Jul 27, 2008 10:27am

McCaskill Says She’s Not Being Vetted for VP

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-MO, has not been asked by Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign to hand over personal documents as part of a vetting process to select his future vice-presidential running mate. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday", host Chris Wallace asked McCaskill if she had been asked to turn over documents. "I have not," she replied. The Missouri senator, a close friend of Obama, D-IL, has been viewed as a possible pick to be his vice-presidential running mate. In the past, she has stated that anyone would be interested in the position, but today, even while reiterating that stance, she acknowledged that she has not been asked to undergo the vetting process. Still, McCaskill undoubtedly remains an important figure in Obama’s run for the Oval Office, even in a role that now looks to be more "personal adviser" than running mate. She has been a vocal supporter for Obama dating back to the Democratic primaries, when she helped him earn a key victory over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, in the Show-Me State. Today McCaskill said that even if Obama doesn’t select Clinton as his running mate, he will still have the support of female voters. "Hillary Clinton has done a wonderful job helping unite our party," she said. "She gets all the credit for doing the right things, saying the right things. I think we’re going to be fine with women…with or without Hillary Clinton." McCaskill acknowledged that she would be interested in the vice-presidential slot and that anyone in Washington claiming otherwise is not being "candid". "I think anybody in Washington would be thrilled to be asked to be vice president," she said. "So you’d say yes?," asked Wallace. "I would like to meet somebody who wouldn’t," McCaskill replied. "If they’re saying they wouldn’t, I don’t think that they are being as candid or as upfront with the American people as probably they should be."

User Comments

hmm, well I actually do beleive their are people who don’t want to be vp McCaskill. I have nothing against her but she is no replacement for Hillary and to the Democratic party maybe if you keep saying with our without Hillary you will win why do they feel the need to keep saying this are they nervous. I mean all the lovely polls out say Obama is doing fine with women are they afraid at the last mintue women will change their minds? I heard they were perparing for thousands of protestors at democratic convention I wonder if they will show them? Is Hillary even beign allowed to speak at the convention? So disgusted with democratic party now.

Posted by: rachel | July 27, 2008, 11:09 am 11:09 am

Obama said on MTP this morning that he is looking for the position to be a person who challenges him and is someone who is a resource of Knowledge not some quiet side job…
It’s going to be Biden as I have said for months.
By the numbers and what this country need in a VP…Obama is a very smart guy…he is looking at the VP as a position of knowledge and support…
just as any smart CEO would…
by that…talks too much or not…
gaffes on silly things or not…
washington old timer…or not…Biden has been the face of people asking for change over the past 8 years every other sunday morning practically…
no one challenged this administration to change more… so…
on balance…there is no avoiding the fact that Biden is the best person standing next to him.
Yeah I like Joe Biden but I like Joe biden because he is genuine…that’s why he screws up…and he is the smartest guy on foreign policy we have.
No matter how Bush and Cheney would like it to be otherwise.

Posted by: dl | July 27, 2008, 11:37 am 11:37 am

Joe Biden:
Voted for the Iraq War
Opposed the troop surge
TWO STRIKES. The guy can’t get anything right.

Posted by: ja | July 27, 2008, 11:48 am 11:48 am

ahhhh that would be a BRILLIANT move barry… pick a woman as your v.p….. great strategy man i hope he IS that stupid…. lol

Posted by: Tim | July 27, 2008, 12:00 pm 12:00 pm

shouldnt be too hard to find someone to challenge him given he dosnt have any experience…. lol

Posted by: Tim | July 27, 2008, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm

Whoever he picks, that person will be honored to be on the ticket and should be. This is a historical election and I’m optimistic Obama will change this country and turn it around and head it in the opposite direction it has been going for the past 8 years. Hillary, Richardson, Biden……anyone would be fine.

Posted by: Peg | July 27, 2008, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm

Read my lips as the saying goes>>>>>>>>>
Hilly baby will NOT be the v peeeeeeeee
Her Billy boy carries to much garbage

Posted by: indp voter | July 27, 2008, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm

Don’t kid yourselves.. As Obamas ratings start to decline he will secretly be meeting with hillary again to plan their joint ticket. It wont happen anytime soon but it WILL happen because people are starting to see the REAL Obama – arrogant and full of himself and a danger to us. He will have no need for McGaskill if he wins her State- he wll kick her to the curb as fast as the Bushies kicked Katherine Harris out.

Posted by: JIMBO | July 27, 2008, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm

What a country we have become when people start to say it will be an honor to be on the ticket with Obama. Yep its a real honor to be associated with a man who ignores the troops – thank goodness that soldier in Afghanistan wrote us the letter saying what a fake Obama was and how Obama snubbed them all while he was there. Yes its a real honor to be associated with a man with terrorist cousins and connections and criminal associates and racists friends and a hate filled racist wife and his flip flops on everything from public financing ,to Nafta to the surge to the lie that the Pentagon stopped him from seeing the troops etc etc… Hillary would have been the stronger candidate but the media made sure that Bam Bam gets the nomination. They will one day regret that for sure !!

Posted by: jimbo | July 27, 2008, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm

peg…
another “the last eight years have been a disaster” comment… jeez… all bush’s fault huh??!!

Posted by: Tim | July 27, 2008, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm

peg…
another “the last eight years have been a disaster” comment… jeez… all bush’s fault huh??!!

Posted by: Tim | July 27, 2008, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm

ja
yuo are an idiot
Biden exp[lained how if …they were going in they had to separate the factions of the civil war…and now he is explainging how the temporary governemtn in Iraq is just that…
a lot has to happen for that government that was set up in a similar set up to that if what we had in afghanistan…just like we did in afghanistan…we gave money to insurging military muslim militias… who ended up overthrowing the existing governemtn
just like we have just done and spent 200,000,000,000 dollars on.
Yet we are the ones still policing that country and holding those same insurgents in check.
It is yet to be seen if when we leave we have not set up a system that is completely dependent on us…because of that tactic that we used with the “freedom fighters”
you know the freedom fighters (Reagan’s term for the muslim extremist insurgents back then in Afghanistan)?
you do know them…they are now called the taliban, Osama bin Laden and al qaeda.
Wonder what the insurgents we just promised positions of power and gave money and guns will be like in 5 years no matter if we leave or not.
ja
get educated… stupidity of voters like you is what got us here in the first place and what Bush, Cheney and mccain think will keep us on this road.

Posted by: dl | July 27, 2008, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm

JImbo soldiers didn’t say that Obama’s trip was a “fake”
peoplem like you and the repubs made it up just liek the swiftboat bologne.
only way Bush, McCain cheney and the rest can hold on to the white house…is make crap up.

Posted by: dl | July 27, 2008, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm

rachel: If Senator Clinton’s supporters do not support the Democratic nominee, resulting in a win for McCain and:
A conservative Supreme Court for a generation
The resultant overturning of Roe v Wade
Extension of the Bush tax cuts
Continued Executive efforts to establish permanent bases in Iraq
A solid veto of any universal healthcare advanced by Senator Clinton
Senator Clinton’s future chances at the leadership position she deserves will be dashed – she would be as popular as Ralph Nader and lucky to merely hold her Senate seat. And the cause of women in politics would be set back a generation as they “prove” themselves to be irrationally spiteful.
I do not think Senator Clinton nor her supporters are that stupid and have a strong suspicion that the most zealous disaffected Clinton supporters are simply Republicans trying to make controversy.

Posted by: jhw539 | July 27, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm

to dl- The soldier in Afghanistan called Obambi a fake. Whether he really did snub the troops there is now in question but there is no doubt that Obambi subbed em in Germany and also that the news media fails to tell people that there were 2 hugely popular rock groups performing at the FREE concert before Obambi spoke. They make it sound like 100,00 people who dont even speak ENGLISH came just to see Bambi. I didnt make any of this up, im a life long Democrat but i refused to be conned by the Pied Piper who is promising everyone everything. He will say whatever he thinks the people want to hear and then he smirks and his ACTIONS show the opposite. I learned along time ago that you cannot trust someone if their woirds differ from the their ACTIONS. John MCCain is no prize and it will be hard to vote for him but I certainly wont vote for the terrorist connected Bambi and his hate filled racist “ITs our TURN NOW ” wife Michelle who thinks she is already Jackie Kennedy. We can thank the Media for trashing hillary – the only candidate who was worth voting for.

Posted by: jimbo | July 27, 2008, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm

You are delusional if you think that we Clinton supporters should automatically flock to Bambi. Why ? Just because he is a Democrat ?? We r irate that the DNC has been hijacked by a bunch of idiots- Pelosi, Dean, Dona Brazile, Robert Wexler, etc . If the media had vetted Bambi properly in the beginning instead of treating him like “the one ” as that racist Oprah called him, then he wouldnt have won a few of those primaries. hillary won the BIG ones that have ELECTORAL votes – Bambi did not . Thats where he will flounder this fall. When he does- DO NOT blame Hillary- she should be the nominee but she isnt due to alot of dirty tricks by our MEDIA. Of course Bambi is shrewd and he probably will have secret meetings with Hillary as his popularity declines cuz he knows he can win with her. He wont admit it now cuz hes still too arrogant but he will see it in the weeks ahead after the next scandal emerges. a Democratic congress can control McCain until 2012 when Hillary will get the respect she deserves. Now where can i find that PUMA website so I can help counter the Middle East money connection and Billionaire George Soros and moveon.org who have bought and paid for Obama !!!

Posted by: jimbo | July 27, 2008, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm

Jimbo you are passing along such a blatant lie it has already been debunked by Snopes.com. And it is just flat out stupid – Obama went to Afghanistan specifically to get cred as commander in chief and you think he wasn’t glad handing every soldier he could find? Don’t be an idiot – there are partisan soldier willing to lie for their side just as quickly as you are. The many photos and vids clearly show Obama was spending his time over there shaking as many hands and chatting up everyone from the General down the mess cook.

Posted by: jhw539 | July 27, 2008, 2:09 pm 2:09 pm

jimbo “We Clinton supporters”? Please. You can’t even keep straight if you want to blame the DNC (who supported Senator Clinton 10:1 over Obama at the start – a fact recorded by superdelegate endorsements) or the media (who, another fact, heavily sold Senator Clinton as inevitable and never drug up the Whitehouse years dirty laundry the Republicans would air out in the Fall).
Why support “Bambi”? If you support Senator Clinton then you support his positions. Period. I don’t think you ever supported Senator Clinton nor any other Democrat, so I doubt you care that Senator Obama is on the record as supporting over 90% of Senator Clinton’s positions. As expected, since they are of the same party.

Posted by: jhw539 | July 27, 2008, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm

Jimbo: If you are a “life long” Democrat, please leave. We’ve seen what happens to a party when reactionary worshippers of ignorance try to take over. Have you seen the photos of Obama’s speech? Why wasn’t there a single person leaving if they were just there for the “hugely popular rock bands” (which would be… who exactly?)?
The “snub” in Germany has been well hashed out as the Pentagon throwing up blocks.
You are as much a Democrat as Karl Rove. Actually, based on your echo-chamber approach to amplifying lies, you may actually be Karl Rove…

Posted by: jhw539 | July 27, 2008, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Kenkel co-chairman –417-693-0513 cell 417 336 9496 home Honjeffkenkel@yahoo.com
Steven Reed stevenlloydreed@hotmail.com
goclairevp@yahoo.com
Paperwork, including EIN Missouri Fictitious Name and a checking account have been set up. A Statement of Organization Form 1 (Statement of Organization [PDF]) used to register parties and PACs will be sent express mail on Saturday morning June 26, 2008. The group wants to make sure everything stays legal.
“Claire McCaskill has life experiences that have uniquely placed her in a position to understand issues that face people of all walks of life. She can quickly recognize issues and make suggestions for solutions. Clearly, she inspires people, just as Barack Obama does,” says Reed.
“Our goal is to spread the word and start such a large wave that McCaskill is selected the Vice President candidate. She sure will not be ‘a sit around and watch’ Vice President,” says Jeff Kenkel Kenkel is co-chair of the National Go Claire VP Movement.
The organizers ask people to do anything they want to and can to spread the work. Some suggestions are at http://www.goclairevp.4t.com/
Reed, who lives in Springfield , and Kenkel, who lives in Branson, were happy to see a news bit at: http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/dc-download/dc-download/2008/07/a-claire-for-vp-movement-in-springfield/

Posted by: steven reed | July 27, 2008, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm

Jimbo, I agree with you totally! The photo-ops and speech events candidate is just that. Some people like to say he and Hillary agree on 90 percent of the issues. No wonder, he was so shallow and inexperienced that he just dittoed what she said. He tried to make her look untrustworthy during the primary. Now she is great. He is nothing but a double-talking, backpedaling politician, and he is a lousy debater because he does not know enough to have a give and take conservation about any issue. Loyal Democrats? How can you be loyal to a Party that has performed in such a miserable way in this campaign. Life-long Democrats are the workhorses of this Party, but we do not have to fall into this mess. Choose the best candidate–that is John McCain! Even if a losing Obama decides on Hillary, it will be too late. We do not want Obama as the leader of this country. A presumptive nominee who tries to draw rock concert crowds in Germany to win over American votes is just a soundbite, empty politician. By the way, we do not hear the themes “change…hope…unity…yes, we can” as often these days. Have those soundbites just become more hollow words? Or is he already President? Not in my book!
PUMA
John McCain ’08

Posted by: georgia | July 27, 2008, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm

Claire McCaskill and Hillary Clinton should never be mentioned in the same breath.
Hillary is smart, strong, poised, polished and inspirational.
McCaskil is none of those things.

Posted by: ch | July 27, 2008, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm

Georgia: You are a Senator Clinton supporter campaigning to overturn Roe v. Wade, lower taxes on the wealthy, block any chance for Senator Clinton to get a legacy-making universal healthcare bill into law, extend the faith-based Bush economic policies, and extend the war in Iraq.
Or you are lying about being a Democrat.
Gee, which one of those two makes more sense?

Posted by: jhw539 | July 27, 2008, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm

jhw539, well it would be fine and good to vote for Obama if I thought he was actually going to give a postion where she would make a difference, but I don’t think he will. I really want to know if barack will actually allow a symbolic vote for hillary from her delegates, cause he owns the dnc now.

Posted by: rachel | July 27, 2008, 6:14 pm 6:14 pm

Did her kids tell her what to say for the interview?

Posted by: irma | July 27, 2008, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm

I have absolutely no respect for her because in her first interview on her support for Obama, she clearly stated that the reason she supported Obama was because “My daughter told me she would never speak to me again if I didn’t.” Then proceeded with even lamer comments about what her daughter told her. Her daughter was 15 at the time. Yeah, I feel secure having people in charge who need direction from their underage kids.

Posted by: irma | July 27, 2008, 7:34 pm 7:34 pm

rachel: I just don’t believe it. I know many fiercely independent women (I gave up one career so the one I’m married to could better pursue hers) and I do not know one, not one, who is treating this election like some high school popularity contest. And not one thinks that Senator Clinton is going to have a more successful career under a President McCain. Basing a vote for Senator Obama on whether he appears to properly respect Senator Clinton is to personify the right-wing strawman of the unsuitable-for-governance ‘irrational woman scorned’ nonsense that professional women have been fighting for a generation.
It is more important that Senator Clinton gets a symbolic vote from her delegates than Roe v. Wade is upheld? Really? I just don’t believe Senator Clinton or her supporters are that petty and stupid.

Posted by: jhw539 | July 27, 2008, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm

I happen to think McCaskill is the best choice for VP. I can think of no one who’s more consistent with Obama’s message of change …and she’s exactly what the first female POTUS should look like!
Obama/McCaskill ’08!!!

Posted by: AnAmericanPerson | July 27, 2008, 9:27 pm 9:27 pm

jhw539, It’s only the right thing to do. Whether you think its important or not a lot of people do. Her delegates should have a right to vote for her. I really don’t think roe vs wade will be over turned either. I am not upset that Hillary lost I am upset at the fact that only after the primaries did the dnc try to acknowledge any sexism during the campiagn while they were pretty vocal about racisim, I am upset at the fact that its okay for obama to call someone typically white while its not okay for Hillary to say that LBJ had something to do with the civil rights movement, I am uspet that its okay for everyone to say Hillary plaid the race card,,,, but Obama’s surogate’s (yes they worked on his campaign until a couple weeks before the video came out)are allowed to use Hillary’s race against her she wasn’t a poor black boy etc oh she felt white entitlement. It’s looking like Obama will win, but as he embrace’s bush’s positons on faith baised programs, wire tapping, and even gun control. I am not confident in his willingness to bring about change, in the end it will be the same game just a different color. For those that vote for him and beleive in him I hope he keeps his word.

Posted by: rachel | July 27, 2008, 9:41 pm 9:41 pm

Obama has the female votes???? She is sooooo out of touch of what is going on in the Democratic Party. Obama is not the elected nominee, he was selected. And, that is not going to bode well for the Party.

Posted by: bpower | July 27, 2008, 11:02 pm 11:02 pm

jhw539, you sound about as psychic as Obama in thinking you can bring everyone together in his campaign. Your threats regarding Roe v. Wade, taxes, or any issue do not scare any of us who can see for ourselves what people stand for. Hillary and McCain are both far more experienced and knowledgeable than Obama. He is a lousy debater and he refuses to have one on one discussions with anyone since Hillary cleaned his plow in the primary debates. He doesn’t know enough to debate the issues. He has to have large orchestrated crowds to puff him up and make him seem ready with his teleprompted speeches.
You have one thing right. I am a lifelong Democrat no longer. I am an Independent. You can have your backpedaling, double-talking, soundbite candidate. McCain is getting my vote because he is the best candidate.
Oh, and do not worry about Hillary. She is the too wise and too accomplished to let her future rest in the hands of a novice like Obama or even McCain. Your type ridiculed her throughout the Primary. With the media’s huge assistance, you have your candidate. Many of us will never support him. We do not want your phony campaign of change. We can wait a few years for Hillary if that is in her future.
PUMA
McCain ’08

Posted by: georgia | July 27, 2008, 11:14 pm 11:14 pm

McCaskill served her purpose: Obama wanted a female Senator to endorse him. She did.
Now he has no further use for her, and whatever promises he made to her are as empty as the promises he has made to the American public.
Make room under the bus for Claire.

Posted by: Allen Hoban | July 28, 2008, 12:20 am 12:20 am

The only way McCaskill is the VP is if Obama decides he want’s a personal Confident who he knows he can work with as his VP. While I have long been of the opinion that this would be my “Dream Ticket”, I’ve also long considered it a long shot. It’s still a possibility, but it’s not likely. It is probably going to be Biden.

Posted by: Steven | July 28, 2008, 1:22 am 1:22 am

Oh, and in case you guys missed the Gallup Poll today:
Obama 49-McCain 40. These are numbers you expect when running against a popular incumbnent, not a “unknown”.
Now McCain agrees with a Time Table, and will raise your taxes…if your an Anti-Tax republican, better vote for Bob Barr.

Posted by: Steven | July 28, 2008, 1:25 am 1:25 am

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