RETIRED Gen. Wesley Clark, whose stock as Sen. Barack Obama‘s possible vice presidential running mate had been rising, may have ruined his chances with his belittling attack on Sen. John McCain‘s war record.
Clark, along with other Obama surrogates, followed the campaign’s line of downgrading McCain’s performance as a Vietnam War POW. But Clark was especially insulting. (“I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.”) He also got more attention by appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” while other surrogates addressed campaign gatherings.
A footnote: Clark had been considered the leading former military officer to compensate for Obama’s lack of national-security experience because his performance steadily improved during an unsuccessful campaign for the 2004 presidential nomination. Two retired Marine generals also mentioned for vice president, Anthony Zinni and James Jones, lack any political experience.
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MITT Romney‘s surge toward the Republican vice-presidential nomination was boosted at last month’s Texas state party convention in Houston.
Romney, the predominant conservative choice to be McCain’s running mate, was pleasantly surprised to encounter a paid audience of about 3,500 for a Republican fundraising dinner. He received a standing ovation after delivering a conservative stemwinder.
A footnote: Vice-presidential prospects for Bobby Jindal, the 37-year-old first-year governor of Louisiana, suffered when he vetoed a pay raise for state legislators after promising them he’d sign it. However, Conservative anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, who has boosted Jindal for the ticket, said the veto made Jindal stronger.
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WHEN Chairman David Obey announced before the Fourth of July break that he was shutting down his House Appropriations Committee’s consideration of money bills, House GOP leaders felt they had the Democratic majority on the run over soaring gas prices.
The committee was considering the Labor-HHS appropriation when ranking Republican Jerry Lewis offered the Interior money bill as an amendment to force a vote on oil drilling. “As far as I’m concerned,” Obey said as he adjourned the committee, charging Republican obstructionism, “they’ve had their shot.”
Democrats don’t want to vote on increased oil drilling, which gets a high rating from voters as a means of eventually reducing prices at the gas pump.
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THE Republican lobbyist who was solicited for contributions by Obama’s campaign a month ago has received a second request for money from the Democratic candidate, who has banned lobbyist money from supporting his candidacy. The second try was made after no response to the first attempt. As did the first solicitation, the second letter signed by Obama asked the veteran GOP donor and fundraiser for a contribution “to change the way business is done in Washington.”
The lobbyist’s only contributions to Democrats have been to two powerful committee chairmen – John Dingell (Energy and Commerce) and Charlie Rangel (Ways and Means) – in order to open their doors to his clients. The lobbyist figures that the Obama campaign lifted his name from Dingell and/or Rangel money lists.