Blogs For Victory

McCain Thinks About a Veep

by Mark Noonan on May 21st, 2008 at 10:59pm

Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, on Friday is scheduled to meet with two Republican governors who have been prominently mentioned as potential running mates, according to Republicans familiar with McCain’s plan.

The two governors, Charlie Crist, of Florida, and Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana, have both accepted invitations to meet with McCain at his home in Arizona, according to Republican familiars with the decision. One Republican said that Mitt Romney, a former rival of McCain for the presidential nomination wasalso expected to visit him this weekend. Romney’s advisers declined to comment.

McCain, after a week of campaigning, is heading home on Friday for three days without a public schedule. His campaign declined to comment on the meetings.

“We don’t talk about the V.P. selection process,” said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser.

Still, the names of McCain’s visitors and the timing — coming three weeks after the Arizona senator told reporters that he had a list of 20 potential running mates — strongly suggested that he was moving into an intensified phase in his search for a vice presidential candidate.

Jindal is the best pick, in my view - his only drawback being the brief time he’s been governor of Louisiana, but given that the Democrats’ guy hasn’t got the requisite experience to be dog catcher, that might not be a high hurdle to overcome. Jindal would bring youth (I believe he’s 36 years old), ardent Catholicism, ethnic diversity (he’s the son of Indian immigrants), policy expertise (he’s a bit of a wonk on that) and a vision of the GOP future. Romney and Crist would also be fine picks, but Jindal is the man of the moment, I believe.

UPDATE: A sample of Jindal:

When I first learned you had invited me to come to the Press Club, I was excited at the prospect of being your biggest newsmaker this week.

Then, on Monday morning, I turned on the TV and saw Reverend Wright standing right here in this pulpit. I mean podium.

I’m a little disappointed the cable channels aren’t broadcasting live again this morning. Where are satellite trucks?

I have to tell you, I will never be as colorful or interesting as Reverend Wright. So if that’s what you came to see, I suggest you get another cup of coffee. In fact, I am less interesting and less colorful than any Louisiana governor you have ever met. I told my staff the very first day I was sworn in that was one of my goals.

Our state has had its share of colorful, quotable, entertaining politicians. In fact, in many elections it seemed that was the only criteria to get elected in Louisiana. You may remember our former Governor Edwin Edwards’ slogan….. “Laissez les bon temps Roulez.” Let the good times roll.

It made for great copy and funny sound bites.

But the problem was that the good times did NOT roll. At least not for everyone. The good times rolled for the people in power in our government, but they did not roll for most people in our state. “Who you know” became far more important than “what you know.”

Last year, during the campaign, I put the challenge to our citizens to roll all of that back. I went to every city, every parish, every wide spot in the road and said “we CAN change, we MUST change, we WILL change.”

And our people responded. They gave us an historic victory on the first ballot…

…with our resources…from agriculture to transportation to petroleum…we can be at the center of innovation and commerce in this country again.

If you have a solution to the impending problems with the world’s food supply? Come to Louisiana, where the growing cycle lasts most of the year.

If you have a way to stretch our domestic oil supply and decrease our dependence on foreign oil? Come to Louisiana, where one third of the nation’s oil and gas comes in off our coasts.

If you have a product to export to the nation and the world, come to Louisiana, where we have five of America’s largest ports, and three of the nation’s major railroads.

Louisiana has always been perfectly situated to be the capital of American innovation…if only Government would get out of the way.

And we are doing just that, right before your eyes.

Our first task was ethics – we now have a predictable playing field for outside investors. You won’t get beat by a rigged game. After that, we moved to dramatically alter our tax code.

In a second special session in March, we ELIMINATED anti-business taxes on business utilities, new equipment and debt.

We sped up the elimination of the tax on business investment – meaning Louisiana is no longer one of only THREE states in the country that taxes manufacturing machinery and equipment.

We accelerated the elimination of the tax on capital investment – meaning Louisiana is no longer one of the ONLY states in the country that taxes business debt.

We completely eliminated the “penny” tax on business utilities.

And – we re-authorized Louisiana’s New Market Tax Credits to encourage further investment in our state, and especially those areas that are still working to rebuild from the storms of 2005.

We also did something government too rarely does…we used a one-time surplus to make one-time expenditures that strengthen our economy. Thanks to the price of oil and the pace of reconstruction, our state budget is actually doing pretty well.

More sober governors might have created big new programs…setting a higher baseline for spending that might not be sustainable once revenues take a dip.

We did just the opposite.

We invested hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development… on priorities like roads, bridges, ports, and coastal restoration.

For a conservative, it doesn’t get any better than this…

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Tags: Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist

26 Responses to “McCain Thinks About a Veep”

Casper says:
May 21st, 2008 at 11:32 pm
So you make a big deal about how Obama doesn’t have enough experience, but are ok with someone who has less experience because he is a Republican. A little hypocritical don’t you think?
Rana Quijotesca says:
May 21st, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Deleted - off topic, and a pathetic attempt, too.
Neologizer says:
May 21st, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Can’t put Jindal on the ticket it will take away the arguement of inexperience in attacking Obama. Plus if you think the hard right is having a tough time taking McCain….. son of Indian immigrants.

Bob Barr will get 5-10% of the GOP vote with this ticket
Big Veepstakes Weekend? « Blogs for McCain says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 am
[...] friends over at Blogs for Victory picked up on a story about who Senator McCain is spending his Memorial Day weekend with. [...]
Jonathan says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 am
From a political perspective, picking up Jindal could sway some of the young voters towards the Republicans, but here’s the six million-dollar question: how does McCain sell a conservative Republican vision for America when most Americans say that the country is on the wrong track, thanks to a maligned foreign policy adventure in Iraq and an economy heading toward recession, all at the hands of an extremely unpopular Republican president?
LiberalNitemare says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 am
So,who will the democrats be running as a VP this time around?

Sorry, I should probably wait for y’all to pick a presidential candidate first. Hope you get around to choosing your VP before the election is over.
Freedom1 says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:57 am
Rana. Take a look…

Pastor John Hagee: “Christians United For Israel”

Pastor Hagee is the founder of “A Night to Honor Israel” which is celebrated annually at Cornerstone Church over national and international television. “A Night to Honor Israel” is a non-conversionary tribute to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people of the world. Its purpose is to promote esteem and understanding between Christians and Jews and to emphasize that the beliefs we hold in common are far greater than the differences we have allowed to separate us. Pastor Hagee has been presented the ZOA Israel Award, the ZOA Service Award and the Humanitarian of the Year Award by B’Nai B’Rith Council in recognition of his unwavering support of Israel.

“Christians United For Israel”:

The Bible commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), to speak out for Zion’s sake (Isaiah 62:1), to be watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6) and to bless the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3). These and so many other verses of the Bible that have one overriding message– as Christians we have a Biblical obligation to defend Israel and the Jewish people in their time of need.

Israel’s time of need is now. There is a new Hitler in the Middle East –President Ahmadinejad of Iran — who has threatened to wipe out Israel and America and is rapidly acquiring the nuclear technology to make good on his threat. If we learned anything from the Holocaust, it is that when a madman threatens genocide we must take him seriously.

During the Holocaust, too many Christians were silent, and we were left to mourn the slaughter of 6 million Jews. Today, Bible-believing Christians must speak up and stand up for Israel. We must act to do whatever we can to protect Israel’s 6 million Jews from the second Holocaust. We must get it right this time. Our faith demands it. The times require it. Silence is not an option.
Freedom1 says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 am
McCain should draw out the veep consideration. Make it interesting. Turn it into a dramatic, “Who will be McCain’s VP?” mystery media story. Free press. Gotta luv it.
Mark Noonan says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 am
Casper,

Jindal’s bio:

He was elected Governor of Louisiana on October 20, 2007, with 54 percent of the vote in the primary, winning 60 of 64 parishes.
Shortly after taking office, Governor Jindal called a Special Session to address comprehensive ethics reform, the cornerstone of his election platform. After the conclusion of the successful session, the Center for Public Integrity deemed Louisiana’s new financial disclosure law as the strongest in the nation - giving Louisiana a score of 99 out of 100.

Additionally, the Governor’s second Special Session eliminated burdensome taxes that deterred investment in Louisiana and limited the growth of existing Louisiana businesses.

Governor Jindal has also put forth detailed plans for reforming our state’s health care, education, and transportation systems, as well as for encouraging workforce development and continuing recovery efforts in those areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Jindal was born in Baton Rouge on June 10, 1971. He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1987 and went on to attend Brown University where he graduated with honors in biology and public policy. Following his graduation from Brown he attended Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar, having turned down admissions to medical and law schools at both Harvard and Yale.

In 1994, Jindal went to work for McKinsey and Company as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies before entering public service. In 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). There were many issues that needed resolving during his tenure, not the least of which was the growing deficit in Louisiana’s Medicaid program. During Jindal’s tenure as DHH Secretary, he rescued Louisiana’s Medicaid program from bankruptcy, childhood immunizations increased, Louisiana ranked third best nationally in health care screenings for children, and new and expanded services for elderly and disabled persons were offered.

In 1998, Jindal was appointed Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. As Executive Director, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Commission, whose work continue to be the driving force behind much of the ongoing debate on how to strengthen and improve Medicare.

At the conclusion of the Commission’s work, Jindal was appointed President of the University of Louisiana System, the 16th largest higher education system in the country. While serving as President, Jindal worked to establish areas of excellence at each individual institution.

President George W. Bush appointed Jindal to serve as Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2001. In that position, he served as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He later resigned from the position in 2003 to return to Louisiana and run for elected office for the first time. In that race, Jindal went from being a relatively unknown candidate for Governor, to receiving the most votes in the primary election and eventually 48 percent of the vote in runoff.

In 2004 he was elected to the 109th United States Congress representing the First District of Louisiana. In Congress he was elected Freshman Class President and served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the House Committee on Resources. Bobby also served as Assistant Majority Whip. In his first term he passed a number of notable pieces of legislation and played an instrumental role in Louisiana’s recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. His noteworthy accomplishments include the passage of legislation to bring significant offshore energy revenues to Louisiana for the first time and legislation that keeps Federal Emergency Management Agency from taxing certain recovery grants as income.

Jindal was re-elected to Congress in 2006 with 88 percent of the vote majority.

Jindal and his wife Supriya have three young children.

This is vastly more practical and legislative experience than Obama can boast of. He is the man of the future for the GOP - and the sort of man who will one day utterly crush the life out of leftism for good. The whole nauseating mess of leftism is destined for the ash heap of history, and we’re finding the people who can out-argue, out-legislate and out-govern you all up and down the line.
Freedom1 says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 am
I like Bobby Jindal. The only thing against him is his relative inexperience. In 4-8 years he’s going to be great!
Mark Noonan says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:11 am
Freedom,

That is the thing, isn’t it? But up against Obama, especially given that he’d be Veep to the well experience McCain?

Still, it might be that 2012 or 2016 will be his year - as long as he doesn’t blow it, he’s certainly destined for higher things.
Freedom1 says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:13 am
Yep. Hey, didn’t someone call Bobby Jindal the next Ronald Reagan? High praise, indeed.
Mark Noonan says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 am
Freedom,

Well, I doubt that he’ll have the stage presence of Ronaldus Magnus…and he’s a bit of a nerd, truth be told…but he’s got a lot of great things going for him, and most of us can only stand in awe at all he’s accomplished so quickly in his life…he might be more akin, in energy and eventual achievement, to Teddy Roosevelt.
Willem van Oranje says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:49 am
A Mormon, an Indian, or a Gay?

That should go down well in The Base.
Mark Noonan says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:11 am
WvO,

Crist is gay?

Anyways…the fact that you see us enthused about a Mormon, an Indian-American and (if he is such) a gay person should advise you that your entire view of conservatives is wrong…perhaps you should start thinking?
robert w. blunt says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:02 am
Hmmm. Morman’s deny the Trinity and say that Jesus is a created being. The Nicene Creed says that Catholics are supposed to “anathematize them”, not vote for them. Hmmm. A “former” Hindu? A man “of colour”? The Baptists gotta love it. And Charlie? He’d be very popular with the Log Cabin Republicans. I can’t wait.
OhioOrrin says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
CONDI

double trump
RogerThat says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
“Yep. Hey, didn’t someone call Bobby Jindal the next Ronald Reagan? High praise, indeed.”

You guys call everyone the next Reagan. High praise indeed….
Tractatus says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
your entire view of conservatives is wrong…perhaps you should start thinking?

Having a view of liberals that is wrong hasn’t prompted you to start thinking.

Interesting that you’re so keen to play the race card with Jindal, though. Isn’t that a bad thing only those horrible racist Democrats do?
SEW says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Not to mention that the same affirmative action that benefitted the Obamas works against Asians to the same degree it benefits those not deserving. Basically for every affirmative admit, a much, much more qualified Asian is excluded. Yet who has the chip on their shoulder, Michelle Obama, or Jindal?
Mark Noonan says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 am
Robert,

You shouldn’t go through life as ignorant about things as that - this is 2008, you have access to a computer, and you should put yourself to school a bit in order to be able to discuss things.

Lesson one:

The Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
robert w. blunt says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:09 am
from the Catholic Encyclopedia:
“We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance [ek tes ousias] of the Father, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of the same substance with the Father [homoousion to patri], through whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth; who for us men and our salvation descended, was incarnate, and was made man, suffered and rose again the third day, ascended into heaven and cometh to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. Those who say: There was a time when He was not, and He was not before He was begotten; and that He was made our of nothing (ex ouk onton); or who maintain that He is of another hypostasis or another substance [than the Father], or that the Son of God is created, or mutable, or subject to change, [them] the Catholic Church anathematizes. ”
This is the statement of fundamental beliefs promulgated by the Council of Nicea in 325.
Mark Noonan says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Robert,

What I’ve quoted is the Nicene creed - what you’ve quoted is a theological statement about Christian beliefs about the divinity of Christ…if you deny Christ is God from God, you are anathematized.

Figure out the difference.
edwin w edwards says:
May 24th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
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Jack says:
July 8th, 2008 at 5:12 am
Jack
free baptism invitations says:
July 11th, 2008 at 2:37 am
free baptism invitations

After reading this post, I am not sure I understand what you are trying to relate. Please expand on your thoughts a little more. Thanks

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McCain Thinks About a Veep

by Mark Noonan on May 21st, 2008 at 10:59pm

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