Mitt Romney yesterday dismissed speculation that he's auditioning to be John McCain's vice presidential pick.
The former Massachusetts governor said the presumptive Republican nominee has not told him he is on the list of about 20 names that McCain's campaign is reviewing. "I don't think I'm very likely," Romney said on CNN.
Earlier on CNN, McCain, who bested Romney in the primaries, called him "a fine man who has earned himself a large place in our Republican Party."
But a group of social conservatives threatened to pull its support from McCain if he picks the former Massachusetts governor, citing Romney's former positions favoring abortion rights and gay rights.
The group has bought a full-page ad in tomorrow's local newspaper in Prescott, Ariz., where McCain will be campaigning that day. "For us, the bottom line is this," the ad states. "The unvarnished facts of Mitt Romney's record as governor of Massachusetts make him utterly unacceptable as a vice presidential running mate. . . . If governor Romney is on your ticket, many social conservative voters will consider their values repudiated by the Republican Party."
The group, calling itself the Government is Not God PAC, includes Paul Weyrich, Moral Majority founder, who endorsed Romney during the primaries.
FOON RHEE
Carter hints broadly at supporting Obama
WASHINGTON - Jimmy Carter wouldn't quite say it, but he left little doubt this week about who he'd like to see in the White House next year.
Speaking to local reporters Wednesday on a trip to Nigeria, Carter noted that Barack Obama had won his home state of Georgia and his hometown of Plains. "My children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama," he said, according to the Nigerian newspaper This Day. "As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess."
Asked about the remarks, Howard Wolfson, Clinton spokesman, said: "Both Senator Clinton and President Clinton have a great deal of respect for President Carter and have enjoyed their relationship with him over the years. And, obviously, he is free to make whatever decision he thinks is appropriate with regard to the presidential choice."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
McCain declines protection from the Secret Service
WASHINGTON - Senator John McCain is not currently protected by the Secret Service, despite having locked up the GOP nomination for president and spending most of his time campaigning before large crowds, the director of the agency testified yesterday.
Mark Sullivan, Secret Service director, told a House hearing on his budget that the two-time presidential contender has not yet requested the agency's services. "Statutorily, he is not required to take protection," Sullivan said.
McCain has repeatedly said he does not want the protection, contending that it will restrict his ability to connect with voters. McCain does have private bodyguards who accompany him to events. When he travels on charter planes, reporters and staff members are screened.
76% in a poll say US ready for black president
A poll released yesterday suggests that Americans are significantly more ready for a black president than for a woman in the Oval Office.
In the survey conducted by
Only 63 percent said the United States is ready for a woman as president, a number virtually unchanged since December.
FOON RHEE
Presidential contenders to mark King anniversary
Two of three major presidential contenders, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, plan to be in Memphis today for events commemorating the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination
Clinton has already posted a video tribute on her website. "Dr. King challenged all of us to stay awake during the great civil rights revolution that was sweeping our country," she says. "Today, in 2008, there is still a need for us to remain awake, stay focused, and work together to address the challenges we face."
The other Democratic presidential contender, Barack Obama, spoke at Ebenezer Baptist, King's church in Atlanta, in January to mark the civil rights leader's birthday. Today, he plans campaign events in Indiana and North Dakota.
McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has a complicated history regarding King. In 1983, he voted in Congress against a federal holiday honoring King, and in 1987 he supported a decision rescinding a state holiday in Arizona. By 1989, however, McCain had changed his mind about supporting a state holiday.
FOON RHEE
