Did Kerry Really Offer McCain The VP In 2004?

Rhandi Rhodes said so yesterday. I find that particularly disturbing if true, especially in light of LIEberman's endorsement of McCain. Are we really separate parties with real principles or is it all just a game?

That's a lie.

...McCain admitted to floating the idea first.

I love Randi, but she often gets it wrong.

SNOW: Now John Kerry, is it true that John Kerry asked you to be his vice president?

McCAIN: Uh, no. No, it was never offered.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2004/7/8/12341/76664

I remember the speculation but never heard that he had done it. Glad it is not true. I wonder why Rhandi would say something like that.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34742-2004Jun11.html

Kerry is a DLC "New Democrat", so principles are out the window.

So much for my last post above. An informal offer is just as bad as a formal one for me.

and the article is clearly coming out of the McCain camp - note that that suggestion is contradicted later in the article.

There was also a quote in Paul Riechoff's book about when he and other Iraq vets met with Kerry in late spring 2004. They wanted Kerry to pick McCain and they quote Kerry as saying that "that was off the table". They then recommended Clark - and one reason he was mad at Kerry, who gave him the chance to do one of the radi0 addressed, was that he picked Edwards.

I can see a political agenda leading McCain people to lie, the Riechoff story seems more likely to be true because it was there was no agenda - he was still angry with Kerry for not taking his advice.

and has stood for more than the lame people who attack him. Note how many anonymous people are referred to and the refusal of the Kerry staff to confirm it. Note down in the article that they say that Kerry would likely rule it out.

Look at all the McCain comments and consider how was behind the suggestion that there was some informal offer - the source was the McCain people. It was then denied by McCain and Kerry (in 2006 or 2007)

McCain paved the way for Bush by obfuscating Abramoff's crimes until after the election, and hence won the 2008 ring. Someone should tell RR!

and I don't want to mean, but what is the deal with his left jowl????

:shrug:

INTERVIEW: http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/4/3/11936/97033

Singer: There's a story in The Hill, I think on Tuesday, by Bob Cusack on the front page of the paper talking about how John McCain's people -- John Weaver -- had approached Tom Daschle and a New York Congressman, I don't remember his name, about switching parties. And I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what your discussions were with him in 2004, how far it went, who approached whom... if there was any "there" there.

John Kerry: I don't know all the details of it. I know that Tom, from a conversation with him, was in conversation with a number of Republicans back then. It doesn't surprise me completely because his people similarly approached me to engage in a discussion about his potentially being on the ticket as Vice President. So his people were active -- let's put it that way.

Singer: Okay. And just to confirm, you said it, but this is something they approached you rather than...

Kerry: Absolutely correct. John Weaver of his shop.........

The point is the closeness between these candidates who are supposed to (at least pretend to) have totally different agendas. It does nothing to give me faith in American Democracy.

And people can disagree without being disagreeable. It's a mark of maturity.

McCain is more of a flip-flopper than Kerry, actually. He's a pragmatist, a libertarian. He'll go with the flow. I don't think he has a single "strongly held" position that he wouldn't compromise on if it smoothed his path to power.

He's an 'Ends Justifies Means' type in some regards, and certainly a compromiser. Many in public life are.

I differ with the Republican Party on some strong principles and I would like to know that my representatives not only claim to share the same principles but actually do. I am seriously beginning to doubt it.

Did you know that John Kerry and Trent Lott are best friends? Kerry was the FIRST guy to call and send help after Trent lost his home.

The Senate is a very collegial place. They know how to disagree without being disagreeable, for the most part, and ever since Frist left, it's gone back at least slightly to "the old days" where people weren't at each other's throats, and there are friendships that exist that cross the aisle.

and that is why even in the name of unity, both concluded that it couldn't work - even though at that point they respected each other as people and were friends. Neither McCain or Kerry are 'pretending" their 23 plus voting records. McCain and Kerry agreed on global warming and veterans - and almost nothing else.

I suspect things were said that could be interpreted either way.

than someone of our DEM alternatives who talk up Republican ideas.

You can hardly classify her as Right Wing. And yes, I was here when DU talked about it but I never knew if he actually offered McCain the job. Did you? Rhandi claims he did.

Rhandi has NO sources. Being left wing, does not make her right.

McCain approached him about it in the name of unity. They were friends and this was well before Kerry got the nomination. This was after Jeffords shifted to the Democrats. (There was discussion at that time in Time and Newsweek that McCain was one of few others who could defect.) Kerry said sometime in 2006 - he was silent till then -that McCain being unwilling to be a Democrat made it a no-go. He also said there were too many issues they were too far apart on. They were close on veterans issues, the environment and both were for cleaning out corruption - their foreig policy and economic polices are so far apart they almost never vote the same on those issues.)

In 2004, it was Biden who floated the idea because he liked it and in 2007 he said he would like a ticket with himself and McCain. (They are closer on policies - but I assume it would when it came down to it be rejected for the same reason - they're too far apart. ) The other one who leaked the rumours was McCain. Likely to make himself look special and later likely to hurt Kerry politically. (His Newsweek story is not believable as he, not Kerry, is prone to temper.)

Randi Rhodes has developed a hatred for Kerry and will say anything.