McCain Says 'Maybe' to Abortion-Rights Veep

Aug. 14, 2008— -- Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is seriously considering selecting a running mate who supports abortion rights, a risky move that could attract independent voters but alienate -- possibly even infuriate -- much of the GOP's conservative base, McCain advisers have told ABC News.

The Arizona senator broached the issue himself in an interview with the Weekly Standard, a conservative publication, when he said that former Pennsylvania governor and former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge should not be disqualified as a vice presidential candidate because he favors abortion rights.

"I think that the pro-life position is one of the important aspects or fundamentals of the Republican Party," McCain, who's anti-abortion, told the magazine. "And I also feel that -- and I'm not trying to equivocate here -- that Americans want us to work together. You know, Tom Ridge is one of the great leaders, and he happens to be pro-choice. And I don't think that that would necessarily rule Tom Ridge out."

McCain conceded the party's opposition to abortion is a cornerstone of its platform.

"I think it's a fundamental tenet of our party to be pro-life, but that does not mean we exclude people from our party that are pro-choice. We just have a -- albeit strong -- but just it's a disagreement," McCain said. "And I think Ridge is a great example of that."

Joe Lieberman, another close McCain friend and ally, also is said to be on McCain's VP short list and supports abortion rights.

Either Ridge or Lieberman, who ran as a Democratic vice presidential candidate eight years ago, would be a "transformative" VP pick who could help open up the Republican Party and deliver moderate voters and Independents, some McCain advisers believe. McCain is seriously weighing that option, sources say.

Obama is likely to announce his choice next week, George Stephanopoulos, ABC News' chief Washington correspondent, told "Good Morning America" today.

The Democrats' veep timetable is not perfectly clear, but party leaders may be dropping clues about Sen. Barack Obama's choice of running mate as they slowly release their list of convention speakers.

The choice of former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner to keynote the National Democratic Convention may be bad news for the vice presidential hopes of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

"That lowers the prospects that Tim Kaine is likely to be the choice," Stephanopoulos told "GMA." It is "unlikely to have two keynotes speakers from Virginia in two days."

Party strategists like to maximize the podium time for key voting blocs and battleground states, making it difficult to give two prime time slots to the same state. The Democrats open their convention in Denver on Monday, Aug. 25.

Sen. Hillary Clinton was largely scratched from the veep stakes betting when she was chosen to speak on Tuesday, the day before the vice presidential candidate is scheduled to address the convention. Warner's selection as keynoter, who will also speak Tuesday, then lowered the odds on Kaine.

The Democrats have slated Wednesday night of the convention to highlight the issue of national security, which will coincide with the vice presidential nominee's speaking. That could mean a boost for veep contenders such as Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who is on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committee, or Delaware's Sen. Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"One other note, when Barack Obama was with Bayh in Indiana, his campaign team was out there taking footage, another clue that could be working for Bayh," Stephanopoulos said.

Stephanopoulos noted on "GMA" that several major Democratic players have yet to be assigned a speaking time, including former presidential nominees Al Gore and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, as well as key Obama backer Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico.

"Clues they could be the wild card choices here for Barack Obama?" Stephanopoulos wondered.

In another political note, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, ruled out attending the Democratic convention, but did not rule out the possibility of endorsing Obama.