June 13, 2008 - 2:11pm
Republicans jump on Speaker's remarks on Obama
By Alex IsenstadtThe California Republican Party is circulating remarks that Assembly Speaker Karen Bass made to the Sacramento Press Club on June 5 regarding presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
At issue is Bass’s assertion that Obama should pick a vice presidential candidate who is “more centrist than he is.”
Asked by a reporter about if Obama’s should be considering a woman in his vice presidential search, Bass responded, “…I think that he needs to take his time and be thoughtful and identify who his vice presidential candidate should be. And I don't think, and I'm going to be concerned about, if there's a drum beat to try and force him to pick a candidate, whether we're talking about Hillary Clinton or anybody else frankly. I don't think that's the way it should be done. I was happy to see this morning that he's identified several people, including Caroline Kennedy, who's going to help vet who his candidate will be.”
Bass continued, “And I also think that it needs to be balanced. And so, a demographic I would think would someone maybe from the South, someone that might have military experience, someone who's a little more to the center than he is. I think that would be helpful to the ticket.”
She concluded, “And like a lot of the pundits say, when people go and vote for the president, they don't go and vote for the vice president. And I'm completely confident that if it's not Hillary Clinton, and I don't know that she wants to be the VP, that she's going to do everything she can to unite the party to make sure the ticket is successful.”
In a Friday statement, state Republican Party chair Ron Nehring used Bass’s remarks to argue that Obama was out of touch with California voters.
Steve Maviglio, a Bass spokesman, said that the statement was being taken out of context and that in seizing on the remarks Republicans were grasping at straws.
“She’s not saying he’s too liberal. She is saying it needs to be a balanced ticket in five different ways,” said Maviglio.
Bass, an Assemblymember from the 47th District, is new to the speakership. She resumed the role held by Fabian Nunez on May 13.
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Syndicate
Cunningham in Prison.
There you go, there is corruption everywhere and this means what? That we should keep the crooks we know ?
The Republican ethics have led to the servicing of corporations over the servicing of the American people. Are we safer because Cunningham sold contracts to his connected pals? How many other Republicans were let off the hook by a politicly corrupt Department of Justice?
Are Republicans cynical? Yes they are.
Can we get the government we deserve? Yes we can.
Sad case of denial ?!!!
Hey --- as if Democrats are the paragon of honest politics and NEVER on the take. Get real. There is corruption EVERYWHERE in the political hemisphere. So who is naive. And I'll match you one for one -- in fact I just got thru reading about more shenanigans with Democrats and Countrywide. Give me a break !!!!!!
Who would have ever thought
With Hillary far to the left of Bill, who would have ever thought a Democrat would be touting her as a centrist.
Sort of says a lot about who Obama is.
The sound of clutched straws.
Poor Ron Nehring trying to keep a few Republicans in office can't be easy after eight years of criminal behavior by California Republican Congressmen (incarcerated and/or under investigation) and the Bush Administration's just say "No" to oversight or investigations.
I think that anyone who doesn't hold Republicans responsible for the mess this country is in come this November ..... is a sad case of denial.
Out of touch with the voters? Let's ask the next person we see filling up with gas if the war in Iraq has helped or hurt the American people.
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