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Mitt Romney’s search for a running mate appears to have narrowed, as clues to whom Romney might select as his No. 2 begin to pile up in the media.
A campaign that prides itself on discipline had, to date, exacted tight control over the process of vetting candidates to serve at the former Massachusetts governor’s No. 2, a fact that Romney bragged on Tuesday.
"I get a kick out of some of the speculation that goes on," Romney told Sean Hannity of Fox News in an interview to air this evening. "I'm not going to comment on the process of course, but I can tell you this: only Beth Myers and I know who is being vetted."
That comment came amid new reports on Tuesday that Marco Rubio, the popular Florida Republican senator, had not been asked – yet, at least – to submit the materials typically associated with vetting a vice presidential candidate.
Sen. Marco Rubio, (R-FL), discusses the housing market in Florida; how the US can profit from free trade agreements in Latin America and why the nation needs to update its immigration laws.
ABC News initially reported that Rubio wasn’t being vetted, and the Washington Post followed up with indications that Rubio hadn’t made it past an initial review by Romney’s high command.
Romney’s quip to Fox served as a knowing acknowledgement, though, of what members of the media have encountered in their search for details on the veepstakes: News is fleeting, largely because the Romney campaign’s high command keeps details on lockdown.
Even some of the most plugged in advisers to Romneyworld profess genuine ignorance of the vetting process.
Myers, Romney’s former chief of staff as governor, is leading the search for a prospective vice president. She might lack some of the skills of political figures previously tasked with her job – John McCain had power lawyer A.B. Culvahouse lead his vetting in 2008 – but Myers is described as a figure whom Romney holds in high esteem. She was selected precisely because it would mean no leaks, and because she understands Romney and his desire for an experienced vice presidential candidate who won’t overshadow the top of the ticket.
Other broad contours of the process have emerged, too. A New York Times story earlier this week floated the idea that Romney could introduce his choice in July, well before the Republican convention in August. Most presidential nominees traditionally reveal their choice of a running mate shortly before their nominating convention.
Larry Downing / Reuters
GOP candidate Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign event at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Mich.
The Times also included a kicker paragraph that suggested that the Romney campaign might be wary of selecting Chris Christie, since the bombastic New Jersey governor might threaten to overshadow Romney.
One informal Romney adviser suggested that a candidate who’s seen his stock improve is former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in part because Pawlenty would do anything but overshadow Romney. A runner-up in the 2008 veepstakes, Pawlenty is said to be especially appealing to Ann Romney, who’s built a rapport with Pawlenty’s wife, Mary.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan are also generally perceived as short-listers for Romney. Each of them, along with Pawlenty, joined Romney for portions of his swing-state bus tour over the last five days.
Officially, most of the Republicans thought to be candidates for the vice presidency have also declined to comment on the process.
"I won't discuss the vice presidential process, out of respect for Gov. Romney," Rubio said Tuesday on CNBC. "I know he is going to make a great choice."
That means that, until the pick is made known, observers are more likely to learn about the process through candidate attrition. Case in point: Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels agreed to become the next president of Purdue University, removing his name from the list of candidates, though he wasn’t ever seen as Romney’s likely running mate.
MSNBC's Alex Wagner and the NOW panel discuss the progress of the Romney bus tour and a new report that says that Marco Rubio has not been vetted for Mitt Romney's running mate.
The few-and-far-between details stand in contrast to the McCain campaign in 2008, which had basically broadcast publicly that the Arizona Republican wished to select his friend, the independent Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, as his running mate. With the exception of McCain’s ultimate selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee, much about the Republican’s campaign wasn’t secret.
The Romney campaign seems determined to learn from McCain’s mistakes, maybe even to a fault. The process of vetting a vice presidential candidate can be political in its own right; look no further than a top Rubio advocate’s pushback to BuzzFeed about the Florida senator’s supposed exclusion from Romney’s short list.
But in leaking few details about their search, the Romney campaign also loses out on an opportunity to show they’ve at least made an effort to seek out various candidates whose mere consideration might be needed to placate certain corners of the party.
In particular, few women except for New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte – a freshman lawmaker from New England with only scant federal experience – are thought to be under consideration by Romney.
"I think, unfortunately, Palin poisoned the well on that," said one informal Romney adviser, fretting that any woman selected as VP would draw inevitable comparisons to the former Alaska governor. "I would guess if I were inside the Romney mind that they're worried that any woman chosen will be subjected to a higher level of scrutiny. "
But beyond Rubio, there are virtually no candidates for the vice presidential slot who would represent any diversity on the Republican ticket, a dicey proposition given Romney’s political deficits with women and Latino voters, as well as his opponent this fall: the nation’s first black president.
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Romney will have to choose Jesus Christ for VP is he wants to win. LOL
Obama will have to sell his soul to be elected - oh wait! He already did. Obama one and done.
Go Mormons do not believe the bible is correct. Not sure Jesus would except
How many National Secrets will obama sell to get re-elected.
About the same amount as the butt kissing Willard giving out.
Gateway, LOL, too true
Romney can't pick Rubio because he isn't a natural born citizen. His parents weren't legal citizens till he was 4 years old. I think in the end he will choose Rand Paul. Especially with all the pressure coming from Paul People and the delegates he controls. They could reverse his V.P. pick at the convention. All you need to do is control 6 state delegates at the convention. Ron paul easily has that and more. This convention is going to be like 1976 convention fight. The way it is suppose to be. The republicans need a convention fight because it will help the party years from now. I think the GOP made a huge mistake by announcing Romney as the presumptive nominee as early as they did. The delegates are people not corporations. They can vote there conscious. There is no such thing as a bound delegate. The lawyers for Ron Paul campaign just filed a subpoena to all 50 states chairman yesterday and today. A california federal judge is going to make the decision if the term bound can be used. Since a 1972 supreme court already ruled that since GOP and Democrat receive federal money they cannot bind delegates. Because of that ruling they are not a private organization. GO RON PAUL.
You are an idiot - Rubio was born in this country.
dream the impossible dream ......
spokanebob under the constitution being born in this country does not make you natural born. Read it once in a while it might open your eyes. If the democrats and republicans didn't wipe there behinds with it. Then maybe we would have a free country. Your parents have to be U.S. citizens before your a natural born citizen. This was done so that no outside influence on the Presidency. In reality Obama isn't a natural born either. His father was a british subject. I bet you think if a Hispanic or canadian jumped the border and dropped a baby they are natural born. You are a bigger idiot because you don't know the constitution. Only reason Obama is in the house is because the federal courts keep saying it is out of there jurisdiction to rule if obama is a U.S. citizen. Federal judges are a glee club who don't know the constitution and they are afraid to stand up.
What spokanebob said! I concur!
Where do these people come up with such crap? Doesn't he even think that someone besides himself would have known this by now? Poor soarer - and I think he really believes it. He will be the "birther" for the idiot Left methinks.
Wrong again Waterhead, Rubio could not provide a birth certificate....Out
Cant wait for the debates to watch Mittens say nothing for 90 minutes. He comes on a national news show and had no comment on the Dream Act. The man was known as MR Multiple Choice in 1994 and know he is mr Know Nothing
Remeber that Obama will not be allowed to use a teleprompter in the debates. The following is what has happened in the past when he was so "hamstrung."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_AAMa_X2dM&feature=related
It is so much fun to answer the liberal lie and speculation with their man's own performance tape.
I love that....all America has to do is go to a site like YouTube and learn all they need to know.
dem, too true.
Obama sells government secrets to the Chinese for campaign cash.
Nixon did that one already.
you guys say anything dont you? Inb 1992 Perot ran on your deficits will destroy us platform and 20 years later we are still waiting for the apoloypse. Last year your side ran on the deficits will destroy our country and we need to reduce spending NOW or hyperinflation is coming, the dollar is falling, the end is near.
Ever heard the storey of the boy who cried wolf?
Hell Romney will sell HIS STATES JOBS to India...sad
Looking back, McCain -Lieberman, if elected would probably have the U.S. in better shape right now...
Not a fact even looking back now is it Glenn?
Glenn were you looking from your back when thinking of that?
Mittens is such a greasy, spineless, sleazy, douche-bag. Really republican party?!? THIS, is the best you got? You really are an endangered species. Pro-tip: next time get someone who can actually appear to have leadership qualities, a vocabulary and possibly a backbone. Rednecks, religious-extremists and rich folk bow down to your ultimate representative. What a pathetic party.
too true
Just to put some life and fun back into this boring campaign cycle I think Romney should announce that he has chosen Obama as his VP running mate.
Obama is a war criminal..
Damn Bush tortured people and he was not....sooooo
You could have a complete moron as VP and that would be a vast improvement over biden 'the embarrassment'.
Well maybe Palin can fill the spot
Obama is such a greasy, spineless, sleazy, douche-bag. Really democrat party?!? THIS, is the best you got? You really are an endangered species.
yep- it was either him or newt or the 13th century monk from Pennsylvania, opps- forgot the great one MR NEIN NEIN NEIN McCain- not its Cain.... sorry.
Obama is one and done - worst president since, well ....... EVER
You have got to be kidding me! Where were you during Baby Bush's tenure, stoned?
Nah - you are obviously too young to remember Carter! 55 mph speed limit and no christmas lights as an energy policy. Russia invades Afghanistan so he doesn't let our kids go to the Olympics - as foreign policy. Iran takes oveer our embassy and holds our people hoistage for over 440 days with his only response being the botched fiasco in the desert when helicopters crashed into each other. Two years of inflation over 14%. Long gas lines as result of his total incompetence. Incredible expansion of the federal bureaucracy with the creation of the Department of Energy that was to get us energy independent but in fact still wastes hundreds of billions so manyy decades later without even coming close to fulfilling its mandate. And his mandate that Fannie Mae use subprime loans to get poor to own homes that they clearly could not afford - which led to the present financial meltdown. And this is onlyy what I can recall without any real research. He was by far the worst - so far. Of course Obama is closing in on him nd still has a few months to go.
Waterboy I agree Carter sucked but Bush has him beat...a war based on faulty intell...damn not one can beat that
Obama is demanding that they clean up Chicago so he can return home to civility in January 2013.
Obama = End of bad experiment. ROMNEY 2012
I guess liberals don't love this country. They condone obama releasing national secrets just so he can get elected.
wow the right wing think tank just got out
I think it is just the right wing tank
Obama will go to prison for releasing national secrets.
If it comes from the Washington Post or the New York Times there is nothing to see here keep the line moving along! LMFAO
Whomever is selected as VP would be afraid that Romney would lay him/her off - that is Romney's MO when taking over as in business venture... so who would want to be VP for a day?
Dems are really running scared - and with good reason. Latest Rasmussen poll - the only one that presently uses likely voters rather than rgistered voters. All do so as the election gets closer since 40% of registered voters don't vote in the elections.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
And this 44% number for Obama is especially scary since 90% of undecideds tend to vote for the challenger in presidential elections. Makes logical sense as people know the incumbent so their hesitation is about needing to know more about the challenger. So, the 48% - 44% really is closer to 55% - 45% in reality. Some are already beginning to use the word landslide! And Romney has not even picked a running mate yet!
Well Rubio is gone....no birth certificate
It does not matter who Romney selects for a VP. Grover Norquist and Rush Limbaugh will still be in
complete control of everything a Romney White House and the entire GOP would do. It isn't like any
republicans would dare go against the will of these two.
Any is better then obama the dictator. seamus better watch it... obama EATS DOGS....
And you would sleep with dogs if you could find a blind dog who lost it's sense of smell.
obama ATE my dog....
Anyone is preferable to George Soros - the man behind the Democratic Party!
Speaking of dogs...Romney still have his tied on his car roof?
As I leve you for the day my good friends on the right and left! I'll say this Mr. ROmney VP pick is probably going to be someone in the Jindal, Daniels, Pawlenty style because they all have been governors and they will be low-key in his administration and you know Mitt is control freak just like most alfa-males like him so he's going to need someone who he doesn't have to share the spotlight iwth. But I did like Condalezza Rice as a dynamic choice wow would that turn things up a little bit.
No matter what's being said about polls and running scared and all that well let's wait until at least Septmeber before we start breakind down polls.
If Dems are smart they will be running Hillary by then.
Biden is fine ...just sits there...what a VP should do...rather than Cheney who worked Bush like a puppet
Dam! Lucky thing obama is not a horse .. because about this time ... they be taking him back behind the barn, feed a him a piece of sugar... No skip that..Give him a good kick in the @$$ and put him out of his misery.Also that sick freaking mule biden!
Obama may not be a horse, but Romney's wife sure is.
Ah the Democrat intellect at work with their most intelligent of political arguments - So's your mom!"
We reallyy need to go back to literacy tests as a voting requirement.
Waterhead you are a good Republican representative....no argument just plug in nonsense
maybe there's trouble finding someone who wants to be shackled to mitt.
He should look for a gold-digger like his wife.
Romney's thinking more along the lines of, "do I really have to have a VP"?
Also I find it amazing that the only media he seems to talk to is FAUX NOOZE the unfair and unbalanced media by the crook Murdoch.
ourdoc, but you know you're getting the truth when you listen to pmsnbc who is owned by george soreazz right, Man you're stupid...
Don't waste your time wasteland. Ourdoc has clearly never watched Fox News Network or Fox Business News.
and Faux Noize is owned by the Bush family....