Democrats: Republican V.P. more of the same

As if John McCain needed more advice on who to pick as his running mate, a new website provides some unwelcome counsel.

The Democratic National Committee today launched a website that, in its words, "illustrates the most important thing the voters need to know about each of John McCain's potential vice presidential picks: no matter who he chooses, any ticket with John McCain on it means more of the same. As McCain himself said in 2001, 'with a little more luck' he'd have asked Dick Cheney to be his vice president."

The website lists seven of the most talked-about contenders, and their ties to Cheney, the powerful but unpopular No. 2 to President Bush.

For former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, for instance, the site says he "changed his positions on immigration and Social Security to match Bush and Cheney's."

Also bashed on the site are Governors Charlie Crist of Florida and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Senator John Thune of South Dakota, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and Federal Express CEO Fred Smith.

UPDATE: Romney dismissed the website's attempt to say the GOP ticket would be exactly the same as Bush-Cheney.

"Just because we’re Republican doesn’t mean we see all issues the same way and suggesting we’re all like Dick Cheney or all like George Bush is a nice effort on their part, but I frankly don’t think it will fly, he said on CNN this afternoon.

Cheney, himself, may not show up at the GOP convention to see McCain and whoever he selects get nominated. Cheney press secretary Megan Mitchell left the question open today, saying Cheney's schedule has not been set for September, when the convention happens in St. Paul, Minn., the Associated Press reported.