Patrick Healy of the New York Times opens with:
No power brokers in the Democratic Party are openly campaigning for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as their vice-presidential nominee this year, and even Mrs. Clinton’s closest aides have stopped talking her up. Yet privately, some Democrats continue to see her as exactly the partner that Senator Barack Obama needs.
So he’s going to write a whole column about it. I’ve said it before, but Michelle Obama has already exercised veto-power over the selection of Hillary Clinton and the Obama campaign enshrined that decision into iron-clad law by hiring Patti Solis Doyle to head up the Veep-pick’s staff. Doyle was fired from the Clinton campaign and as far as I know they are not on speaking terms. But that’s no reason not to write piece after piece after piece about how ‘some Democrats’ really want Clinton to be on the ticket.
It looks like a toss-up right now between Biden and Kaine. Given that choice, I have a slight preference for Kaine. I’ve always liked Joe Biden, but he’s too risky for me and I don’t agree with him on some major foreign policy issues. Kaine is a better fit for Obama’s brand and he’ll help in Virginia, which could be a decisive state. I’m not thrilled with Kaine, either, but I prefer him to Bayh. I still am holding out hope for Jack Reed or Kathleen Sebelius. I’d be psyched about either one of them. Kaine and Biden would be just okay. Bayh would annoy the crap out of me. But maybe there will be a big surprise.
