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PORTSMOUTH, NH -- Mitt Romney's short list of vice presidential candidates is expected to include 10 to 15 names, a source with knowledge of the deliberations said Monday as one of those potential candidates, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, joined Romney on the campaign trail this morning.
Making his first appearance in the Granite States since having assumed the role of the presumptive Republican nominee, Romney was flanked by Ayotte, a longtime ally who's now receiving new scrutiny as a possible contender for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket this fall.
A freshman senator and former New Hampshire attorney general, Ayotte, who endorsed Romney last November, toured the port here with Romney this morning, and introduced him, telling a crowd of supporters and local fisherman "help is on the way" under a Romney presidency.
The stop was sure to stoke speculation due to its spot in a series of campaign stops Romney has made with potential candidates to round out his ticket. He campaigned heavily in Wisconsin with Rep. Paul Ryan, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, another vice presidential favorite, appeared with Romney last week in Pennsylvania.
"There's a whole ledger of items you check off, and Senator Ayotte is a strong candidate on the list," Former New Hampshire Governor and White House Chief of Staff John Sununu told reporters. "She knows how to cut budgets. She knows that you cut spending instead of raising taxes to cut budgets. She's a hard campaigner. She's earned the respect of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Washington."
Sununu, whom Romney described in his remarks as a "bulldog" for the campaign, played down the notion that today's appearance in Portsmouth constituted an audition for Ayotte. He pointed to her previous appearances and work for Romney, and the former New Hampshire governor suggested that Romney would continue to appear with GOP heavyweights in swing states.
But Sununu also raised eyebrows when he suggested that the vice presidential search committee, being led by longtime Romney aide Beth Myers, would be working with an extensive short list of prospective running mates.
"I know that the bowl has about 19 or 20 little folded pieces of paper in it, and they keep shaking the bowl," Sununu said.
A source with knowledge of the deliberations thus far called that number "a little high" and said the working list contained somewhere around ten to fifteen names instead.
Ayotte might earn her way onto that list because of her experience in law enforcement and background in the swing state of New Hampshire. Adding a woman to the ticket might help Romney to close the gap with women voters, as well.
But, even as Sununu acknowledged, Ayotte has little relative experience on the national stage -- something that could open her up to attacks on her inexperience.
But for all the speculation surrounding the second spot on the GOP ticket, the man at the top remained almost exclusively focused on the economy in his remarks today, accused the president and his campaign of engaging in "silliness" and distractions, and saying he would remain focused on "helping those that need help the most."
"I wish the president would start talking about the economy and stop trying to divert with all the silliness day in and day out," Romney said. "Let’s focus on what people care about, and the issue people care about is the one that is effecting us, which is their pocketbooks. The gasoline prices. The cost of higher education. The need for more jobs. The need for better incomes."
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Ayotte, an almost half term Senator. I guess that beats the last VP pick by the party of nothing new.
"Help is on the way", just don't think its for you Mitt.
Bulldog, what was it I heard the president say about bulldogs lately.
No TRIPLE DOWN on TRICKLE DOWN!
Third try of trickly down economics? Reagan/Bush, Bush II, Romney???
Why would we try for a third time to tax cut and spend into "prosperity"? How's that worked so far?
How can Ayotte be acceptable to Republicans? She voted FOR the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Doesn't that mean it's just about time for her to quit & pull a Palin?
What happened to Willards BFFs, Ryan and Rubio?
..The GOP is so very afraid of another Palin type mess-up....inadequate vetting.
Speaking of vetting, chilled, I wonder how many of the VP nominee's tax returns we'll see? I also wonder where are Mitt's tax returns for years earlier than 2010---we know he has them since he gave 23 years returns to the McCain campaign. Wonder what he is hiding.
Kelly Ayotte another Palin !
"You think when Obama goes to a dog park it's like us looking at a tank for of lobsters?"
That was actually pretty funny, End the Nightmare - I mean, even the President laughed when Jimmy Kimmel used that same line Saturday night at the White House Correspondents dinner. Are you guys getting so desperate for the dog jokes now that you have to steal them from other people?
Did Romney buy those diplomas or actually attend college ?
I though Mittens would be picking WI governor Walker. After all, Walker won't have anything to do this fall anyway.
That’s a short list? I thought 5-3 was a short list. Romney, who is that, and he might run with who? Haven’t we seen this movie before?
Gee Palm Springs, did you actually write that inane question, or buy it somewhere?
Wow Tom, being a half-term Senator shouldn't be an issue - look at what Senator Obama did, and he's now President! Let's see Obama's voting record - PRESENT!
I guess if anyone is seen with the GOP candidate, does that make him a VP contender?
Must be a slow MSNBC news day. Hey MSNBC, how about outlining the successes/failures of the Barack Ness Monster's record?
Afraid to state this, that's why the various articles avoiding the issues?
SmBusOwnerinNY -- Exactly. Recommended reading for all you right-wingers:
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Povertyby Daron Acemoglu, James Robinson
This book explains how historically oligarchy's like the current Teapublican Party and plutocrats like Romney are repeating cycles like the Gilded Age and the robber barons. And according to empiracal evidence, the book shows that the rich create poverty on purpose--wow.
A Sunday news program showed interviews of voters in Virginia. There was an obese woman who parroted the squawking point about our country becoming "socialist." We know this woman doesn't have a clue what that word means, and I'm thinking socialism would be far better than oligarchy. But also I'm thinking how this woman is contributing to the sky-rocking health care costs in this nation, and you can bet your sweet bippy she will demand to have Social Security and Medicare in the near future.
winemaker-4308406 -- Or more accurately whine-maker -- Seriously, you compare this woman's credentials to the president's? As Reagan famously said, "there you go again." I'm hoping for Paul Ryan -- gotta love the open letter from Georgetown. Most likely it will be two white, boring old men -- Romney/Portman -- nothing like Dubya II.
Right-wingers, please STFU or go away!
JoAnne in PA -- I heard this one yeasterday:
President Obama calls Romney.
President Obama: "I have some good news and some bad news"
Romney: "Give me the good news first."
President Obama: "I feel it is time to have a Mormon in the White House."
Romney (so happy he almost soils himself): "Marvelous! What's the bad news?"
President Obama: "I just got baptized this morning."
A shout out to Ms. Ayotte.
Realistically: "Romney/Portman 2012 !"
@Steeler Fan....
The TeaPeople for some reason don't want to show their tax returns.....Willard absolutely refuses.
What's really amazing is that Willard produced the returns (lots of them) last time around. So the GOP knows what's in them and are petrified that the returns may get out.....The GOP will keep Willards tax secrets (blackmail)!
Poor Willard!
Ah, yes, the old "put-a-woman-on-the-ticket-to-attract-the-womens-votes" trick. I remember how well that worked last time... :)
SMBus-
To answer your question, It did really well! It worked by turning around the mess Carter left behind...in fact Reagan had a far greater mess to clean, and he did it in his first four years, unlike some presidents...in 8 years he created 16 million permanent jobs!
Bush's tax cut lead to 52 weeks of uninterrupted job growth. No president in history has done that!
The thing that does not work is your trickle up poverty!
The Bush tax
True Patriot, I have a book for you, its called Epicenter...it will help any liberal dislodge his head for his A$$...
No TRIPLE DOWN on TRICKLE DOWN!
Third try of trickly down economics? Reagan/Bush, Bush II, Romney???
Why would we try for a third time to tax cut and spend into "prosperity"? How's that worked so far?
Why would we try for a third time to tax cut and spend into "prosperity"? How's that worked so far?
Much better than the failed economics brought to us by Obama and the dumbocraps who continue to amass more national debt to this country than any other president ever has before in the same amount of time.
Take inflation out of the mix by comparing the Debt as a percentage of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In 1945 our National Debt was at 125% of GDP. Today it is at 100% of GDP.
Between 1945 and 1980 we paid the debt down to 37% of GDP but by 1992 it had nearly doubled to 69% of GDP. By the time Bush 43 took office it was down to 57% of GDP and when Obama took over it was back up to 77% of GDP, the highest level since the end of the Truman administration.
http://www.supportingevidence.com/Government/fed_debt_as_percent_GDP_over_time.html
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
LeftLib...how old are you? Do you understand "largest increase" means nothing really without adjusting for inflation?
Reagan/Bush QUADRUPLED the Debt from $1T to $4T. That's like Obama inheriting $10T and Hillary leaving in 2020 with $40Trillion. We're no where near THAT.
Obama is at 50% from where he started. Reagan DOUBLED the debt in his first term. And Obama started with an economy bleeding 700,000jobs a month. Reagan had a recession AND a good '83-84 recovery.
But how much of that debt comes from the Bush tax cuts and putting the cost of the wars on the books? How much comes from measures that needed to be taken to bail out the banks and the economy from the Bush Recession? Without those items you would have to find something else to blame Obama for.
I tried to keep it simple, Heart. Of course, the current situation is really not that bad considering the economic condition 3 years ago. Sure I'd like things to be better, but all told, a 50% increase in the debt is not that bad, expecially in view of Reagan/Bush and Bush II.
No TRIPLE DOWN on TRICKLE DOWN.
It's already rediculous how Democratic presidents have had to fix sequential Republican disasters. Clinton after Reagan/Bush, and now Obama after Bush II. I'd rather not give them a third chance to wreck this country's finaces.
No TRIPLE DOWN on TRICKLE DOWN.
(I like my little rhyme, did you notice? PLEASE USE IT ANYONE and EVERYONE!)
Mark at Post 1.20
Horse Pucky. Don't throw out BS numbers. The longest period of monthly civilian job growth under Bush Jr. was 8 months in 2005. Even with that he need two unfunded wars and a wild real estate bubble.
Monthly average civilian job growth under Bush Jr. was 1/3 of one percent.
BLS Series ID
LNS12000000
Has the Rombot tried "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent"? Because the party of pale, male and stale is banging the bottom of the bucket so hard it's likely to bust in. Oh well, you can't expect white bread and mayonnaise to go all croissant and Dijon on you...or can you?
Rombot.Has.Nothing.
Thank goodness the Democratic Party has so many minorities representing them in the US Senate...oh wait, they dont. It is ALL white bread and mayonnaise, isnt it?
Costs money to run for office.
'Mayonnaise' still has the most wealth per capita, but why is it so bad they work to create more opportunity for all?
Thoughts such as 'Would this negatively impact the opportunity of women?' shouldn't be relegated to one party. But it seems that it has been.
@ForeP. ---Mr. Romney has Mr. Portman and Mr. Rubio to choose from. Neither is chopped liver, by any means.
fore
Probably will have better luck by recruiting from the Biggest Losers.
Has the Rombot tried "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent"?
LMAO!
Why doesn't Romney pluck our Tea Party governor from Maine? (Please! Pluck him!)
The guy has so much experience insulting the NAACP, teachers, unions, sick and poor people, Democrats, environmentalists, and President Obama, you know, the usual Republican attack dog targets. Oh, and he's approval rating is now at 41%. He might make Romney look likeable!
"I know that the bowl has about 19 or 20 little folded pieces of paper in it, and they keep shaking the bowl," Sununu said.
.....inadvertently letting the cat out of the bag about how Romney decides what his core beliefs are on pretty much everything else, too.....
Kelly Ayotte another Palin !
Joe Biden....another imbecilic Joe Biden!!
I could have not said it any better TWO THUMBS UP!!!
Mitt better choose a tea bagger, or I'll be pissed!!
Obama/Biden/Pelosi 2012
We, the 99% American People, can name a couple that fit right in with exlax ETCH-A-SKETCH's intelligence level, Mickey Mouse & Howdy Dody! He couldn't make a pimple on our illustrious president's rearend let alone be a president!!
Vote STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC, the lives you save WILL be YOURS & your CHILDREN, not just the 1%'s CHILDREN!!!
Worried about your government check?
In the time it took TR to write that drivel, Obama just borrowed another 3 million form China.
Rocco,,,, Have you seen Romney's Trade Policy? --- If you loved NAFTA, you'll love Romney's
A "Chinese NAFTA on steroids" --- More outsourcing our industries & jobs to Communist China, hoping that will "Trickle Down" to the USA
This President is tough on China, more so than Bush or Romney & he gets more accomplished
By the way,,, The Romney-Ryan Budget is another 4.1 Trillion in borrowing from China & that doesn't even go into how much debt republicans will put us in with their ramped up Cold War policies & another Middle East War that comes with them
In the time it took Rocco to write his drivel, the Republicans just killed the reproductive rights of 3 million more women! But don't worry, the Chinese don't vote!
Bob in Virginia-Give it up man, you are like a comedian who isn't funny and nobody listens to, yet the stupid comments keep coming. Go to FuxNews where your type hang out and practice dragging your knuckles.
Hugh, Exagerate much? How exactly did they do that? This should be interesting. Did Reid finally bring something up for a vote or something?
Did Romney buy those diplomas or actually attend college ?
He bought the college.....
Romney & Ayottee? --- There you go folks, a repeat of the McCain campaign... A half term Senator, another Sarah Palin
The GOP is a party without ideas & a party without a memory
That's a pretty sexist comment Jim Bob. I have a hard time deciding if the liberals actually even like women. Why else would they consistently berate women who run for public office? Oh, they have to believe the way you do to be a "valid" candidate/person.
Or is it OK the call all republican women the 'C" word or other sexist and dehumanizing phrases?
STOP THE DEMOCRATIC WAR ON WOMEN!
Romney needs some more Wall Street influence as VP. Maybe he should consider Geithner, Warren Buffett, or even Bernanke.
In Palm Springs Ca-Neither, he bought the company that prints them, made himself a couple and broke up the company and sold the parts of it to China. Thousands were laid off, but he made enough to buy a couple more houses and Cadillacs for the old lady!
How about Pat Toomey? Let's double down on Wall Street. Portman? I guess if you can't get Bush's first OMB director (Mitch Daniels), get his second one. Nothing like the policies of the past.
President Obama and Dems will have a field day during the campaign with all the videos of Mitt flip-flopping, denying, lying. Heck they just have to use some of the GOP debates footage and attach ads by Mitt's fellow GOP candidates!
Remember Ricky saying "If Romney is the nominee, vote for Obama"!
1. "Ricky" was in it for the $, is a poor sport, and couldn't have his own way.
2. Since the president & the dems can't/won't talk about relevent topics (ex: It's the economy stupid!) the majority of voters will get tired of his/their retoric and finally understand that Mr. Romney knows what is going to turn the country around and get us back on the road to prosperity..
Nope. Did you read First Thoughts about a week ago when they said that the Obama Campaign has abandoned the flip flop angle. Why? Because it would be an even compeition because President has quite a few doozies himself.
I know it's real hard to face the fact that the democratic candidate is also a flip flopper particularly when your sources tend to forget to tell you.
In the final wash I don't think Ayottee is going to do it for Romney. She's not Palin - but she had court cases that had a few flags go up - and even if it's just perception - Romney can't afford to have that kind of baggage.
Rubio just looks soooo young. The late night comedians would eat them alive.
Ryan has the Ryan budget and it will make Romney look like one half of a heartless duo.
Someone mentioned Rob Portman - now that one might work - he's a businessman, he's strong prolife and yet he is considered a moderate. And he does not have his own agenda, he won't outshine Romney and he's a team player.
Ooh, Romney - when do you audition Portman?
A female V.P. would be a breath of fresh air this time around. How about Glenn Close? After all she played one in 'Air Force One.' All kidding aside, if there is a "qualified" female out there that could handle the responsibilities of the job, I'm all for it, BUT NO PALIN CLONES PLEASE.
I don't know if Glenn Close would be a good idea. Every man in this country, who saw Fatal Attraction, would not vote for her out of fear for their life. HEHE
Why is so hard for Bishop Romney to find a running mate?? Could it be that any republican looking to further their career knows better than to sink that career by being Bishop Romney's VP?
Too bad all that money Bishop Romney and his superpacs are spending is only going to help re-elect President Obama. Most voters already know that the republican party is no more. They only care about corporation and the rich. Republicans could care less about the middle.
And NO Ann Romney is NOT your turn.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
RetMSgt: Did you, or did you not, fight for the right for Americans to worship their God the way they choose? Now using the Bishop tag, you try to belittle a man for serving, with no pay, his God and try to diminish him for doing so. How small of you.
Did you know that as a Bishop one of Romney's main jobs was to help the poor? And he does not care for the poor and the middle class? That is the very definition of a closed mind my friend.
I realize that it doesn't mean very much to Mr. Romney, but he will lose my vote if he selects Kelly Ayotte for VP nominee.
She acted unlawfully while state attorney general in New Hampshire, my home state. I witnessed substantial misconduct and unlawfulness.
I will campaign against this. Kelly shouldn't have been permitted to become a United States senator because of her undisclosed conduct.
Examples? I really would like to know what you're referring to. The the vetting begin.
EXHIBIT A – GOP Potential Candidate for VP Kelly Ayotte, United States Senator
With the amount of misconduct that I witnessed firsthand and extreme abuse by her state troopers, what a shock it was to discover this person was actually elected as a United States senator from New Hampshire. I doubt she even grew up in New Hampshire.
This is a very serious part of the problem. We have a substantial number of others coming into New England and tearing it up acre by acre and forcing out multi-generational families, many of whom whose ancestors settled these states.
This is barely legal if it is at all – but smacks of actual societal destruction – or even genocide to some extent.
I have witnessed my family wiped out and others that are starting to experience the same thing – or since they cannot find work, forced to sell their homes to the real estate agencies that are often owned by foreign investors.
Gobbling up my family’s identity and name, stomping on our family’s graves, taking out jobs and property, lock, stock, and barrel.
Unimaginable that Kelly Ayotte would remotely be considered as a senator when I stand by my excellent reputation that she substantially contributed to defaming and harming with specific intent.
Yes, New Hampshire and North Carolina and Texas and these other states I have so named really do want me to curl up in a corner and just die off.
That is a fact as a matter of law and I’ve proven it time and time again.
I have no legal rights in the United States anymore and people like Kelly Ayotte have made that perfectly clear to me.
Mackie: I'm sorry to hear you may have been wronged. What you said still leaves me wondering what she actually did. Are you a Native American? I'm confused.
AS far a s jimmy carter he was alousey president,he messed up the hostage crisis big time! He made lots of mistakes! Messed up our country alot! Im glad we got bin laden he deserved what he got for killing all those people! BUt i want to see his dead body! I want proof he is dead! I dont mean to sound morbid! Or gross or anything, but we deserve to see the proof! After all the people he murdered we should see the evidence! Then ill believe he is DEAD!
don't worry "Baby" you don't sound "morbid"...just ridiculous!
The libs demanded OTHER pictures to be published. Not a peep for the OBL pics? Interesting.
Why don't you share with us "exactly what OTHER pictures"?
Should be interesting....
"Short List"?
Maybe the list wouldn't be "so short" if someone actually wanted to run with Romney!
Romney has to find a running mate that is qualified to be president so he can tell Romney what to do if he wins.
Romney needs a well experienced in foreign invasion, no shame no gain, die hard VP candidate. Who best qualified? Dick Cheney, absolutely. Good for Romney. dick will fit in your shoe 24x7, no worry.
Looks like Romney is looking for another woman to cover his cowardly backside. He had his wife to speak up instead of doing it himself. Now he is looking at another woman to cover his backside for his politics. I t won't work It will be hard to get even Republicans to vote for this sissy. No one in the Romney family has had the guts to fight for America,that appears to be a mormon trait.
Romney will put a mormon in as VP pick and his total cabinet would be mormons. Can you imagine this reglious cult being in charge in the US. God would never let this happen.I don't get worshiping a man like joseph smith as a god. You would think the mormons could have come up with a new version of the bible long lost in the middle east before letting smith write their bible.