In a move called premature by the Hillary Clinton campaign, Barack Obama began searching for a running mate Thursday, one day after John McCain started his own search.
Former Fannie Mae Chief Executive Officer Jim Johnson, who ran the vice presidential search committees of Democratic nominees Walter Mondale in 1984 and John Kerry in 2004, has been asked by Obama to perform a similar search. But Obama was reluctant to comment publicly on Johnson because there are three more contests in the Democratic primary campaign.
“I haven’t hired him. He’s not on retainer. I’m not paying him any money. He is afriend of mine. I know him,” Obama told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I am not commenting on vice presidential matters because I have not won this nomination.”
Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson suggested Obama might be getting ahead of himself. “It is clearly premature in the sense that he is not yet the nominee,” Wolfson told reporters on a conference call.
He added: “There have been no discussions with the Obama campaign about Senator Clinton being the V.P.”
Many observers believe Clinton is angling for the vice presidency, because her chances of catching Obama in the delegate race seem remote. Although Obama does not appear interested in such a pairing, Clinton might try to force her way onto the ticket by threatening to continue battling him throughout the summer.
If an Obama-Clinton ticket does not come to pass, Obama would likely come under pressure to at least choose a Clinton loyalist, such as Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland or Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Others reportedly being considered include Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.
Word of Obama’s search came one day after it was revealed that McCain will be meeting this weekend with three potential running mates at his home in Arizona. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will dine with McCain in what the Republican candidate’s aides called a strictly social gathering.
Also rumored to be on McCain’s short list is Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who said Thursday a governor could strengthen the GOP ticket.
“For somebody who is a governor, you’d bring executive experience,” Pawlenty told CNN. “You’d bring domestic issues like education and health care reform and, in the case of many governors, they also have some, you know, international experience, as well.”
He added that McCain is “going to have to pick somebody, I think, that he’s comfortable with, that brings something to the table in terms of expertise and maybe geography, maybe the politics of it.”
