusually long. But Biden said this is “the moment where a lot of Iraqis cynically believed we’d never keep the agreement” – to withdraw all combat troops by August 2010 and all U.S. soldiers by the end of 2011.

Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has said that the withdrawal pledge has left him “filled with hope,” but he added, “If the occupation forces breach the claimed withdrawal even with the government’s cover, then the people have the right to express their opinion by peaceful means and the right of self-defense in a way that does not harm the Iraqi people or security forces.”

On the flight over, the U.S. Vice President told reporters, “I think the Iraqis have become invested in their nationhood. I think they’ve become invested in the idea that they want to run their own lives, that they want to be in charge. The reason I came is [President Barack Obama] wants to focus within the White House on the implementation of our administration’s plan to…. draw down troop levels in Iraq.” …Continue reading here…

Solar Energy: “We’re trying to lay a foundation for a new economy…We are investing not in digging more oil wells but in building more wind farms, investing in solar energy….We are going to have an economy that [is] not based on a bubble.” (Media Teleconference, 6/8/09)

This Tuesday, Joe Biden will be traveling to a solar panel manufacturer near Toledo, Ohio to put his money where his mouth is. Willard & Kelsey Solar Group just received $10 Million from the Economic Stimulus Plan to create up to 3,500 new jobs making thin photo-voltaic cells for residential and commercial use.  VP Biden will tour the facility at 10 AM and hold a middle class task force meeting titled “Promoting American Manufacturing in the 21st Century” afterwards. He’ll discuss the state of the manufacturing industry, how the administration is supporting manufacturing communities presently and what they have planned for the future.

Read more Quotes about Father’s Day and Plans for Michigan here!

As you may recall, on the campaign trail, Joe Biden was heralded as “head of the Middle Class taskforce” – whose activities can be viewed here.

Yet the question remains: What has Joe Biden done for the Middle Class?

Several months ago, I checked the Middle Class Task Force site only to find a discussion of ways to help people send their kids to college… and I thought, “So what?” What is the purpose of going to college if there are no jobs waiting at the other end of the tunnel? Moreover, a 20/20 special posited that Bachelor’s Degrees are “America’s biggest over-rated product.” Upping college enrollment seems to be the wrong approach. After all, 1 in 5 people who are unemployed hold at least a college degree, according to NPR.   

This month, everyone’s clamoring, “Where are the jobs, Joe?” We’re told there’s good news from the White House – that 150,000 jobs have been either saved or created in the first 100 days.

Yet, when questioned how they arrived at that figure, Joe just sheepishly replied, “I’m a little above my pay grade here as I try to explain in more detail how they count spinoff effects of actual jobs created, I’m sorry. I’m not an Economist. My background is in foreign policy and the constitution.”

He told us to be patient, that the $500 million training program was on its way. The latest unemployment figures indicate 345,000 jobs were cut in May, bringing the national unemployment rate to 9.4%. Back in January, we were promised the unemployment rate wouldn’t exceed 8% if the stimulus was passed. (To be safe, Obama changed his figures to a projected 10% unemployment rate before the end of the year.)

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“They’re either going to have to agree with us, come up with an alternative or we’re not going to have health care… and we’re going to get health care.” (NBC, “Meet the Press,” 6/14/09)

There are few areas Democrats and Republicans disagree in more than healthcare. The Obama-Biden administration has made it abundantly clear that they plan to push legislation through this year. Obama has called healthcare a “ticking time bomb,” especially as the baby boomers age. U.S. government health-related expenditures are already at more than $1.9 trillion per year, which is 44% more than what Switzerland spends on their national healthcare plan and 134% more than the median average of all the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Over the weekend, Obama and Biden proposed a plan that would: curtail fraudulent lawsuits and malpractice awards, lower the pay rate of Medicare, reduce hospital subsidies for treating uninsured patients and negotiate better prices for prescription drugs. This plan, they said, would cost about $1 trillion over 10 years — a figure which many Republicans scoff is just a starting point. Biden adds that it’s “up to Congress” to figure out how to pay for universal healthcare, but he made it clear they’re playing hardball and backing down is not an option for this administration.

Click here to read what Joe Biden had to say about National Security, GM Ownership, North Korea and Iran this week!