After arriving in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, Congressman Chet Edwards (D-Waco) told Ken Herman of the Statesman that he thought the scandal involving former U.S. Senator John Edwards hurt his chances to become Barack Obama's running mate.
"I would have to think that a bumper sticker that said 'Obama/The Other Edwards' might have been a bit difficult," Edwards said Sunday after arriving in Denver for the Democratic convention.
Chet Edwards (not related to the former North Carolina senator) said he was notified Aug. 10 that he was on Obama's short list "and there was a possible plan to have my name released to the public" in the days that followed.
That was the same time that details began to emerge about John Edwards' affair with a former aide in his unsuccessful presidential campaign.
"I'll let you juxtapose the date of the John Edwards exposé with when they were about to release my name," Chet Edwards said.
Chet Edwards indicated no bitterness about the timing or toward John Edwards.
"It's really not productive for me to speculate" about how big a role the John Edwards situation played in the selection process. "I'll leave it to you to draw whatever judgment you want. It probably wouldn't be off base if you said something about that time period is exactly when another Edwards name jumped on the front page of every newspaper in America."
While the scandal did complicate the prospects for an Obama/(Chet) Edwards ticket, I do not think it was the deciding factor.
Edwards, who thinks Biden was a great choice, doesn't really seem to either. However, there is no doubt it was an additional hurdle for a darkhorse VP hopeful like Chet Edwards, who is not well-known outside of his congressional district.
When Obama told him "several days ago" that he would not be selected, there was no mention of any reason for the decision, according to Chet Edwards, who said the selection of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden was "the perfect choice."
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"When I knew this was getting serious was June 30 when I was driving to Dallas from Waco," he said. "My cell phone rang and he said, 'This is Barack Obama. How are you doing?' Frankly, I thought it was one of my prankster friends kidding me."
While it surprised many to see Chet Edwards make the "short list," we will never know what might have happened had he not shared a surname with a certain former senator from North Carolina.
Update 11:33pm: It is now official, according to CNN and Politico. The ticket: Obama-Biden. The Obama campaign will announce the selection to supporters in (the long awaited) text message later Saturday.
Update 11:13pm: ABC News is reporting that Secret Service agents have been dispatched to Delaware to begin protecting Joe Biden. It seems more and more likely that Biden is the pick.
The AP is reporting that both Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine have been told that they will not be Barack Obama's running mate.
Though Chet Edwards had been said to be a finalist, Chris Cilliza believes that most of the talk in the coming hours will focus on Sens. Joe Biden and Jack Reed.
It is starting to look like Biden has gone from merely the conventional wisdom to the likely choice. We should know very soon. Keep your cell phones on.
This may be your last chance to make a prediction. Do you think our own Chet Edwards has a chance? Or will Obama pick a senator like Biden or Reed?
The convention is less than two weeks away and the tension is mounting. Who will Barack Obama select to be his running mate? It is starting to look like George W. Bush's congressman, Chet Edwards, is more and more likely.
Certainly, Pennsylvania will be key to victory. Women, older voters, and suburban voters will all be necessary to achieve this win ... Chet Edwards would help Sen. Obama win in swing districts like mine and in states like Pennsylvania...
Chet Edwards would provide strong support to the new administration by engaging Members of Congress to pass critical legislation: health care for all Americans; comprehensive energy policy; new tax policy; and an end to war in Iraq, bringing our troops home safely and responsibly..."
Even as national bloggers like Chris Bowers and some inside the progressive community remain skeptical, the likelihood that Edwards maybe the Senator's choice is increasing.
CQ Politics points to an interesting fact, most of the people rumored to be on Obama's short list are slated for speaking times already, and unless they are scheduled to speak twice, the list is either shrinking rapidly or way off base.
As of yesterday, the only rumored candidates not slated to speak in Denver were, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Sen. Evan Bayh, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Texas Rep. Chet Edwards, and Gen. Wes Clark. With today's announcement from the DNCC that both Joe Biden and Evan Bayh have been scheduled to speak at the convention on Wednesday, the list of 5 is down to 3.
This late afternoon announcement has led some to think Kaine is on the cusp of being announced as Obama's V.P., but something appears to be off in that assessment.
Virginia is already in play. Mark Warner looks to be the heir apparent to John Warner's vacated seat. Adding Kaine to the ticket doesn't look to get Obama anywhere. Clark would be a solid choice, looking at a geopolitical question, what states will Clark move? Clark will also highlight the fact that Obama's resume is focused on domestic policy. Plus, Clark is the only man in the world with a better title than President-Former Supreme Allied Commander. Why would you go from that to Vice President?
That leaves Rep. Edwards. He is a candidate who is a moderate. He is a Democrat who can win tough elections. He is dynamic and engaging. He appeals to independents and moderate Republicans. He expands the base and puts southern races in play on a state and congressional level. He can campaign in rural areas inside New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Georgia, Virginia, and Ohio. Not to mention the fact he would force the Republicans and McCain to dump money and resources into protecting Texas (a state Obama has been organizing in since March).
Mr. Edwards, 56, is a moderate, a respected voice on veterans and military issues and well regarded across the political spectrum. Colleagues describe him as a pivot between liberals and Blue Dogs - the bloc of budget cutters and gun rights backers - so he could help Mr. Obama reach swing voters.
As chairman of a subcommittee that controls billions in annual spending, he's already got more clout than most members of Congress. He's one of a dozen "cardinals" who serve under the even more powerful Appropriations Chairman, David Obey of Wisconsin.
Mr. Obey called Mr. Edwards one of the "top five or 10 House members" he knows in either party, "an incredibly nice, decent human being" who is "very, very tough minded. ... He is most definitely not a slashing partisan. He would be a very good salesperson for the president's legislative package."
Simply put, Edwards on the ticket would turn Texas purple in one cycle.
From the Rio Grande Guardian, there's news that one of Barack Obama's top South Texas surrogates, State Rep. Eddie Lucio III, thinks Hillary Clinton should be Obama's vice-president.
Asked if he would like to see the so-called Dream Team of Obama and Clinton at the top of the Democratic ticket in November, Lucio said: "I am for that Dream Ticket 1,000 percent and pray every night that happens because that will trickle down to every Democratic race across the country."
Of course, not all Obama supporters agree. Two days ago, Kos wrote:
Clinton would be a disaster on the ticket, re-energizing moribund and demoralized Republicans and giving the GOP an easy hook for their floundering fundraising efforts.
A poll taken earlier this month by CNN showed that 54 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents wanted Obama to pick Clinton, including 60 percent of Democratic women.
Even as a former Clinton supporter, I am not quite sure what should be done, though I adamantly disagree with Kos.
A member of the Congressional Black Caucus who's met with Obama's vice-presidential screening team says she offered the names of former senators John Edwards and Sam Nunn - and was told they're on the list. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan says when she mentioned that Al Gore is her favorite, the two members of Obama's team smiled. http://politicalticker.blogs.c...
The Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau blogs that Perry might be looking at a VP invite in 2 years. PULLLLEEEZZZEEE...this putz a VP candidate??? Only if Republicans are terminally stupid. OH! Wait a minute, this is the same party that parrotted Bush 43's "stay the course" and "boots on the ground" rhetoric. But on the other hand, Texans elected almost everyone else who sputtered those same words, including our bubbleheaded blonde senior senator, who ALSO thinks she might get a VP bid in 08. Who's stupider? Perry, Hutchison, or the uninformed, ignorant (or greedy) Texans who elected them?
