Post Politics Hour

washingtonpost.com's Daily Politics Discussion

Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Chris Cillizza, washingtonpost.com political blogger was online Friday, June 6 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest news in politics.

The transcript follows.

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Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

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Chris Cillizza: Good morning everyone!

What a week. The Democratic nomination fight, which will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the great races in modern political history, has ended and, just as quickly, the general election between Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and John McCain (Ariz.) has begun.

For political junkies, this is heaven.

So, let's get started.

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Ashland, Mo.: Is the town hall proposal by McCain another indication that the politicians think the media can't be trusted to ask appropriate questions? Frankly, the town hall people can ask silly questions, too, but given the fixation the political media seems to have on trivia (e.g. who won the popular vote rather than the delegates, Rev. Wright, flag pins, Cindy McCain's money), why not cut them out?

Chris Cillizza: Hmmm. My thought on the town halls is that McCain knows it is his best venue and also knows he is not the best debater the world has ever known. So, the proposal is -- in essence -- an attempt to pick the ground on which one of the main battles of the general election will be fought.

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Gainesville, Va.: How seriously do you take Obama's pronouncement to reporters yesterday that any leaks about his vice presidential choice should be considered bogus, that there will be no communications about this until he makes an announcement? It seems like leaking a few names can be an effective way to get the media to assist with the vetting process, and to gauge the reaction of key leaders and constituencies. Is the Obama campaign really that disciplined at avoiding leaks?

Chris Cillizza: My gosh, I hope not. As a reporter, one of the most difficult things about covering the Obama campaign to date is how air tight their operations is.
I commend them for their ability to keep big news out of the news until they want it to be there but hope -- with every journalistic bone in my body -- that it doesn't continue through November.

My guess is it won't since Obama will be, by necessity, growing his campaign rapidly and bringing in people who were not part of that original, non-leaking core. With so much interest in who he will pick as vice president, it seems unlikely that Obama will be able to effectively enforce his no leaks policy.

But, we also never thought you could put together a presidential campaign that kept every single big story during the primary race a secret until they wanted it out. So, that shows what I know.

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Williamsburg, Va.: I was surprised to see Bill Richardson missing from your top five list. With his resume, foreign policy experience, executive experience, bringing in a swing state and being Hispanic, he seems to fill many of Obama's needs.

Chris Cillizza: Richardson was one of the last people eliminated from this week's Veepstakes Line.

As Williamsburg notes, Richardson has a number of strong arguments in his favor: he has both legislative and chief executive experience, he hails from a swing state and he is Hispanic -- a key voting bloc Obama must find a way to woo between now and November.

And yet, I hear almost nothing about the guy from The People Who Chatter About the Veepstakes (with apologies to Lisa de Moraes). Richardson seems to be dismissed out of hand by many of these people with the main reason being his reputation as a relatively undisciplined politician.

Given how wrong conventional wisdom has been in this election, however, Richardson could well be the pick. :)

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Sewickley, Pa.: Hi Chris, really look forward to your appearances on TV -- you're a great asset to any political panel! I lived in Virginia for nearly 20 years, so I watched the Senate race there pretty carefully. Jim Webb looks like a once-in-a-lifetime sort to me -- smart, commanding, and a terrific campaigner. Doesn't Sen. Obama need someone who first and foremost is strong on the stump? Webb combines so many traits the Democrats need -- and I think he'd make a fantastic presidential candidate in eight years!

Chris Cillizza: Sewickley, you are clearly a keen observer of political journalism -- particularly the television side.
In all seriousness, I ranked Webb as high (No. 2) on The Line as I did for some of the reasons you lay out.

He comes from an emerging swing state (Virginia) and has a resume -- decorated Vietnam vet, author, etc -- that is a dream for a politician. He also opposed the war in Iraq from the start as did Obama.

I would take some issue with your description of Webb as a "terrific campaigner." I spent some limited time with Webb on the stump during the 2006 race and came away somewhat underwhelmed. While I think he can be effective, he is generally quite serious on the campaign trail and is not the sort of charismatic speaker that can energize a huge crowd.

That said, Webb got strong reviews for his remarks yesterday in introducing Obama so maybe he is getting better.

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New York: I didn't see Sam Nunn in your vice presidential list -- good. Sam Nunn was one of the architects of the "don't ask don't tell" policy that continues to discriminate against gay people who want to serve in the military. Many of us can remember how the ranks of military translators were decreased substantially at a critical time after Sept. 11 because of this ruling. I was stunned last night to watch a young group of talking heads discuss Sam Nunn without reference to this and his general hawkishness. I'm happy to see younger commentators, but wish they were not so ill-informed.

Chris Cillizza: I had Nunn on my veepstakes list a month ago but decided to drop him this time for some of the reasons you make clear.

Nunn makes sense on one level for Obama as he is widely regarded as one of the foremost foreign policy thinkers in the Democratic party and spent considerable time in the Senate including a stint as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

But, Nunn is also far more conservative than many Democratic voters and, as such, has the potential to alienate some of Obama's most loyal base voters. (Whether they would actually defect or stay at home based on a veep pick is hard to know.)

 do think a white male from the South will be a finalist in the Obama veepstakes whether or not he is ultimately the pick. For the moment, former senator John Edwards is my pick -- despite his continued to assertions that he is not interested.

Other names worth at least considering: Govs. Mike Beebe (Ark.), Mike Easley (N.C.) and Phil Bredesen (Tenn.).

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Presidential Pickle: Obama is stuck between a rock and a hard place here in the veepstakes, isn't he? No wonder he wants to take some time and think it over -- he's going to take heat no matter what. I'd be surprised to see him choose Kathleen Sebelius as an acceptable female choice to mollify Hillary fans. She wouldn't be much benefit against the Republican charges of inexperience. Outside of her state and the political junkies in Washington, she doesn't have any significant national presence. Richardson wouldn't mollify Hillary supporters either -- I think that would be seen as a direct slap in the face. And like it or not, he does have to take her supporters into consideration, right?

Chris Cillizza: Obama does have to take into consideration the symbolic importance of a vice presidential pick to heal the rift that the protracted primary process has caused.

As I note in today's Line, I think it is not at all likely that Obama picks Clinton herself but he may well seek to offer an olive branch to the Clinton backers by selecting one of her most prominent surrogates during the primary campaign.

I ranked Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland as the most likely vice presidential pick for Obama based in part on just that calculation. It also helps Strickland's cause that he is a popular governor of a swing state with a demonstrated appeal to the rural working class voters Obama will need to win in the Rust Belt.

If not Strickland, perhaps Evan Bayh might be the pick. Bayh has both executive and legislative experience, is young, telegenic and a respected voice on foreign policy. He is also one of the most on-message politicians we have ever met -- a key trait in a vice president.

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Alexandria, Va.: I'm a Republican and am curious if you could share your opinions on the vice presidential issue. Is it in Obama's interest to pick someone from the Hillary camp, someone not from the Hillary camp, or is the entire question a nonfactor? Thanks! Hoya Saxa!

Chris Cillizza: Alexandria, I just answered the question above, but I never pass on the chance to feature a question from a Hoya.

On the depressing side, last weekend was The Fix's 10 year Georgetown reunion.

Translation: I am old.

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Dayton, Ohio: What is the Democratic National Committee going to do to woo back the Clinton supporters who, whether you like it or not, truly do feel disaffected and unwanted.

Chris Cillizza: It seems to me that the burden is less on the Democratic National Committee than it is on Obama himself.

I thought that Obama struck exactly the right tone toward Clinton in his victory speech on Tuesday night -- he was gracious and laudatory without appearing overly solicitous. (It was a stark contrast to Clinton's speech that same night, which, by contrast, seemed tone deaf and surreal at the same time.)

Obama's decision to postpone his flight back to Chicago last night to huddle with Clinton at the D.C. home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) seems to me another savvy move by the Illinois Senator.

Obama must continue in that vein -- making clear he values Clinton's opinions and influence going forward without letting her dominate the campaign and its narrative.

It's a delicate dance, but one that Obama seems to know the steps to.

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Milwaukee: Chris, don't you think naming Jim Webb his vice president would ruin Obama's chances of mending fences with Hillary's hardcore supporters? The guy has a terrible history of actively opposing female advancement in the military.

Chris Cillizza: A point a number of neutral Democratic strategists have already made to me this morning...

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Richardson's liabilities: Also to be taken into consideration that he is seen as being disloyal to the Clintons, who helped in a big way to pave the path of his career. Nominating for him for vice president might provoke a considerable amount of ire. Can you explain more about his reputation for being an undisciplined politician -- I haven't heard any negatives on him.

Chris Cillizza: Good point.

The general perception surrounding Richardson is that while he is a really talented politician (he's by far the most popular politician in New Mexico), he lacks the personal disciple required of a candidate for national office.

While running for president may seem to be a glamorous job, the truth of the matter is that it requires a candidate to go out and give the same speech over and over again, day after day after day.

Same goes for a vice presidential candidate whose main mission is: Above all, do no harm.

Seen in that light, Richardson's colorful personality, which has long been his strongest asset, could well be seen as a weakness.

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Frederick, Md.: Chris ... where exactly is Dianne Feinstein's house? I thought Obama and Clinton were at her house? I guess it was a ploy to fool the press -- right? Any word on who else was with them? Was Bill Clinton lingering in the kitchen or eavesdropping in some other way? Any thoughts on what was discussed? Surely the vice-presidency was not on the agenda I'm guessing. I agree with Carter -- it would be a huge mistake for Obama to choose Clinton. What a cave-in -- counter to his fundamental change message.

washingtonpost.com: In D.C., Obama Meets With Clinton (Post, June 6)

Chris Cillizza: What I wouldn't have given to be a Fix fly on the wall in that room!

Paul Kane, a long-time Fix friend and the congressional reporter for The Post, has a great account of the meeting between Obama and Clinton last night up on the Trail right now.

There's no question that the meeting was held at Dianne Feinstein's house, which is in an area in the District called Spring Valley, in order to throw off a press corps who assumed it would be at Whitehaven -- Clinton's home in Washington.

According to Kane, the meeting was just the two of them -- no staff or anyone else who could potentially leak what was discussed.

My guess is that there was some conversation about what Clinton could do to help Obama in the fall but I would bet the conversation was light on specifics. After a campaign as long and hard fought as this one, Obama and Clinton probably just sat and talked about their experiences, etc.

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Chicago: Hey Chris -- is Obama going to be onstage with Clinton tomorrow? Will she use the word "endorse"?

Chris Cillizza: We still don't know all the theatrics of tomorrow's event. Whether Obama will be there is the big question. The image of the two candidates joining hands (in that classic arms raised above the head pose) would be one that would bring a smile to almost every Democrat in the country and would draw a massive amount of press attention from television. But, it's possible that Clinton wants the day to herself to thank her supporters and reflect back on the campaign that was.

Regardless of whether Obama is in attendance I would bet Clinton will use the word "endorse" or some synonym. After the backlash from her speech Tuesday night, she knows she has to make it clear that she is ready, willing and able to unify the ticket.

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Washington: Chris, I'm surprised to see Albert Pujols omitted from your vice presidential list. Don't you think he could garner that critical Dominican American/baseball fan/Cardinals Nation vote? Also, he's wicked strong.

Chris Cillizza: Hard to argue with putting Pujols on the ballot. One other thing in his favor: He plays in Missouri -- a crucial swing state.

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Republican veep: So Bobby Jindal isn't on your list? I personally think he would be a bad choice for McCain (he's so young -- and looks even younger -- that he'd make McCain look like he's a foot from the grave), but he seems to be on everyone's list, and was at that all-important barbecue.

Chris Cillizza: Jindal is definitely in the mix though he didn't make my top five this month.

My understanding is that McCain is very interested in making an unorthodox pick and, if that bears out, Jindal likely would be a finalist for all the reasons you outline.

My one issue: If the core of McCain's attack on Obama is that he is too young and inexperienced for the job, can McCain then turn around and put a 30-something, one-term governor on his own ticket?

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Minnesota/Oregon Senate: Keep your chin up about your tenth reunion, remember you have a great job of which many older than you sit in envy (myself included). Have Democrats shot themselves in the foot by clearing the field for the wrong candidate in Minnesota with Al Franken? What is the latest on the challenger for Gordon Smith in a mostly blue Oregon?

Chris Cillizza: A few Senate questions before we call it a day.

Franken is having problems right now in Minnesota -- no question. But, he is helped by Obama at the top of the ticket in the state, and Minnesota seems to be returning to its Democratic/progressive roots -- if the 2006 election is any guide. I think Sen. Norm Coleman has to be considered a slight favorite over Franken today but this race seems likely to go down to the wire.

In Oregon, national Democrats were able to drag state House Speaker Jeff Merkley across the line in a primary race that was not initially expected to be close.

Now that Merkley is the nominee, national strategists insist he is an even-money bet to beat Smith because of the Democratic nature of Oregon. To our mind, Merkley still has something to prove as a candidate since any number of past elections have proven that you don't beat something with nothing.

That said, Oregon is going to be very good for Democrats in the fall with Obama leading the ticket, and Merkley could well win in spite of himself.

And, thanks for the pep talk about the 10-year reunion. Still...

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Des Moines, Iowa: Who has run the best Senate campaign so far this year?

Chris Cillizza: Mark Warner.

That shouldn't be terribly surprising as Warner already has a (short) presidential bid under his belt.

The truth of the matter is that Warner is in a class by himself when it comes to Senate candidate. The guy raises huge amounts of money, rarely makes a mistake, and continues to maintain ridiculously high approval ratings. Warner will make noise on the national scene in the months and years to come.

Runner up: Kay Hagan in North Carolina. In short order she has put Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) on the national target list with a combination of strong fundraising, a solid primary win, and rave reviews from national strategists about her candidate skills.

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Alexandria, Va. (again): I was at the same reunion. I hope that you didn't show up at the Saturday luau, which featured a cover band playing "Forever Young" and a frightening number of baby strollers.

Chris Cillizza: Um, yeah. Kill me now.

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Bremerton, Wash.: Any chance that your beard will return while we undergo "Veepstakes Watch"? And do you think retired Gen. Anthony Zinni is on Obama's list?

Chris Cillizza: The Veepstakes beard ... an intriguing possibility...

Many people have asked why I shaved the Caucus/primary beard before we had a nominee (as I had originally pledged.)

1. I am a flip-flopper.
2. It itched.
3. My wife, who was originally the biggest fan of the Caucus beard, turned on it as winter turned to spring. So, blame her.

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Chris Cillizza: Folks, that's all I have time for today. Have you heard of this great politics blog on washingtonpost.com? It's called "The Fix". You should check it out. Have a great weekend.

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