Reply #42: Here's McCain denying the offer [View All]

[ProSense]

was ever made:

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has been asked for months whether he would join the Kerry ticket, said Wednesday he has never been offered the job of Kerry’s running mate and would not accept such a position. He declined to comment on whether he and Kerry had discussed a unity ticket. The Associated Press reported that discussions ended last week with McCain rejecting Kerry’s request to consider being his running mate.

“I’m not going to talk about private conversations I’ve had with senators. I’m just not going to do that. But I was never offered that,” McCain said. The Arizona Republican said he will campaign for Bush’s re-election.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5225039

There's also been a prominent Republican prospect — John McCain, the independent-minded Arizona senator, former Vietnam prisoner of war and good friend of Kerry's. When a Florida man asked Kerry about McCain this month, Kerry assured him that "I've never hesitated to think out of any box."

Kerry brought up the subject several times with McCain over a period stretching from late last summer to last month. McCain said Wednesday on NBC that "I've never been offered the job." Despite his frustrations with President Bush and his party, he says he'll stay a Republican.

So the search and the speculation continue. Kerry, 60, flew back to Washington from Columbus, Ohio, late Wednesday "to meet with colleagues." They turned out to be Gephardt and Sen. John Breaux of Louisiana.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-06-16-veeps-usat_x.htm

McCain floated the rumor, Kerry had no reason to make it an issue, but it never happened.

So people took liberties with a rumor. While searching for information, it seems to me that most of the reports claiming this would be a brilliant ticket were RW rags, that ought to give some indication that this was a deliberate tatic by Republicans. Why? Creating the moderate McCain.