Out on a limb: I predict it'll be Rob Portman as rMoney's running mate

[cali]

Early endorser, D.C. insider, conservative, reportedly they get along very well. anti-choicer and big supporter of the Ryan budget.

Most of all, he's from Ohio.

[DCBob]

1. Ive narrowed it down to Portman or Kelly Ayotte.

I think they still desperately want a woman on the ticket.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Ayotte would be a dream, they do need a woman

but both from the same northern state? Delicious.

[Freddie]

5. Not so sure

Do you really think they'd go for another little-known female governor?

[cali]

8. she's not a guv, never was. she was sec of state in NH and was voted in as

US Senator from that state in 2010, but I don't think he'll go with her either.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. She isn't/wasn't a governor,

but how do you think the two top spots filled by residents of the same state on the GOP presidential ticket would play out in the rest of the country?

Not so well, I'd suspect.

I hope he does pick her.

[cali]

3. I don't think Ayotte has enough experience to be the pick

and not enough knowledge of the ins and outs of D.C. and Congress- she's only been in DC for a year and a half.

and she has some problems:

Financial Resources Mortgage fraud

Ayotte has been criticized for her former office's alleged refusal to investigate charges against mortgage investment firm Financial Resources Mortgage (FRM)[25] which has been accused of orchestrating a $80–100 million Ponzi scheme. Scott Farah, the former president of Financial Resources Mortgage, was accused of swindling investors out of millions of dollars, using investor funds to pay other investors and his own personal expenses, and has agreed, under a plea agreement, to plead guilty to federal wire and mail fraud charges in exchange for a nearly 20-year prison sentence.[26]

In May 2010, New Hampshire's current Attorney General Michael Delaney issued a report[27][28][29][30][31][32][33] faulting New Hampshire's Attorney General's office during Ayotte's tenure, the state Banking Department and the state Securities Bureau for failing to investigate complaints against Financial Resources Mortgage. Concurrently, a joint state legislative committee[34][35] conducted an independent investigation and held public hearings. The Joint Legislative Committee to Review the State’s Regulatory Oversight Over Financial Resources Mortgage reached conclusions similar to those of Delaney's report, according to a draft report.[26][36][37][38]

Republican candidate for Governor John Stephen has criticized Ayotte for her lack of oversight of Financial Resources Mortgage's activities. Stephens has said that Ayotte "has to be held accountable" for her and the New Hampshire Department of Justice's failure to act on complaints received about Financial Resources Mortgage's conduct.[39]
Deleted emails

Ayotte's office deleted Ayotte's email and calendar of appointments from their computer systems prior to Ayotte's resignation as New Hampshire Attorney General.[40] Two days before Ayotte resigned her post as Attorney General and less than one week before Ayotte filed to run for the Senate Republican primary, Ayotte's office issued a policy memorandum covering deleted emails.[41] The memorandum states that, "While courts have not yet addressed the issue, it is our view that electronic records that have been legally deleted and are available only on system back-up storage media are properly treated as no longer subject to disclosure" under New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law.[41][42]

On September 10, 2010, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office released copies of many, but not all, of Ayotte's deleted emails in response to Right-to-Know requests.[43] The Attorney General's Office also reported that many of Ayotte's "deleted" emails could not be recovered because backup tapes on which they had been stored had been re-used.[41][42]

The legality of the permanent deletion of Ayotte's emails by New Hampshire's Attorney General's office is the subject of a law suit currently pending in New Hampshire's Merrimack County Superior Court.[41]

On October 11, 2010, Paul Hodes, Democratic candidate for the Senate, accused Ayotte of using a capital murder case that Ayotte prosecuted in 2006 for political gain and for politicizing the case. Hodes based his accusation upon emails exchanged between Ayotte and Rob Varsalone, currently Ayotte's campaign strategist, during 2006.[44][45] The emails were released to the public by the New Hampshire Department of Justice on September 10, 2010 under a Right-to-Know request. Subsequently, Hodes has suggested, based on Ayotte's released emails, that Ayotte's political ambitions may have in part motivated Ayotte's decision to seek the death penalty in the case.[44][45]
Financial Resources Mortgage fraud

Ayotte has been criticized for her former office's alleged refusal to investigate charges against mortgage investment firm Financial Resources Mortgage (FRM)[25] which has been accused of orchestrating a $80–100 million Ponzi scheme. Scott Farah, the former president of Financial Resources Mortgage, was accused of swindling investors out of millions of dollars, using investor funds to pay other investors and his own personal expenses, and has agreed, under a plea agreement, to plead guilty to federal wire and mail fraud charges in exchange for a nearly 20-year prison sentence.[26]

In May 2010, New Hampshire's current Attorney General Michael Delaney issued a report[27][28][29][30][31][32][33] faulting New Hampshire's Attorney General's office during Ayotte's tenure, the state Banking Department and the state Securities Bureau for failing to investigate complaints against Financial Resources Mortgage. Concurrently, a joint state legislative committee[34][35] conducted an independent investigation and held public hearings. The Joint Legislative Committee to Review the State’s Regulatory Oversight Over Financial Resources Mortgage reached conclusions similar to those of Delaney's report, according to a draft report.[26][36][37][38]

Republican candidate for Governor John Stephen has criticized Ayotte for her lack of oversight of Financial Resources Mortgage's activities. Stephens has said that Ayotte "has to be held accountable" for her and the New Hampshire Department of Justice's failure to act on complaints received about Financial Resources Mortgage's conduct.[39]
Deleted emails

Ayotte's office deleted Ayotte's email and calendar of appointments from their computer systems prior to Ayotte's resignation as New Hampshire Attorney General.[40] Two days before Ayotte resigned her post as Attorney General and less than one week before Ayotte filed to run for the Senate Republican primary, Ayotte's office issued a policy memorandum covering deleted emails.[41] The memorandum states that, "While courts have not yet addressed the issue, it is our view that electronic records that have been legally deleted and are available only on system back-up storage media are properly treated as no longer subject to disclosure" under New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law.[41][42]

On September 10, 2010, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office released copies of many, but not all, of Ayotte's deleted emails in response to Right-to-Know requests.[43] The Attorney General's Office also reported that many of Ayotte's "deleted" emails could not be recovered because backup tapes on which they had been stored had been re-used.[41][42]

The legality of the permanent deletion of Ayotte's emails by New Hampshire's Attorney General's office is the subject of a law suit currently pending in New Hampshire's Merrimack County Superior Court.[41]

On October 11, 2010, Paul Hodes, Democratic candidate for the Senate, accused Ayotte of using a capital murder case that Ayotte prosecuted in 2006 for political gain and for politicizing the case. Hodes based his accusation upon emails exchanged between Ayotte and Rob Varsalone, currently Ayotte's campaign strategist, during 2006.[44][45] The emails were released to the public by the New Hampshire Department of Justice on September 10, 2010 under a Right-to-Know request. Subsequently, Hodes has suggested, based on Ayotte's released emails, that Ayotte's political ambitions may have in part motivated Ayotte's decision to seek the death penalty in the case.[44][45]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Ayotte

[DCBob]

7. I didnt know about all that but..

to Rethugs that might not be a big deal. Thanks for the info.

[CTyankee]

6. Yep. He's pretty safe. No falling down bridge like T Paw, no craziness. Just the ticket for the

ticket. Checks all the boxes.

I think all they want to do is check the safe boxes and hope the bad economy sinks Obama.

Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth...

[Freddie]

10. Agree, I've thought Portman for a while

Blank slate, no known scandals, white male, very vanilla. They did "colorful" the last time.

[DCBob]

12. That makes "sense" but its white bread and skim milk.

that ticket would be about as boring an uninspring as you could possibly get.

[CTyankee]

36. But I'm beginning to think that that is exactly what Romney's people want.

Boring and uninspiring beats shifty eyed, tax dodgers in this instance. Better safe than sorry is probably their only refuge at this point...

[progressivebydesign]

9. that's what I guessed yesterday.. For some reason I think they'll go with Ohio.

Seems to be the centerpiece of the vote suppression, strategies. He's an absolute ass... and the rest of the short list is trying to impress Romney with their vicious attacks on the President, but I think Portman.

Of course, how will they spin that he was a lobbyist for Dictators? That's weird..

and god, wouldn't they be the most white bread boring guys ever? Two elitists?

[earthside]

13. I'm going further out on a limb: Toomey

Frankly, I think that because of Sherrod Brown's campaign for reelection, Ohio is going to go for Obama.

Therefore, the only 'big industrial state' Rmoney may have a shot at is Pennsylvania.

Besides, Toomey doesn't have the same kind of direct, high profile ties to Bush/Cheney as Portman has.

[cali]

14. not a chance. not even being vetted.

[earthside]

19. How do you know?

Unless you are a Rmoney insider, how do you know whether or not Toomey has been 'vetted'?

[cali]

20. Because it's hard to hide that shit from the media and because they've leaked the short list

[earthside]

37. And we certainly believe what the Rmoney campaign leaks. n/t

[littlewolf]

15. I am going to go with

either

West ...

or Rice ....

and I am betting Rice ....

[cali]

17. There is absolutely no way that he'll pick pro-choice Condi

and West doesn't have the D.C. experience he so desperately needs.

[JohnnyRingo]

16. The "do no harm" candidate

He's about as nondescript as they get, and has govt experience with party loyalty.

If people here in Ohio listed the Republicans we can't stand, he'd be near the bottom. Indeed, most don't know what he ever did. The man could blend into the wallpaper, but he'll never embarass the candidate.

[cali]

18. exactly, and he's very conservative

has a shitload of D.C. experience and knows the workings of Congress inside and out.

[leftynyc]

21. Wasn't he the budget director

or something like that under Bush? If so, that would be a gift to the Democrats if this does come down to "it's the economy, stupid".

[cali]

23. Yeah, but he was only there for a year.

and no, he's not really a great gift to the dems for that reason.

[leftynyc]

28. Tie him to bush and the economy

In the age of freeking soundbites and out of context quoting, I'm sure the Obama team can come up with something. But I think it will be Pawlenty unless it's a palin-like out of nowhere pick.

[cali]

32. Could be Pawlenty

it'd make the ticket a teeny bit more "diverse". Pawlenty comes from a working class background. Portman has the same sort of U background as Romney.

[leftynyc]

33. Also seeing

Nikki Haley and Kelly Ayotte's name being thrown around but Haley has problems at home and I can't really see him picking someone from NH (two northeasterners? with the way their base feels about the NE). Probably just trying to show they're thinking about a woman. Rubio or Jindal will get their birther base into a tizzy (whch would be kinda fun for us).

[B Calm]

22. Never heard of him. .

So you are probably right!

[cali]

24. U.S. Senator, former Congressman

former director of management and budget. Effective in getting bills through as a congress critter. more conservative than many think.

[MrScorpio]

25. Junior's budget director: He would be perfect

Seeing how Romney has been screwing up everything, Portman would be the perfect choice. The man most responsible for designing the budget which almost bankrupted the country.

The worst person possible would be par for the course.

[cali]

27. oh I don't know if he's the worst possible from a policy perspective

though he's certainly in the bottom tier, but then aren't they all? From an electoral perspective I think he'd be a fairly smart choice.

[JustAnotherGen]

26. I agree

My Congress Critter is a Republican and a few weeks ago posted a pic of he and Portman and stated "most likely to be our VP pick". And he was pretty enthusiastic about it and actually engaged his constituents in a discussion as to why he was the best person to run with Romney.

[Scuba]

29. I still think it'll be Ken Lay.

[cali]

30. lol.

I love you Scuba. You made me laugh out loud and I've had a terrible morning (since about 3 a.m.) with pain. Nothing helps with that more than laughing, so thanks. You're better than morphine or percocet.

[Scuba]

31. Laughter is the best medicine. I love you too.

[leftynyc]

34. This tragic early morning

new cannot be helping. Hope your day gets better.

[cali]

38. aw, thanks so much lefty.

it's a beautiful sunny not humid day here. I mended fences with my son this morning after we got in a nasty fight about my refusing to use a fentanyl patch. I'm going to try and have a good day. Hope yours is lovely.

[leftynyc]

40. Glad you mended fences

I recently lost my dad and am stressing to everyone I know they shouldn't let the everyday trevails get in the way of family because you never know how long you're going to have them around. Not sure what that patch does but if it's for pain, please use it, that's what it's for and nobody should live with pain. And a day without humidity!!! A real gift.

[Puglover]

35. Trust me it'll be Portman.

Why? Because I really really really want it to be T Paw or Jindal. Both would make comedy gold.

[WI_DEM]

39. really not much of a limb since he is basically one of the main contenders in media speculation.

[cali]

42. yeah, it's a pretty broad limb.

[morningfog]

41. And white and male and boring enough!