Did John Kerry endorse McCain?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

In 2004 John Kerry asked McCain to be his running mate.

1) Does that constitute an endorsement? If not, did Kerry consider McCain qualified to be Commander in Chief?

2) Will John Kerry be making any appearances as an Obama campaign surrogate to criticize Clinton's comments about McCain?

_____________________________

On Edit: I like John Kerry, and I had no problem with him wanting McCain. If it could have made Bush a one-termer, it would have been well worth it. Just noting the comical ironies.

Since we don't get many posts these days, I'll use this space to remind everyone that in 2001 John McCain was involved in extensive, serious negotiations with Tom Daschle to become a Democrat. (So he could be in the majority, which we were at the time. He presumably wanted to be Chairman of his favorite committee)

I am disappointed that Daschle did not go public with all the juicy details of those talks during the god-damned republican primaries when it would have stopped the pugs from accidentally picking their least doomed general election candidate.

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Myth.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/4/3/11936/97033 - was the other way around.

[Yossariant]

12. Somebody's lying. Kerry or the guy actually conducting his VP search:

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

"Kerry considered McCain as a possible running mate, initiating a series of phone calls to the popular Republican during the spring about a unity ticket, but McCain made clear he was not interested.

James Johnson, a Washington businessman and Democratic veteran who conducted the running-mate search for Kerry, said on Tuesday that Kerry's outreach to McCain reflected his desire to restore some civility to the political debates in the country and that the dialogue "was well worth having." Johnson said Kerry considered other Republicans as well, but he declined to name them."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30354-2004Jul6.html

[JoFerret]

2. Tsk John Kerry

Imagine that! Thinking of finding any merit at all in an opponent.
Purple states etc.

[sandnsea]

3. I think he already did

on Larry King. I don't think that anybody would disagree that McCain is qualified, the point is that his policies will be the same as Bush's, which is exactly what John Kerry said.

[MH1]

7. "he already did" - yes, Kerry has publicly criticized Clinton's endorsement of McCain.

Just clarifying ... I read your statement wrong at first! (as you know) Kerry did NOT ask McCain to be his running mate, that story was a myth.

And even if Kerry had contemplated McCain as running mate, it would have been after Kerry was nominated, with McCain otherwise not in the picture, as a means to defeat a popular incumbent during wartime - that was an entirely different situation than what Clinton is doing, which is propping up the REPUBLICAN NOMINEE at the expense of the probable Democratic nominee.

In the Kerry-McCain myth, a Democrat wins the White House ... in the Hillary reality, a republicon gets an assist to win the White House. BIG difference. Even if the whole silly speculation is completely irrelevant. :)

[sandnsea]

9. Not what I meant

I meant that I doubt Kerry would say McCain isn't qualified to be President. That would just be a stupid thing for anybody to say. He's qualified... if you want 4 more years of Bush.

[MH1]

13. McCain's "qualified" - but very scary.

I agree Kerry wouldn't say that McCain isn't qualified. The second part of my post was directed more at the op. Sorry if that was confusing.

[sandnsea]

24. No prob

Just clarifying that I wasn't talking about the VP stuff. BTW, there's a thread in the JK forum about the VP thingy. I added a post that has several clips of McCain. McCain specifically says he did consider it, which is the exact opposite of what he said today. What a putz. He could have regained a lot of respect today if he'd stood up for JK, but he threw him under the bus again.

[ProSense]

4. No he didn't. He's not Hillary. You can find the facts here

link

[bluerum]

5. Kerry? McCain? You just can't make this stuff up.

Oh.

Wait.

[karynnj]

6. Myth and no he did not -

Yesterday, he was asked about the 3 am call in terms of Obama - he answered very clearly what obama's experience is and spoke of sitting on the SFRC - Kerry diplomatically did not comment on HRC, but speaking of McCain he said that they were friends and had worked hard on the POW/MIA committee and that they were both veterans BUT, he said McCain's foreign policy ideas put him on the wrong side of history as do his agreement with Bush policies on the economy, healthcare ......

Excellent answer - strong defense of Obama - no hitting other Dems - For McCain what sounds like a fair honest appraisal that explains why his experience, service etc are not enough - it attacks his policies not him.

Classy and good.

[anamandujano]

8. He did defend McCain on Keating, as I recall. I guess he's hoping to

get something in an Obama house for his troubles.

McCain, however his policies are, knows the military inside out.

He would at least know where to start. Obama is a novice at everything but talking and bullsh*tting.

[karynnj]

19. Link to him defending him on Keating

Kerry defended him against smears on his service and against an AZ opponent who accused him of going to Vietnam (in the 1990s when they were working on their committee) as a boondoggle - it wasn't.

Obama has been on the SFRC - he has more foreign policy experience than Bill Clinton did.

[anamandujano]

30. Saw it on TV a very long time ago. SFRC--what's that?

[karynnj]

32. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Your memory is likely faulty on the Keating 5 issue. Kerry, from the time he joined the Senate was very much a clean government person. He was on the banking committee and was the person who investigated BCCI, when no one else would - it is highly unlikely that he defended McCain on that.

[karynnj]

33. Link to Kerry arguing against McCain as President

Here is a link to Thursday's Larry King that should end this question. In it he:
1) Gives a strong defense for Obama
2) Explains - in terms of issues, not character smears, why McCain is not a good choice.

All this and no attacks on HRC.

http://www.kerryvision.net/2008/03/3_am.html

[mtnsnake]

10. To this day, Kerry himself has never denied that he considered McCain for his VP running mate

All he said was that he never officially offered McCain the spot. That doesn't mean that the Kerry camp didn't court McCain for the job by putting feelers out to check McCain's reaction.

Thank gawd that McCain shunned the overtures that the Kerry camp put out there about it. How embarrassing that would have been if McCain sent back positive vibes that he would have accepted to run with him. Yikes

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

15. Yeah, it's a known thing that I didn't even think was controversial

And it didn't bother me at the time, or now. Kerry/McCain would probably have won what was a close election.

The people here saying "that's a myth" are weirding me out.

[ProSense]

16. McCain got caught lying about it again today

McCain flashes temper at reporter

<...>

Afterward, on a campaign flight, Bumiller said she looked in the Times' archives and that McCain had denied talking with Kerry in a May 2004 story.

McCain interrupted, saying that everyone knew he had a private conversation, and he kept interrupting as she tried to follow up. McCain clearly was irate.

"I don't know what you read or heard of, and I don't know the circumstances," McCain said. "Maybe in May of '04 I hadn't had a conversation."

Did he recall the conversation? "I don't know, but it's well-known that I had the conversation. It's absolutely well-known by everyone. So do you have a question on another issue?"

Asked again about the conversation, McCain said, "No. No. Because the issue is closed, as far as I'm concerned. Everybody knows it. Everybody knows it in America."

Could he describe the conversation? "No, of course not," McCain said. "I don't describe private conversations. Why should I? Then there's no such thing as a private conversation."

McCain is known for having a temper and has been dubbed "Senator Hothead" by more than one publication.

Bumiller: “Okay. Can I ask you about your (pause) Why you’re so angry?”

McCain: “Pardon me?”

Bumiller: “Nevermind, nevermind.”

McCain: “I mean, it’s well known. Everybody knows. It’s been well chronicled a thousand times. John Kerry asked if I would consider being his running mate.”

Bumiller: “Okay.”

McCain: “And I said categorically no, under no circumstances. That’s very well known.”

The 2004 New York Times piece in question ends in this way: "If Mr. McCain is offered the vice-presidential spot, people close to Mr. Kerry say, the request will come from the candidate himself and not through the campaign's vice-presidential vetting process."

"Asked if Senator Kerry had made such an offer, Mr. McCain said no without hesitation. But asked if the two men had ever discussed it, even casually, he paused for a moment. 'No,' he said finally. 'We really haven't.'"

link

McCain has no shame, and being caught in a lie just pisses him off.

Then again, you know it was BS before you responded.

[mtnsnake]

21. Thank goodness McCain shunned Kerry's overtures to have him be his VP

[jackson_dem]

25. Yup. Kerry's silence for four years speaks volumes...

[earthlover]

27. I believe it was posted above evidence that it was McCain who made the overtures

[JI7]

11. it was McCain who asked Kerry to be his running mate

that's what Kerry says. but i know most Clinton supporters would believe McCain over Kerry.

Kerry isn't going around in public praising McCain against a likely Democratic opponent .

[mtnsnake]

14. Not true. It was the Kerry camp who made overtures toward McCain. Check it out:

“Look,” McCain said on the radio show, “I was approached by Democrats, sure. I was approached by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to run as his running mate in 2004 and I rejected it out of hand.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/mccain-no-truth-in-claims-he-was-close-to-bolt-from-the-gop-2007-03-30.html

[Hawkeye-X]

18. Sorry, Read my subthread. MyDD got it right.

It was the other way around.

[JI7]

22. Kerry says the opposite, so it's a matter of who you believe

[karynnj]

35. So you believe McCain

It's kind of hard because on this and other things - he has said both YES and NO. He's a liar - one of the times.

[Melinda]

36. BS. It was McCain who approached Kerry, audio interview below, but you'd believe McCain over JK

Not according to Kerry. To hear TRUTH, http://salon.glenrose.net/img/McCain.mp3">click here

Kerry said that McCain's chief political strategist John Weaver (who is paid $15k a month by McCain's PAC, The Straight Talk Express) had contacted him.

This Democratic Underground, not FR, and republican belief systems and values are not welcomed here. Standing with McCain by implying Senator Kerry is a liar indicates that you missed the hard your right turn before arriving at our door.

[mtnsnake]

39. BS yourself. I'll take the word of the NY Times over some poster from MyDD any day of the week

and twice on Sunday.

John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, has repeatedly and personally asked Senator John McCain, the independent-minded Arizona Republican, to consider being his running mate, but Mr. McCain has refused, people who have spoken to both men said Friday.

Mr. Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, made his first direct overtures to Mr. McCain about three weeks after locking up the Democratic nomination in March and approached him again, in person or by telephone, as many as seven times, as recently as last week

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E0D81230F931A25755C0A9629C8B63

[Melinda]

40. It's John Kerry in an interview, not a transcript. 6 names for you: reporter Jason Blair,

Executive Editor Howell Raines, and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd.

[mtnsnake]

43. Kerry said "His people SIMILARLY approached me to engage in a discussion..."

The key word is "similarly", as in McCain's people ALSO wanted to discuss the VP slot, just as Kerry did. Otherwise he wouldn't have said "similarly".

To this day Kerry has not denied that he considered John McCain to run with him.

[Yossariant]

20. I believe the guy who conducted Kerry's VP search quoted AT THE TIME, not in convenient hindsight.

[Thepricebreaker]

17. Kerry wasnt running against McCain so it means shit...

[scheming daemons]

23. McCain wasn't the GOP nominee... therefore, not even CLOSE to the same thing....

[BigBearJohn]

26. 3/7/2008: McCain: "John Kerry asked if I would consider being his running mate."

McCain: “I mean, it’s well known. Everybody knows. It’s been well chronicled a thousand times. John Kerry asked if I would consider being his running mate.”

Bumiller: “Okay.”

McCain: “And I said categorically no, under no circumstances. That’s very well known.”

SOURCE: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/07/743261.aspx

[karynnj]

34. McCain has said both categorically, NO and YES - Kerry only said there was never an offer.

This proves that McCain has sometimes said it, not that Kerry offered it. McCain had to be lying one of the two timea.

Kerry spoke of it only once and said there was never an offer. That McCain's people approached him in well before there were even primaries on it - at a time where the Democrats were trying to get more people like Jeffords to leave the Republican majority. As McCain would not become a Democrat - there it was never considered. (Note - Kerry was one of the people mentioned as early as 2001 as a potential candidate. This was before Iraq. Even then they were too far apart.

In 2004, it was floated by Biden. McCain enjoyed playing with it with hiw people in the media.

[earthlover]

28. Did kerry ever say that one of his Democratic opponents only had one speech, while McCain was cool?

I don't think so. No Democrat in US History has made such trash talk of a fellow Democrat compared to a republican.

[John Q. Citizen]

29. Show me the you tube clip where Kerry is endorsing McCain, the repo nominee for pres.

Then lets talk.

[Unbowed]

31. Nope. And McCain is using the urban legend that Kerry wanted him as VP.

Kerry never asked McCain to be VP.

McCain is a liar.

[karynnj]

37. except now his using and in fact partly creating that urban legend is biting him!

That's why he's so angry. As you said, McCain is a liar - and here he is on record that he was both asked and he wasn't asked. Kind of hard to come out as a straight talker.

[mtnsnake]

38. According to the NY Times, Kerry DID court John McCain to run with him

John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, has repeatedly and personally asked Senator John McCain, the independent-minded Arizona Republican, to consider being his running mate, but Mr. McCain has refused, people who have spoken to both men said Friday.

Mr. Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, made his first direct overtures to Mr. McCain about three weeks after locking up the Democratic nomination in March and approached him again, in person or by telephone, as many as seven times, as recently as last week

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E0D81230F931A25755C0A9629C8B63

[ProSense]

41. Why do you insist on lying? You know the story has been debunked, that McCain pushed that lie.

The story is complete BS.

Hillary's buddy McCain is a liar.

[mtnsnake]

42. I don't lie, and your story hasn't been debunked. The NY Times & others have proven it

Tough for you if you can't handle it that your idol, John Kerry, courted McCain for his VP. No wonder John Edwards can't stand the Kerry after finding out he was playing second fiddle to a Republican.

[ProSense]

44. Hang on to it if it helps ease the pain of Hillary's embarrassing defeat. n/t

[mtnsnake]

45. The only thing embarrassing is the thought of this:

Thank gawd McCain shunned the Kerry camp's overtures for him to run with Kerry as his VP. That whole thing was one of the most embarrassing episides EVER.

[ProSense]

47. Here, a dose of reality

Hillary's shame: embracing McCain

[mtnsnake]

57. That's interesting....Hillary standing next to John Kerry's #1 choice for his running mate like that

[Jillian]

46. For all you disbelievers, you better read this

John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, has repeatedly and personally asked Senator John McCain, the independent-minded Arizona Republican, to consider being his running mate, but Mr. McCain has refused, people who have spoken to both men said Friday.

Mr. Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, made his first direct overtures to Mr. McCain about three weeks after locking up the Democratic nomination in March and approached him again, in person or by telephone, as many as seven times, as recently as last week, according to one person who has discussed the issue with both

Some Democrats have warned in recent days that the talk about McCain threatened to make whomever Mr. Kerry did select look unexciting by comparison. Among the many potential running mates, those mentioned most frequently include Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa. Indeed, the person who has spoken to both Mr. Kerry and McCain said he believed Mr. Kerry's campaign had deliberately leaked the story on Friday afternoon so it would be lost in coverage of Ronald Reagan's funeral and in the thinly read Saturday newspapers.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E0D81230F931A25755C0A9629C8B63

[ProSense]

49. The person who leaked the story is McCain. Read this:

The story is complete BS.

Hillary's buddy McCain is a liar.

[Jillian]

51. Excuse me - but I followed the 2004 election very closely and I remember it very well.

Come to think of it, I never heard Kerry deny it.

At least Hillary doesn't idolize McCain like Obama idolizes Reagan.

[ProSense]

53. I followed it closely too and it is nonsense. "Hillary doesn't idolize McCain..." Huh?

Hillary's shame: embracing McCain



Hillary on Reagan: He played the balance and the music beautifully.

Obama doesn't idolize Reagan

[Jillian]

55. If you don't think this is idiolizing, than maybe you better lay off the kool-aide.

I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.


http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/248

[ProSense]

56. No, but I see you're drinking up Hillary's "He played the balance and the music beautifully." n/t

[IsItJustMe]

48. Got a link?

[blm]

50. In 2004 McCain was still considering switching to Democrat and if he would have

then Kerry absolutely would have put him on the ticket to unify this country AT THAT POINT. Kerry knows how to push McCain in the right direction.


However, McCain was also courted back by BushInc when they got wind of it to side with them and they will support him for 2008. And they did.

The 2000-early2004 McCain was different than the McCain now. He moved further right believing he'd inherit Bush's machine.

[DrFunkenstein]

52. It Was Hillary Clinton That Endorsed McCain in 2008

Kerry looked to his McCain in the pre-Obama world. Obama didn't become known until Kerry gave him his shot at the convention keynote.

[seabeyond]

54. that was when mccain wanted out of iraq and he wasnt friend with bush

i also think that is the time bush and mccain made a deal and hillary was right there, bill was being another son to mama and papa bush