Lieberman Rules Out Running With McCain
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James Joyner | Tuesday, January 29, 2008 |
Joe Lieberman says he won’t run as John McCain’s vice president.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who nearly won the vice presidency as a Democrat in 2000, says there’s no way he’ll be Republican Sen. John McCain’s running mate should McCain become the party’s presidential nominee.
“No, I’d tell him, ‘Thanks, John, I’ve been there, I’ve done that. You can find much better,’” Lieberman told The Associated Press during an interview Tuesday in his Senate office. “I’m not seeking anything else.”
The Connecticut senator said he was unequivocally ruling out sharing the GOP ticket with McCain.
One can understand not wanting to go down that road again and McCain would do better to shore up his conservative credentials with a younger, solidly Republican figure, preferably one with executive experience. Still, the pairing of Every Republican’s Favorite Democrat with Every Democrat’s Favorite Republican would be intriguing.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Considering that Lieberman said only 1 year ago that he was committed to getting a Democrat in office in 2008, I think it reflects poorly on his character that he's even out there campaigning for McCain, much less giving serious consideration to being on the Republican ticket.
I can't think of anything more effective Lieberman could do to ensure a Democratic Presidency than endorsing the Republican candidate, save perhaps running as his VP.
younger, solidly Republican figure, preferably one with executive experience
Who fits this bill? I'd thought at some point that Romney would be a good VP but I don't see that happening. My dream pick is Tim Pawlenty (won twice in blue-purple state, decent-to-great approval numbers despite collapsing bridge), though I'm not sure if he's conservative enough. Mitch Daniels? Mark Sanford?
What the hell would Lieberman contribute aside from creating a solid "perpetual war" ticket ?
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