The Nattering Nabob

The Bush campaign is running an ad called "First Choice" featuring Senator John McCain, implying that he was Kerry's "first choice" and Edwards was actually his second choice.

Two obvious points:

1)CHENEY was actually Bush's "second choice," and he chose himself after McCain turned Bush down.

McCain: “I’m not running for vice president. President Bush in 2000 asked me if I was interested in being vice president. I said no then. I’m not interested in being vice president now.” [NBC, “Today,” 3/18/04]

McCain: “I don’t want to be vice president of the United States... I would not be vice president of the United States on either ticket. I told President Bush when he asked me in 2000 when he asked me if I was interested.” [CBS, “The Early Show,” 3/18/04]

2)McCain flatly denies that Kerry asked him to run.

Here's the interview:

SNOW: Well, you're absolutely right though, it's going to be fun to see. Now John Kerry, is it true that John Kerry asked you to be his vice president?

McCAIN: Uh, no. No, it was never offered.

SNOW: It was never offered. So, it may have been discussed elliptically, but never flat out request.

McCAIN: Never was an offer, no.

SNOW: When you had conversations, did you think it was a little weird that he’d be calling you, even in general terms about this sort of thing?

McCAIN: Well, he and I have been friends for a number of years because of our efforts on POWs and MIAs which was a very hot issue back in the early 90's, a lot of people have forgotten about it, but it was a- and we worked together to try to resolve that issue and I appreciate the work that he did on it. And, so it’s not unusual for us to have conversations.

SNOW: Right. But, so- I want to just lay to rest once and for all: never approached you, never hinted that he wanted to talk to you about being vice president. All that kind of stuff was made up.

McCAIN: Well, I cannot attest to that. All I can tell you is my conversations with him were private conversations, but he never offered it.

So, Kerry never asked McCain to run, and Bush's "First Choice" statement is bullshit.

But isn't it interesting watching Tony Snow, on "Fair & Balanced" Fox News so blatantly indulge in innuendo and try to lead McCain into declaring that Kerry ("elliptically") asked him to run, while McCain refuses to bite. Snow DOES eventually back off, though.