- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
McCain Says Rice Is a 'Great American,' But Has Not Received VP Signals
Email
ShareApril 06, 2008 8:20 PM
ABC News' Jan Simmonds reports: John McCain said he has not personally heard interest from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that she may have interest in becoming his vice presidential nominee but that he has the "utmost praise" for and that she is a "great American."
Sunday, while appearing on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," the Republican strategist Dan Senor said that "Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this [becoming McCain’s vice presidential nominee]."
"I did not hear that. I missed those signals," McCain said. "I think she's a great American, I think there's very little that I can say that isn't anything but the utmost praise for a great American citizen, who served as a role model to so many millions of people in this country and around the world. But as I mentioned to you, we're not talking about the process because it just then gets into things that could easily to spill over into an invasion of privacy."
Asked whether Secretary Rice's role in the Iraq War should be taken into account, McCain said that all those who were involved in the failed strategy in Iraq "bear some responsibility".
"Of course I have put responsibility on the president, [former Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld, ah, as well as Condoleezza Rice and to a lesser degree Secretary Powell," he added. "But I think her overall record is really very, very meritorious."
Looking ahead to Gen. David Petreaus' testimony on Tuesday to Congress, McCain said he thought it will be very interesting to learn about the influence Iran has had in Iraq.
"I think you’re going to hear more about the Iranian influence, the arms they've provided, the money, the training, particularly the extent of their influence in southern Iraq," the Arizona senator said. "It's pretty extensive and I think he’s going to be talking about that."
But he said that while he is concerned about Iran, he hoped that his concern is not interpreted as a drumbeat to war.
"Because I'm worried about Iranian influence doesn't mean that I'm ready to go to war with Iran," he said. "Please, I'm not –- I think there's a lot of things that we need to do, there's a lot of measures that need to be taken, along the lines we talked about after my trip to Europe with [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy, and [British Prime Minister Gordon] Brown and [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel are talking about sanctions against Iran, you know, because of their nuclear weapons issue and all that."
On Monday, John McCain will speak more about the Iraq War and the war on terror when he goes before the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, Mo.
April 6, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (126)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Condi going for the VP spot? This could hold more truth than we know or the Republicans would ever let on about. Great way for them to test the water temperature however. I really think that is Cruella decides to go for it, she'll take what little following McCain might get and cut it in half.
Posted by: Fletch | Apr 6, 2008 8:34:10 PM
RICE?! NO CHANCE! ZERO. ZIP... NADA.
Posted by: RW | Apr 6, 2008 8:37:24 PM
Bad choice, if he does he will loose the right neocons support.
Posted by: smash | Apr 6, 2008 8:38:55 PM
If he doesn't want to go to war in Iran, then tell me why we have moved battleships into the area and have a carrier there now. John... your LYING AGAIN!!! And as for Rice, how many people have gotten a job before it was even offered to them. A wee bit presumptious I presume, eh?
Posted by: zyx | Apr 6, 2008 8:40:25 PM
She would hurt him among the GOP faithful.
Posted by: smash | Apr 6, 2008 8:41:06 PM
The best.
Posted by: Xu Le | Apr 6, 2008 8:42:22 PM
GOP you know White and Might is Right it will go over so well with neocons.
Posted by: smash | Apr 6, 2008 8:43:30 PM
Why not? McCain is just a continuation of the Bush policies. Might as well have a number 2 who has already proved that she doesn't give a fig about the American people doesn't mind pushing these disastrous policies one bit.
Posted by: Eileen from Maine | Apr 6, 2008 8:49:47 PM
ROFLMAO!
Posted by: allan_krueger | Apr 6, 2008 8:53:19 PM
For more wars, VOTE McBUSH in '08!
Posted by: allan_krueger | Apr 6, 2008 8:54:52 PM
Really doesn't matter. The GOP have zero chance of winning in the Fall. No party has ever held onto the white-house during a recession year. Obama 2008!
Posted by: pt | Apr 6, 2008 8:56:38 PM
Who cares about the 'neocons'? Their policies have brought us more spending, more deficit and a loss of standing throughout most of the world. Indeed, they've made 'conservative' as dirty a word as 'liberal'--and have destroyed the REAL values of the Republican Party.
The selection of Rice has other value--Rice is black AND female, covering both minorities that are coveted by the Democrats.
Bush's administration can be criticized for many, many things, but it's record for hiring all ethnic groups and it's work against AIDS in Africa are outstanding.
Posted by: jim | Apr 6, 2008 8:59:31 PM
more to the point: obama sucks
Posted by: ralph | Apr 6, 2008 9:06:39 PM
Excellent choice "Condi", without her he has no chance.--Pro-Democrat
Posted by: d | Apr 6, 2008 9:07:30 PM
McCain wanted to use Powell as Bush has done it in 2000. Powell should understand that his reputation is this time on the line. He will not go his Cheney-prepared speeches at the UN and read them. Nobody would like to see a WBush-Cheney-Rice-McCain third term. McCain has forgotten to hold himself responsible of the Irak blunder. He forgot himself as a key actor in the invasion and aftermath and the draining on US resources human and financial pushing the country toward economic recession. McCain felt the homeowners in the cold and is promoting failed WBush economic policies. God bless America and God bless Obama. OBAMA08.
Posted by: BKMC | Apr 6, 2008 9:08:31 PM
McCain doesn't have a chance unless he has Colon Powell on the ticket.
Posted by: TS | Apr 6, 2008 9:15:14 PM
I think that McCain needs to stay away from Condie Rice because of her association with Bush. Instead, I do think having a strong African American leader on the ticket would be a strong addtion. My first choice is former congressman and minority whip, J.C. Watts fromn Oklahoma. He is young, vibrant, hip, and conservative. Secondly, Colin Powell, especially with the domesitic initiatives that he has been leading in recent years and the fact that he has distanced himself from Bush. I would like to seem him promote a bipartisan cabinet, including Leberman and consider Robert Rubin as Treasury Secretary.
Posted by: Ken | Apr 6, 2008 9:19:28 PM
McCain will beat Obama.
Why? Because most Americans, both Democrat and Republican, do not want Radical Left Winger Obama to change America into the United Socialist States of America, or "an Obama nation".
Posted by: USmarine0331 | Apr 6, 2008 9:20:11 PM
McCain will beat Obama.
Why? Because most Americans, both Democrat and Republican, do not want Radical Left Winger Obama to change America into the United Socialist States of America, or "an Obama nation".
Posted by: USmarine0331 | Apr 6, 2008 9:20:14 PM
McCain would be better off
picking either John Kasich,Rob Portman,
JC Watts,Christopher Cox,
or Olympia Snowe.
Any of those above.
Rice has said she wants to go back to Stanford.
Posted by: Better Choices are out There | Apr 6, 2008 9:21:12 PM
Post a comment
