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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 should look for a VP the same way he looks to make money... Find a VP he can leverage
and leave morally bankrupt.
Doesn't matter who he picks, he's not going to be elected anyway!
Obama Biden 2012
Robme Romney is the most boring,insecure ,unimpressive candidate I have seen in my 82 yrs in this country. He won't because he is afraid [Answer questions] he will screw them up like he does so often on the stump. Everytime he gets in a bind he has to call on the MRS to cover or clarify what he just messed up . His list of potential VP.s Are as bad as he is . None are impressive in stature or confident in their rhetoric.
True ED. Good post
Rubio is out...needed a birth certificate
Do you think republicans really care about Birth Certificates? They couldn't care less if Rubio is an
American citizen or not.
Well true. But they just hate fact checking. Palin...what underage pregnant teen?
A Romney win would be catastrophic
Only for anyone making less than $20 billion a year.
It's time we get people in the federal government that understand that our kids will be paying for our reckless spending and stop the handouts. The feds shouldn't be in the business of healthcare, daycare or any other care for that matter. These things are better left to the states with local solutions that make sense. It appears that the Dems like to spend and spend and don't want to tax the people who are getting all the benefits?
How much has spending gone up since Obama took the White House? How much did it go up during the
Bush years?
The answer is much more for the same time periods under Obama v Bush but that isn't really the issue. It's not that one spent more or less than the other it's that we can't afford ANY more spending.
How much has spending gone up. Give me the numbers.
Yeap those last three years spent it all forget about Bush's eight...Obamas fault!
The national debt:
The compounded annual growth rate under Obama is 15.21%
Under George W. Bush it was 8.03%
Go back to sleep, Ricky
"New Jersey governor might threaten to overshadow Romney."
You can bet your ass he would - save him for 2016, well worth the wait ! And I am a Demo !
Well I see the former Egyptian leader and obama now have something in common...their both BRAIN DEAD...and that mule biden should be put in a coma for the good of his party... or a good closet with a good lock on it.
Are you speaking English?
Wing-ding---- If you are so unhappy with the USA, catch a flight to Cairo...in fact, I will pay for your ticket
The government can no longer afford to much outside of defense and that is one of the few things it is constitutionally required to do!
Rand Paul just threw in the libertarian towel so I think he has the taste for higher office. He'd gladly step over his own grandmother to get the VP job. Rubio is only useful in appealing to Hispanic voters - I think Obama shut the gate on the Hispanic republican vote after he loosened the immigration policy. Rand at least could drag a bunch of gun slingin' libertarians over to the dark side (if he can repair the initial damage he caused the Paul brand when he flipped).
Fly in the ointment is that Ron has decided to stick to his guns after all and is still out there making crackpot noises.
Well, I'm sticking with obammy, I love the idea of the federal govt going bankrupt. They wont be able to pay the interest on the debt he is racking up, 25 trillion at 7-8%, yes, thats 2 trillion a year in interest folks, the fed govt go belly up, or come for the states wealth and resources, and We the People would have a large problem with the federal gov't giving the States resourses away to china or japan as an interest payment. I say obama all the way, lets bankrupt the fed govt so we can finally be a free people again, obama is doing more for the cause than most realize, free at last, free at last, thank god almighty, we will be free at last, please vote obammy to end the federal government and their experiment with socialism once and for all. State Rights!
battle the Repubs already have socialism...buying banks and giving bank bonuses...the socialist experiment was already done by Republican lead
If Romney wins WI it starts to be very difficult to see how he wouldn't make 270. If WI falls so does OH. FL, SC, NC are already in the bag unless something drastic happens. It looks like CO and NM may go red as well and Romney hasn't even picked a VP yet and that could tilt the table even more.
Flipper the fish would be a vast improvement both in intelligence and sanity over biden..
What kind of 'Fish' is Flipper?
Flipper? Damn you are giving Biden too much credit. Look Biden does what a VP should. Bookend. See what happens when Cheney gets in Bush's business? Wars and nasty face shootings. Biden is doing a good job.
obama ATE Flipper too... He rather have a idiot like himself for a VP...
No Obama wanted a bookend just like all good Presidents would. Boy Winger you can not even grasp simple concepts. Just throwing darts....
Wingo--- Your next truthful statement will be your first.
We need to conduct an experiment on republican ideas and how well they work in the real world. We can conduct this experiment on the deep south. We take away all the safety nets like social security, medicare, unemployment, food stamps and the like. We fire all the teachers, close all the public schools, get rid of the police officers and fire fighters. Fire all the nurses and close any health care offices that receive federal aid. And just get rid of all non-military spending in the deep south. The money we save we can use to give southern fried millionaires a tax cut. If it works down there we can try it in the rest of America.
We also need to get rid of the minimum wage in the deep south. That way the companies down there will be free to pay southern fried workers what they are truly worth.
Well said Seamus. You get rid of the cake where are you going to put the frosting? We need the middle class.
It is never a good sign for the encumbant when you are running within one or two percent of a challenger. Historically, the challenger picks up 60% to 70% of the undecided and Obama hasn't run above a 50% approval for the better part of a year. It is about time for the Obama gang to panic. I'd say they are about a year to late and now they don't have time to undo the damage. Bill Clinton was about in the same spot as Obama a year ago comparitively in thier presidencies but Obama is now running between 8% to 12% behind with no time to make up that kind of ground. All Romney has to do is be somewhat likable and appear somewhat capable and he is the winner by default.
At this point I think the American people will pick somewhat competent over empty hope and change. I only say empty because there is proof in the Obama record. He never lived up to his promise of being a uniter instead of a divider and I think he will pay the price among independents for that decision.
Yep, Obama was never able to get the racists behind him on anything.
Your statement implies that everyone not for Obama is in fact a racist. Retreat to demonization and name calling are always marks of a loosing or weak arguement. I can safely say that Obama has not been a real uniter based on the way the healthcare law was passed and the way the american people are still so deeply divided 3 1/2 years later. What are your arguments supporting the promises he made about uniting us?
Yep, debating health care for a year and a half isn't what the republicans wanted!
Romneys Book of Mormon
Nephi 12:23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. (Joe Smith, Mormon God, calls dark skinned people ugly, filthy, lazy, and perverts.)
Isn't the cult of Mormon that false religion that was literally pulled out of a hat?
I would say that that is a bit out of context. Dark people can easily mean dark is spirit or thought and I would point out that the Christian bible has hundreds of references to women being property or chattel and that dark skinned africans are sub human and other such references so am I to believe that because Obama is christian he beleives that women are property and should serve their husbands as faithfully as a donkey or slave? I'm not sure a religious arguement is one Obama can win. Especially when his birth rite religion thinks less of women than christian doctrine does? Please don't forget that Islam believes that if you are born to a single Muslim parent you are Muslim for eternity.
Well Seamus you are partially correct. Joe Smith, who spoke to God and wrote the true bible as he put it AKA Book of Mormon, use to put a rock in his hat and tell people he could find gold with it. Several people gave him money to find gold.....no gold...just lost their money. Here comes Romney.....
fiscalknowledge
I would have to agree that Seamus the Dog is a weak loser.
Ricky....
"I would have to agree that Seamus the Dog is a weak loser."
Strange statement coming from someone who likes warts and pimples.
obama TOAST! It's already OVER....
Toast? That is what Bain employees are eating of would be if we did not give them 44 million for their pensions that Romney should have.
I am from Florida Rubio no way ,he will give everything to the Hispanics we need him out of the Senate.We need a new President and a New Congress and Senate,dont forget the President is onley a Pupet.
Now that Obama is being perceived as just a political animal his attacks on Romney are becoming more difficult to make stick and I think the Obama team is starting to see this and are now really starting to panic.
How about Romney's attacks? Who was the first to panic? Mr. pink slip Romney that is who
Not sure of your point. It's not about attacks because that is going to happen on both sides it's the endless pandering to groups such as the gay marriage epiphany or the illegal hispanic intervention. These are both pretty drastic things to do for an encoumbant president who should have the edge. That is what I meant by panic. The campaign is already grabing at straws.
Both issues are important. Not sure if making change is grasping at straws. Problem is he is doing things that a President does but the right makes everything look political whether it is or not. So the man pets his dog all the sudden he is pandering to dog lovers...
I really don't think the Romney's should talk about pandering, but they are sooo good at it.
Gosh I wish he would pick Louisiana's governor, piyoush AKA "Bobby - From the Brady bunch" jindal, since he is dark skinned and from India, and get him out of Louisiana before he sinks/destroys the whole State.
pascanal
All those parks, fountains and statues that the democrats built down there in New Orleans using money that was suppose to go to repair the levees. How did those do as far as stopping the floods for you?
It would be hard to find a VP as stupid as Joe Biden. He's epic fail every time he moves his lips. But he was the only one who could make Barack "57 states" Obama look smart.
Biden does not have to be smart. Just drink with the foreign guys and smile. That is what he does and should do. Cheney took us to war town but his lesbian daughter made six figures at gay and lesbian activist affairs. Cheney made bank!
Well at least the Republicans are vetting their VP possibles. Obviously Rubio could not provide a birth certificate and was just used as a attack dog and played to get the Hispanic vote.
Are these men being considered for political cred or looks? They all have the general Romney Male appearance, with some slight variations, as if the intent is to provide a photogenic couple.
Reminds me a bit of Ahnuld's comments about "girlymen" Is this a ploy to woo both straight white women and the kinds of gay men who have suits fantasies?
What a Loser obama is... Health 'joke' is about to Die. Holder is going to expose the entire corrupt obama administration .. obama leaks secrets to pump up his floundering character. The war on religion.. and he has a matching idiot as VP...
When you suck you really suck....
Damn Winger, not sure where you are going half the time. War on religion? Well we do not have to worry about that if Romney gets in. The Book of Mormon states it is the only correct religion and all others defy what God wants
Sarah Palin!
It’s a joke but so is Mitt.