Who Should Obama Choose for Vice President?

Some of the buzz these days is about who the candidates are going to choose to be their running mates.  I have a couple of ideas for Senator Obama.

First, for those of you wanting the ”dream ticket” of Obama-Clinton, get over it.  I don’t believe that either of them want it, I don’t think their staffs or supporters want it and I darn sure don’t think their spouses want it!  Senator Clinton will do much better for herself and for her future as a United States Senator.

Now, with that out of the way, there has been talk of Obama selecting someone from one of the battleground states to help him there.  If Senator Obama continues to go to those states and continues to deliver his message as he has in the primaries, he won’t necessarily need someone from there to win those states.  The people he would choose as a running mate will be campaigning for him in their states anyway.

Some have said that he should pick a woman (other than Hillary) or a Hispanic (Bill Richardson?).  I think the choice of a woman would be a bad choice under the circumstances.  The women who supported Senator Clinton and are still angry about the primary season might feel it is yet another slap at their favorite lady.  The choice of a Hispanic, while possibly useful for a few percent of the Hispanic vote, may look like he is just pandering to minorities (which he would be!).

No, the choice should be someone who can help with issues where John McCain appears to be stronger than Obama.  Sam Nunn, from Georgia, has been mentioned and would be a strong choice.  He is strong on military and national defense issues for a Democrat and actually may appeal to many Independents and/or Republicans who just can’t bring themselves to support McCain.  Another choice who would be strong in the area of military and national security issues, in my mind, would be Gary Hart.  He knows the military issues at least as well as Sam Nunn and he was an author of Hart-Rudman Report that came out just prior to 9-11.  The report stated the danger of an attack on the continental United States by terrorist groups and suggested the creation of a Homeland Security Department (and you thought that was a Bush Administration idea!!!).  Nobody is talking about Gary Hart in the veep-stakes, but I think he could be Obama’s Dick Cheney.  He is smart, he is articulate and he could hold his own in the campaign and especially during the inevitable debates.

 

Pelosi Wants to Block House Vote on SAVE Act

Nancy Pelosi has decided that the country should not have a chance to have the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act.  The SAVE Act is a bi-partisan bill seeking to strengthen border security and limit illegal aliens in our work force

Pelosi has threatened political exile to the 50 Democrats in Congress who co-sponsored the bill, but have yet to sign its discharge petition which would bring the bill up for a vote on the House floor.

It doesn’t seem to matter to the Speaker of the House that a majority of Americans are in favor of securing our borders.  It doesn’t matter that the constituents in the 50 Democratic House districts might want the bill brought to the floor.  It doesn’t matter that the Speaker promised to work in bi-partisan manner when she took her position in 2006.  It doesn’t matter to Ms Pelosi what is good for the country.   

Six years after 9-11, the federal government still hasn’t done what nearly 70% of Americans want: secure our borders from the continuing flood of illegal aliens.

The SAVE Act targets employers with still penalties for hiring illegal aliens, secures both the northern and southern borders of our country by adding 8,000 new border patrol agents and increases interior enforcement by allowing for additional federal district court judges and providing more resources for law enforcement officers.

As of June 25^th, there were 190 of the needed 218 signatures required.  Urge your representative in Congress to sign the petition which would bring the bill to the floor for a vote.