Advertisement

Veep Watch

Posted by Ann Gardner on August 25, 2008 at 11:24 a.m.

Sebelius passed over

Joe Biden was the safe decision, according to the conservative [ American Spectator,][1] but Gov. Kathleen Sebelius really was Obama's first choice personally. If Obama's recent trip abroad had produced higher poll numbers and a greater sense of confidence in Obama's ability to deal with foreign affairs, the magazine speculates, Obama would have gone with Sebelius, who has been portrayed as yin to Obama's yang. In the end, Biden brought strengths in national and foreign policy experience to the ticket that Sebelius could not.¢¢¢Sebelius' spot among Obama's final four brought considerable attention and a little inconvenience to the governor who told the [ Denver Post][2] late Saturday that "It's a little easier to get out the door" without a pack of reporters asking questions. After meeting with a group of gay Democrats in Denver Saturday and reassuring women voters that Obama understands their issues on [ Face the Nation][3] Sunday, the governor is turning her full attention to Democratic National Convention, which opens today.¢¢¢The rise of Sebelius on the national stage certainly bolsters the chances that the Kansas governorship will not be the end of her political career. This will be the final entry on the ljworld.com Veep Watch blog, but we'll keep our eye out for new topics in the near future. [1]: http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=13755 [2]: http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_10286964 [3]: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002940471

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 21, 2008 at 10:55 a.m.

We’ll know soon

Despite the effort to parse every statement or nuance put forth by Sen. Barack Obama or any of the front runners to become his running mate, it's clear that the media are only guessing about who the vice presidential choice will be. Biden is drawing the most focus right now, but there is still a case to be made for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius or others. [ New York Times columnist Kate Zernike][1] made the case for Sebelius earlier this week, saying: "Of all those said to be on the short list : Gov. Kathleen Sebelius best embodies the kind of bipartisanship that Barack Obama hailed in the convention speech that made him a household name four years ago: no red states or blue states, just the United States."¢¢¢[ Robert Schlesinger of U.S. News & World Report][2] chimes in with his irritation over the repeated contention that supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton would be angered and disenfranchised by the choice of another woman for the VP spot. "Isn't it insulting to women in general and Sebelius in particular to suggest that her defining political characteristic is being a woman?" he asks. "And should the women's movement be subsumed to one woman's movement?" Good questions.¢¢¢As Obama's announcement reported draws near, reporters are closely following every move of the potential running mates. The Associated Press has compiled a list labeled [ "the whereabouts of the potential veep picks"][3] and the [ Des Moines Register][4] offers the full schedule of Sebelius' campaign stops in Iowa today under the headline "Sebelius to campaign (audition?) for Obama."¢¢¢The Iowa schedule, in fact, fuels the speculation of a blogger at [ opednews.com][5] that Sebelius will be Obama's choice. "Hargrove" makes the case that the Obama may meet up with Sebelius to make the announcement in Iowa today. According to the blog, the two are so sympatico "they look like the yin, and the yang, of the same idea." Maybe the stars are aligned... [1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/us/politics/20sebelius.html?em [2]: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2008/08/20/vice-president-kathleen-sebelius-whats-the-matter-with-kansas.html [3]: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1ZlXAsnQa-4VAeODWWmCJ6VH3UAD92M8UJO0 [4]: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/NEWS09/808210367/-1/ENT05 [5]: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Barack-Obama-s-Vice-Presid-by-Hargrove-080821-610.html

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 19, 2008 at 10:24 a.m.

Veep race down to the finish line

[ The New York Times][1] says Sen. Barack Obama has "all but settled" on his choice of running mates and now is orchestrating the announcement, which almost certainly will come by week's end. Many sources (including the [Associated Press][2]) say Obama will choose one of four people - Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - but the New York Times has the list of possibilities down to three. The Times' pundits trimmed Sebelius from their list but noted that the Kansas governor, "who has been under steady consideration" by the Obama campaign, still is a possibility.¢¢¢[Dan Balz of the Washington Post][3] also suggests that Sebelius may be playing the role of a token woman on Obama's list of finalists. "He (Obama) dares not have a final list of candidates that does not include a woman, given Hillary Clinton's historic campaign and the importance of the women's vote to his hopes of winning in November," Balz writes. "Yet he risks a major backlash among Clinton supporters should he pick a woman other than Clinton."¢¢¢On the other hand, [ The National Journal][4] says commentators shouldn't count Sebelius out yet. "Of all the Dem short-listers," it says, "Sebelius appears the most in sync with Obama's policy views." She's pro-choice, has promoted green policies and worked on expanding health care, to name a few. ¢¢¢Whether she's Obama's choice or not, Sebelius will be busy this week spreading the candidate's message. The governor was scheduled to be in [ Michigan today][5] and [ Iowa on Thursday][6] to make campaign appearances on Obama's behalf. [1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/us/politics/19veep.html?bl&ex=1219291200&en=821fa71a1e16176c&ei=5087%0A [2]: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gxVW-aUPQsPkU0JKEleSPNCyxSsAD92L63600 [3]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/18/AR2008081802691.html?hpid=topnews [4]: http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/08/longshot_or_sen.html [5]: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080819/NEWS04/80818084/1215/NEWS15 [6]: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/politically_speaking/?p=583

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 18, 2008 at 11 a.m.

Veep guessing game continues

[ MarketWatch blogger Russ Britt][1] still has lots of questions and not many answers about Obama's potential running mate. Governor or senator? Experienced hand or change agent? Male or female? Although various candidates continue to rise to the top of various lists, it remains unclear how Obama will answer those questions, and observers are hesitant to cross anyone off the list -- even with the Democratic National Convention just a week away.¢¢¢Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has fallen off many commentators' lists of front runners for the VP nomination, but she's still on the radar screen if Obama decides to go for a Washington outsider who reinforces his message of change, including the list of [ CNN Politics.][2] The main factor against Sebelius continues to be the fear that supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton would be upset by the selection of a woman other than Clinton. Are the pundits reading Clinton supporters - especially female Clinton supporters - correctly? It seems unlikely a group of feminist voters would shun Obama's candidacy because he put a woman on his ticket. [1]: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/vice-president-guessing-game-reaches-full/story.aspx?guid=%7BC1E17AAE-B1A4-4C76-97CA-BDEE02722DDB%7D&dist=msr_4 [2]: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/18/vp.picks/

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 14, 2008 at 10:24 a.m.

Convention schedule stokes speculation

As the Democratic National Convention draws near, political observers are grasping at every possible piece of evidence in an effort to divine Sen. Barack Obama's choice of a running mate. The announcement Wednesday that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to speak at the convention on Tuesday, Aug. 26, was taken by many as a sign she wouldn't be the choice. The thinking is that being scheduled elsewhere on the program means Sebelius won't fill the slot reserved for the vice presidential nominee on Wednesday, Aug. 27, but in a quick take [ Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic][1] says it ain't necessarily so, because the Obama campaign continues to insist the two issues are separate.¢¢¢On the other hand, [ Paul Murdock at Forbes.com][2] still has Sebelius on the short list. Murdock updates the pros and cons of several possible veeps, including Sen. Joe Biden, who is rising to the top of some observers' lists. Biden, he says, has strengths, but he's also known as a loose cannon who might have trouble sticking to a campaign script. Murdock's top four are Sebelius, Biden, Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Evan Bayh, but he also notes, "surprises are always possible."¢¢¢In a column mostly written before Sebelius' speaking slot was announced, [ Andrew Romano of Newsweek][3] already had dismissed the possibility that she or Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine would be Obama's choice. Obama must have someone with foreign policy credentials, Romano says. The top contenders that meet that qualification are: Biden, Sen. Chuck Hagel, Sen. Jack Reed and former Sen. Sam Nunn. [1]: http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/sebelius_given_a_speaking_slot.php [2]: http://blogs.forbes.com/trailwatch/2008/08/obamas-vice-pre.html [3]: http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/08/13/veepwatch-what-does-the-latest-convention-news-reveal-about-the-running-mates-race.aspx

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 7, 2008 at 11:56 a.m.

Insurance commissioner experience a plus for Sebelius

With health care a primary concern across the nation, American voters shouldn't overlook the fact that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius previously served as the Kansas Insurance Commissioner and blocked a merger involving Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. [ Darrell Delamaide at MarketWatch][1] says, especially in a strugging economy, that experience might tip the balance for Sebelius in Sen. Barack Obama's consideration of running mates.¢¢¢[ The Press Association,][2] the national news agency of the UK and Ireland, also is watching the vice presidential race. Sebelius still is in the running, they say, but a Democratic ticket that doesn't include a white man "would be a radical choice." [1]: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/obama-sebelius-closing-economic-security-gap-women/story.aspx?guid=%7B7D5AA8E5-E5B7-4C24-905E-AFF404610ED3%7D&dist=msr_24 [2]: http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gN_GZvzBNmL3J-s5Y0ZqbjOukyMQ

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 5, 2008 at 10:55 a.m.

Obama’s Kansas values

Kansas native, Kansas University graduate and [ Wall Street Journal veteran Gerald Seib][1] writes a thoughtful column about "What Obama Values In Kansas." Seib notes all the connections between Obama and Kansas through his mother and two of the reported top contenders to become his running mate: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Those could be portrayed as mere coincidence, but Seib also makes a skilled comparison between the political waters in Kansas and the scenario that now is unfolding nationwide and suggests that Sebelius' experience in navigating those storms might be useful to the next president.¢¢¢Despite the rampant speculation, it now looks like neither the Democratic nor Republican vice presidential choices will be announced until close to the end of the Olympic Games and the beginning of the national conventions. [ Walter Shapiro of salon.com][2] says that may set up dissension on the convention floors if the last-minute veep selections aren't well received. [1]: http://blogs.wsj.com/politicalperceptions/2008/08/05/what-obama-values-in-kansas/?mod=googlenews_wsj [2]: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/08/05/veeps/

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 4, 2008 at 2:37 p.m.

Why not Sebelius?

Is Gov. Tim Kaine really just Sebelius light? [ The New Republic][1] asks why the Virginia governor should trump Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who has all the same positives, as well as being more experienced. Is Sebelius being hampered by concerns over a backlash if Obama chooses a female running mate other than Hillary Clinton? If Obama is looking for a Washington outsider, the New Republic concludes, he should pick Sebelius who "is just more impressive" than Kaine.¢¢¢Fears that putting a non-Hillary woman on the ticket will hurt Obama just aren't justified, says [ David Knowles of AOLnews.][2] In fact, he notes, putting Sebelius on the ticket would actually affirm Clinton's contention that a woman is up to the task of being president. [1]: http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/08/04/why-kaine-over-sebelius.aspx [2]: http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/08/04/hillary-and-the-other-woman/

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on August 1, 2008 at 10:48 a.m.

What are the odds?

So exactly what are Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' chances of being Sen. Barack Obama's running mate? Well, [ bodog.com,][1] an online betting site, says the Kansas governor has an 8/1 shot. That puts her in fourth place after Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who both are listed as 3/2, and Sen. Joe Biden, who is pegged at 15/2. Sen. Christopher Dodd comes in at 10/1, and Hillary Clinton is trailing the pack at 12/1.¢¢¢Here's a thought. Is all the attention on Kaine just a decoy for Obama's real choice, Sebelius? A blogger on [ 411mania.com][2] - not the most mainstream source of political news - points out that the leaks about Kaine seem out of character for the very controlled Obama campaign. Could they just be trying out the idea of an outside-the-Beltway, pro-choice Catholic governor in preparation for a Sebelius announcement? [1]: http://sports.bodoglife.com/sports-betting/political-props.jsp [2]: http://www.411mania.com/politics/columns/81622/Is-Kaine-Serving-As-Cover-For-Sebelius?.html

Reply
Posted by Ann Gardner on July 31, 2008 at 10:03 a.m.

Critics weigh in on Sebelius, Kaine

You know you're a frontrunner when the critics start tearing you down. [ The Catholic News Agency][1] reports that Fidelis, a national Catholic advocacy group is lobbying against Sen. Barack Obama's choice of either Gov. Kathleen Sebelius or Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as a running mate. "The choice of a pro-abortion Catholic for vice president would deal a major blow to any efforts by the Obama campaign to reach out to Catholic voters," Fidelis President Brian Burch said in a press release. Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, who also frequently have been mentioned as possible Obama running mates, also are Catholics who support abortion rights.¢¢¢Sebelius also remains under attack by supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton who see her as the "other woman" in the vice presidential race. Although any speculation that Clinton would be Obama's choice has all but died away, [ ABC News][2] reports that Lanny Davis, a long-time friend of Clinton's finds it "incomprehensible" that Obama would choose either Sebelius or Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill instead of Clinton. Davis, who wrote a column for today's Wall Street Journal titled "Why Obama Should Pick Hillary" said he hadn't met either Sebelius or McCaskill but that Clinton is more qualified to serve as vice president. No one says a critic has to be fully informed. [1]: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13406 [2]: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/clinton-support.html

Reply

Prev 1 2 ...3

Upload photo Browse photos

Marketplace

Paul Davis Restoration 785-842-0351

Find more businesses on Marketplace

Arts & Entertainment · Bars · Theatres · Restaurants · Coffeehouses · Libraries · Antiques · Services