Neither gone nor (really) forgotten

Two people whose pictures and information I meant to include in "Last-minute mates" and "Congratulations, Olympians!" Pictured above is Texas Congressman Chet Edwards, whose picture I had but who I forgot to include until in a comment on what I thought would be the final Senator Obama running mate blog entry. His name has resurfaced today as one of probably three big possilities: Edwards, Senator Biden, and Senator Bayh. Yesterday at the Kentucky State Fair, some Hoosiers at the Obama booth were plugging Bayh, saying Obama would win Indiana if he picks Bayh. Stephanie also reported that a factory somewhere in the U.S. was making Obama-Bayh bumper stickers and was to ship them to Denver over the weekend. Obama-Bayh has a bit of the Clinton-Gore feel - two youngish politicians from nearby states who are both tall and look good together and aren't chosen just for regional or generational balance. Down sides for Bayh: he was militantly pro-war, he's not a spellbinding orator, he didn't really help Senator Clinton much in Indiana, his foreign policy resume is OK but not great, and that leaves no Southerner on the ticket. He is a former governor and he hasn't been in the Senate that long (which helps him be a little anti-Washington).

(Obama said this morning that he wants someone who's ready to be president, who can help him govern, and who's independent - not a "Yes" man - and independence may be a euphemism for voted for the war.)

The press seems to be focusing right now - as they camp outside the various possibilties' houses - as pro-Biden. As I've written before, Biden has foreign policy expertise and he's willing to be the attack dog. On the other hand, he's been in the Senate since before Stephanie was born -hardly anti-Washington. The press trumpets his working-class roots, but it doesn't come off to me. Still, a fighter would be good - after Senators Lieberman and Edwards failed at that.

Senator Clinton seems to have fallen off the train. Clinton and Obama operatives conceded that they never vetted her - she's been vetted enough as a first lady and presidential candidate, Obama people said lamely. Plus, at an ostensibly pro-Obama surrogate appearance in South Florida today, she waxed been gushing for Obama to going back into her old campaign speech and starting to waver. Stephanie watched some of it on TV. Obama, I believe, has let the term "he" slip out once or twice when talking about a running mate, which militates against Senator Clinton or Governor Sebelius. Governor Kaine, with whom Obama spent a lot of time earlier in the week - courtesy time? - seems to be fading.

That leaves Edwards, who's the darling of the veteran's groups. He is, however, a 10-term incumbent - (or is that 10-year?) - which makes it hard for him to run as anti-Washington - although much of that time he was in the minority in the partisan House. Speaker Pelosi is a champion of his. Having a Southern moderate - if Obama gets along with him and they look good together - seems OK in principle. But not only did he vote for the war - he also has voted inconsistently in favor of withdrawal - and he voted for the federal constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage - which technically makes him more conservative on this than Senator McCain. (Like the press said, he's a Southern moderate.) (Just as I worry a little about the stature gap with Senator Biden - Obama picking someone older with much more experience - just as President Bush did with Vice President Cheney and Governor Dukakis with Senator Bentsen - so I worry about Obama picking someone almost no one's heard of - a la President Bush (Poppy) picking Senator Quayle or Vice President Mondale picking Congresswoman Ferraro. No one could really argue with a straight face that Senator Quayle was the second most qualified Republican (after Bush himself) in the country to be - if necessary - president, and no one could really argue that Congresswoman Ferraro was the second most qualified Democrat (after Mondale himself).)

Stephanie and I both have are cell phones and are waiting for the text messages from the Obama campaign - perhaps tonight - with the news about who will be on the platform with Obama - tomorrow afternoon in Springfield and Thursday night in the Denver football stadium.

(It seems possible that the person the platform may NOT be one of the three men I forecast earlier this week: Governor Warner, Governor Richardson, or Senator Clinton.)

Pictured below is Katie Smith, a forward/guard for the U.S. women's basketball team, which seems headed for a gold medal in Beijing - tonight, I believe. Smith played for Ohio State, then we watched her and followed her as a leader of the two-time American Basketball League champion Columbus Quest - in the Columbus convention center. I followed her then after the ABL folded and she went - along with the coach and several other players - to the WNBA Minnesota Lynx (where I lived for two years - and where Vincent and I went to see her play.) Later she was traded to the Detroit Shock - where she became a point guard for Coach Bill Laimbeer's team and helped win WNBA titles in the downtown Detroit Joe Louis Arena which I circled two summers ago. She's back for her third Olympics, now - along with Lisa Leslie - a veteran - on what should - along with the men's team - be a gold medal team.

Go, Katie! Take good shots! Go, Barack! Make a good choice!

-- Perry