Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack appears to be the hot name of the week in John F. Kerry's secretive search for a running mate, having been spotted with the right people recently.
But before anyone gets too excited, Kerry spent time last week with others who often get the Big Mention -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who insists he doesn't want the job, and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, who insists no such thing.
"Just coincidence," Kerry said Friday, when asked if he was auditioning contenders. "We're just going around on the schedule."
Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.) is also going through a vigorous vetting process by Washington lawyers that has required him to turn over 4,000 detailed journals he has kept since 1977. The diaries chronicle such personal details as what he had for breakfast, what car he drove to work and, of course, senatorial business.
Florida -- which decided the 2000 election after a contentious recount -- remains a critical battleground. But selecting Graham would not guarantee the state, strategists say. Recent polling in Florida showed that Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) fared just as well as Graham in the state.
Edwards, who has been vetted by the campaign, still remains a favorite of Washington insiders -- who believe he would help Kerry the most with swing voters and Republicans, as well as soften Kerry's lofty side. Others also mention that he's cute and energetic.
But back to Vilsack: The Iowa governor, whose wife, Christie, was a public Kerry supporter during the caucuses, is being vetted, which means interviews and intense reviews of his tax returns and public statements. Vilsack, sources say, has recently spent much time with James Johnson, an investment banker who is running the selection process for Kerry.
Vilsack, 53, is known to appeal to the Kerry campaign because he is a new face on the national scene and, just as important, he wouldn't overshadow the Massachusetts senator on the campaign trail. As head of the National Governors Association, Vilsack has been a high-profile voice for the party. He could help Kerry in the Midwest, and perhaps in electoral-rich Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He also offers a compelling hardship story that dramatically contrasts with Kerry's privileged background. He was left on the steps of an orphanage and adopted by an alcoholic mother who routinely beat him.
The speculative list goes on and on: Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), who is also being vetted; Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.); retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark; Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.); former Nebraska senator Bob Kerrey; former Georgia senators Sam Nunn and Max Cleland; Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.); Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; and, of course, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12863-2004May9.html
But before anyone gets too excited, Kerry spent time last week with others who often get the Big Mention -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who insists he doesn't want the job, and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, who insists no such thing.
"Just coincidence," Kerry said Friday, when asked if he was auditioning contenders. "We're just going around on the schedule."
Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.) is also going through a vigorous vetting process by Washington lawyers that has required him to turn over 4,000 detailed journals he has kept since 1977. The diaries chronicle such personal details as what he had for breakfast, what car he drove to work and, of course, senatorial business.
Florida -- which decided the 2000 election after a contentious recount -- remains a critical battleground. But selecting Graham would not guarantee the state, strategists say. Recent polling in Florida showed that Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) fared just as well as Graham in the state.
Edwards, who has been vetted by the campaign, still remains a favorite of Washington insiders -- who believe he would help Kerry the most with swing voters and Republicans, as well as soften Kerry's lofty side. Others also mention that he's cute and energetic.
But back to Vilsack: The Iowa governor, whose wife, Christie, was a public Kerry supporter during the caucuses, is being vetted, which means interviews and intense reviews of his tax returns and public statements. Vilsack, sources say, has recently spent much time with James Johnson, an investment banker who is running the selection process for Kerry.
Vilsack, 53, is known to appeal to the Kerry campaign because he is a new face on the national scene and, just as important, he wouldn't overshadow the Massachusetts senator on the campaign trail. As head of the National Governors Association, Vilsack has been a high-profile voice for the party. He could help Kerry in the Midwest, and perhaps in electoral-rich Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He also offers a compelling hardship story that dramatically contrasts with Kerry's privileged background. He was left on the steps of an orphanage and adopted by an alcoholic mother who routinely beat him.
The speculative list goes on and on: Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), who is also being vetted; Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.); retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark; Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.); former Nebraska senator Bob Kerrey; former Georgia senators Sam Nunn and Max Cleland; Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.); Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; and, of course, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12863-2004May9.html
