CanadaNews’ Reporter Notes

Sen. Barack Obama is looking for a vice-presidential candidate.

Many people have many views on whom he needs as a running mate. Those who disagree with him, think they need to know who he is first. In selecting a running mate you first have to look at what the lead man has. Those that are unsure of him are not sure who he needs running with him.

But Barack’s, once improbable campaign runs along. He’s actively looking. According to Associated Press, Obama is considering former top military leaders among his possible running mates. AP spoke with a few senators who met with Barack today. These senators are just a few of the members of the Democratic presidential candidate’s vice presidential vetting team.

Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota made mention to AP that the team asked him about potential candidates from three broad categories — current top elected officials, former top elected officials and former top military leaders.

In trying to get specific names, Conrad refused to comment.

Sen. Conrad did say, “We talked about many names. Some that are out of the box, but I think would be very well-received by the American people, including former top military leaders.”

If Obama is looking for an angle, many believe that the ‘military angle’ would be a good direction, for showing military opposition to the Republican agenda. It also gives Obama a stronger sturdier look in a foreign policy sense (something McCain has on lock).

He has little experience on the national stage and going to military angle will also bring support even with his lack of experience.

Vietnam War hero John McCain will definitely throw the foreign policy angle. Not only that, he and the Republican Party has the angle. .

AP says:

Obama has a three-person team managing the vetting process that includes one-time first daughter Caroline Kennedy, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Jim Johnson, the former CEO of mortgage lender Fannie Mae.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland also met with Johnson and Holder. He also would not disclose names they discussed, but said he advised that any presidential candidate should tap for his No. 2 “someone they feel comfortable with, someone who they believe is qualified in the event they could not serve out the balance of their term for whatever reason, and someone whom they believe will be helpful as they campaign to be elected. And I think Mr. Obama will do that.”

Many former military leaders have been involved in the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign. Some of Obama’s most prominent campaign advisers have been retired Gen. Tony McPeak, who was Air Force chief of staff during Operation Desert Storm; retired Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, who flew repeated combat missions and has worked with Obama on a range of military issues since before he began his presidential campaign; and Richard Danzig, who was secretary of the Navy under President Clinton.

He might also look at some of former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton’s top military advisers in a gesture of unity, retired generals who include Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; or Wesley Clark, who led the war in Kosovo and sought the Democratic presidential nomination four years ago. Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who served as Navy secretary under President Reagan, has also been frequently mentioned as a possible running mate.

One name being discussed is retired Gen. James Jones, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, according to a person familiar with the process.

Several Republicans close to the campaign say that while McCain and Campaign Manager Rick Davis are running the show, Culvahouse is closely involved the process. He has played a role in vice presidential searches before and served as counsel to President Reagan from 1987-1989. Culvahouse also is a partner at O’Melveny & Myers, an international law firm, and in previous years has been listed in public records as a lobbyist on behalf of Fannie Mae and Lockheed Martin.

On the Net:

http://www.barackobama.com