Republican presidential candidate
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) holds a news conference with Utah Governor Jon
Huntsman (not pictured) and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney
(R) at the Million Air F.B.O. in Salt Lake City, Utah, March 27, 2008.
Romney is at the top of the vice presidential prospect list for Senator
John McCain. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Former Massachusetts
governor Mitt Romney is at the top of the vice presidential prospect list for
Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, the
Politico website reported Tuesday.
"Romney as favorite" is the hot buzz in Republican
circles, and top party advisers said the case is compelling, it said.
One of the chief reasons that Romney is looking so
attractive is his ability to raise huge amounts of money quickly through his
former business partners and from fellow members of the Mormons.
Sources close to McCain tell Politico that they
believe Romney could raise 50 million U.S. dollars in 60 days.
Romney's other advantages include the fact that he is
squeaky-clean and fully vetted by the national media.
Moreover, he has presidential looks and bearing and
immediately would be a strong campaigner who could be trusted to stay on
message.
In addition, his family's Michigan roots would help
in a swing state that went Democratic in 2004.
However, lack of personal charm could be Romney's
biggest disadvantage, which was evident in this year's Republican presidential
primaries.
Two other names are also in the top tier of McCain's
potential running mates.
They are Rob Portman, a former congressman from Ohio
and White House budget director and Senator John Thune of South Dakota.
Then there's a second tier of candidates who are less
likely, but possible: former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, Florida governor
Charlie Crist, Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia.
If McCain is far behind Barack Obama, the presumptive
Democratic presidential nominee, later this summer, he could do something truly
unorthodox such as pick his strong supporter Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, who
was the Democrats' vice presidential candidate back in 2000.
WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday gave out some clues about the
qualities he would seek in his running mate for the upcoming elections.
"I want somebody who can be a good president if anything
happened to me," Obama told a news conference in Chicago, Illinois. Full story
LOS ANGELES, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Democratic Senator Barack
Obama has captured a 12-point lead over Republican Senator John McCain at the
opening of the general election campaign for president, according to a poll
published on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll attributed the lead
to enthusiasm among Democrats and public concern over the economy. Full story
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate
Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton wave as they step off a
plane in Manchester, New Hampshire June 27, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Two former rivals for the
Democratic presidential nomination appeared on the same campaign stage in a New
Hampshire town named Unity on Friday afternoon to show their "unity for change."
It was the first time for Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham
Clinton to show up in public since the latter suspended her campaign on June 7.
Full story
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. presumptive Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain failed
in reaching an agreement on Friday to hold ten "town hall"-style meetings where
they are supposed to answer questions directly from a small audiences.
According to McCain's campaign manager
Rick Davis, Obama's team only agreed to participate one town hall meeting before
the Democratic national convention in late August. Full
story
