The first reaction to the "scoop" was that the Romney campaign was feeding fake news to Drudge as a way to get talking heads to talk about something other than Bain Capital.

Other no-less-plausible theories quickly emerged.

TAC friend Michael Brendan Dougherty had a good one: the Condi balloon is a clever feint: "Floating Condi and getting all the MSM to drool over a pro-choicer makes the selection of boring Pawlenty more appealing to GOP voters."

I'll buy that.

Both are equally craven.

FishyFred: Both are equally craven.

And probably true. That Bain narrative is really starting to bite, especially in areas that have been hit hard by outsourcing (VA, OH, ect).

Condi's views on abortion won't disqualify her. After all, she has 8 years experience in ignoring any morals, ethics, or integrity she may have. So ignoring her own views on abortion should be no problem for her.

I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

I see her as one of the bad guys. There was no Boba Fett in the Bush Administration although I liked Tom Ridge.

mrshowrules: Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

I see her as one of the bad guys. There was no Boba Fett in the Bush Administration although I liked Tom Ridge.

Oh, it's not that I think she's a badass mercenary or something. She's definitely playing for the wrong team. I just think she's got an admirable biography and, unlike certain other Secretaries of State, didn't achieve her success by being married to a former president.

Rev. Skarekroe: mrshowrules: Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

I see her as one of the bad guys. There was no Boba Fett in the Bush Administration although I liked Tom Ridge.

Oh, it's not that I think she's a badass mercenary or something. She's definitely playing for the wrong team. I just think she's got an admirable biography and, unlike certain other Secretaries of State, didn't achieve her success by being married to a former president.

Right, cuz that's all Senator Clinton ever did.

Rev. Skarekroe: mrshowrules: Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

I see her as one of the bad guys. There was no Boba Fett in the Bush Administration although I liked Tom Ridge.

Oh, it's not that I think she's a badass mercenary or something. She's definitely playing for the wrong team. I just think she's got an admirable biography and, unlike certain other Secretaries of State, didn't achieve her success by being married to a former president.

From wiki:

On July 10, 2001, Rice met with Tenet in what he referred to as an "emergency meeting" held at the White House at Tenet's request to brief Rice and the NSC staff about the potential threat of an impending al Qaeda attack. Rice responded by asking Tenet to give a presentation on the matter to Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General John Ashcroft. On September 11, 2001, Rice was scheduled to outline a new national security policy that included missile defense as a cornerstone and played down the threat of stateless terrorism.

Not saying she could have prevented 9/11 but to not resign or accept some measure or responsibility for not doing more after-the-fact is a strong indication of her character, specifically not having any. Ger back-story is impressive and she has strong political instincts but no leadership skills as far as I'm concerned.

Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

She's no Witch-King. She's at most Grima Wormtongue.

Betcha even Tim Pawlenty's phone number is boring.

/His ring tone is Brahm's Lullaby

"Well-spoken" and "Not one of them kinds" trending high on Drudge, Breitbart, WND comments sections at present.

She's no idiot, but the trial balloon isn't going to go very far.

Besides the pro-choice position...

Sat on the intelligence delivered in August 2001 concerning Bin Laden, airplanes, and attacking the US
Approved torture
Manufactured evidence to get us into the Iraq war
Closely associated with GWB

Yeah, much like Powell, she's done.

Also, she has never been elected to anything in her life.

Hasn't she explicitly said she doesn't want the job several times? Can you draft a VP?

She'd never agree to it without checking first with her husb-- I mean President Bush.

Dinki: Condi's views on abortion won't disqualify her. After all, she has 8 years experience in ignoring any morals, ethics, or integrity she may have. So ignoring her own views on abortion should be no problem for her.

Plus didn't she ignore a certain 'Bin Laden Determined to attack inside the United States' memo?

Rev. Skarekroe: Unlike certain other Secretaries of State, didn't achieve her success by being married to a former president.

Another difference: Unlike Clinton, she sucked at her job.

The only thing interesting about Rice is how bad she was both as the NSA and Sec State. She'd have appeared just downright pants on the head retarded if she had been in an Administration that wasn't populated almost entirely with individuals known mainly for their odious nature or high degree of incompetence.

Ned Stark: Hasn't she explicitly said she doesn't want the job several times? Can you draft a VP?

This is why Romney will probably lose. The f*cking guy can't even get people to lie and say "Well, we'll have to see, but it's unlikely he would pick me." They are just flat out saying "No." Which is refreshing I guess, but not promising for Romney.

madgonad: She's no idiot, but the trial balloon isn't going to go very far.

Besides the pro-choice position...

Sat on the intelligence delivered in August 2001 concerning Bin Laden, airplanes, and attacking the US
Approved torture
Manufactured evidence to get us into the Iraq war
Closely associated with GWB

Yeah, much like Powell, she's done.

Also, she has never been elected to anything in her life.

And her favorite movie is lame


"Mars Attacks is AWESOME."

Shrugging Atlas: The only thing interesting about Rice is how bad she was both as the NSA and Sec State. She'd have appeared just downright pants on the head retarded if she had been in an Administration that wasn't populated almost entirely with individuals known mainly for their odious nature or high degree of incompetence.

Condoleezza Rice: But I don't remember the al‐Qaida cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.

Richard Ben-Veniste: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB [Presidential Daily Briefing] warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

Condoleezza Rice: I believe the title was, 'Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States.'

MightyPez: And her favorite movie is lame


"Mars Attacks is AWESOME."

She didn't suck on 30 Rock. Maybe she should get out of Stanford and do more guest spots. She made a ton of money when she was on the board of directors of Chevron.

Another reason Mittens wouldn't pick Condi is that there is a greater than 0% of his base that will, not for any purpose vote for a Blah person. Admittedly not a high percentage, but if even 5% of his base sits home in protest, his goose is sauced.

Ned Stark: Hasn't she explicitly said she doesn't want the job several times? Can you draft a VP?

Almost every VP candidate says they don't want the job. It's part of the dance. Start by saying "Wild horses couldn't drag me to that role." The more extreme the denial, the more likely they are to accept the offer.

Continue by insisting Job #1 is whatever role you currently are filling and that you dont' want to be distracted by VP talk.

Next, "While I remain dedicated fully to 'x' if you're asked to serve your country as VP it's hard to say no.

In fact, I think the only thing noteworthy about T-Paw is the fact he openly stated right away that he'd accept the offer to be VP if extended.....like days after he dropped out of the race. The guy is so desperate to get into the White House I wouldn't be surprised if he applied for a job on the cleaning staff there.

rufus-t-firefly: Ben-Veniste

Zionist Whargarble

Ned Stark: Hasn't she explicitly said she doesn't want the job several times? Can you draft a VP?

Meh, this trial balloon had no basis in reality. THIS was Mitt's campaign reminding eveyone that the GOP still had a black person left to call friend in aftermath of Mitt telling his donors after the NAACP event how he bravely told them chilren o' Ham to stop asking for free stuff all the time.

The GOP have been known to make "offers that you can't refuse" in terms of putting inordinate pressure on it's members in the past so don't be surprised if the person Mittens picks for the Veep nom gig is someone who's already said a thousand times they didn't want the gig. It just won't be Condi. It will be a boring, white, male.

If it wasn't for "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" (which I think is disqualifying), what are the other objections?

Because I don't believe Romney supporters will see "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" to be a problem, instead they will see, woman + black as a good thing and possibly even see woman + black + lesbian rumors as a good thing too.

Gyrfalcon: Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

She's no Witch-King. She's at most Grima Wormtongue.

I think she's more the Great and Powerful Trixie.

She's pro-choice, black, a woman, and most likely gay (not confirmed)...

Yeah... so I don't get how the Republican base is going to go for that. She represents most of what they demonstrate that they're against.

rufus-t-firefly: Shrugging Atlas: The only thing interesting about Rice is how bad she was both as the NSA and Sec State. She'd have appeared just downright pants on the head retarded if she had been in an Administration that wasn't populated almost entirely with individuals known mainly for their odious nature or high degree of incompetence.

Condoleezza Rice: But I don't remember the al‐Qaida cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.

Richard Ben-Veniste: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB [Presidential Daily Briefing] warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

Condoleezza Rice: I believe the title was, 'Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States.'

Thank you so much for posting this. It's the reason I will never ever ever vote for this lady. In fact, I would actively campaign against her.

The GOP also just recently learned that Condi is actually a woman.

MissyLissy: Plus didn't she ignore a certain 'Bin Laden Determined to attack inside the United States' memo?

That memo was pretty amazingly useless, as far as actionable intel goes. I'd highly suggest reading it, it mostly states HEY GUYS BIN LADEN IS STILL MAD AT US.

Which voters, that aren't already planning to vote straight republican, does anyone think she will appeal to?

Blacks? Really they will just vote R because there is a black person in the vp spot, and skip the black guy who is at the top of the other ticket?
Women? Because she has a vagina? Didn't work for either Hillary or Sarah.
Independents? Oh cool someone from the Bush administration, those were good times.

RoyBatty: If it wasn't for "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" (which I think is disqualifying), what are the other objections?

Romney is already too exotic for the likes of the GOP base, toss a pro-choice, black woman rumored to be gay onto the ticket and watch as Republican turnout drops to a trickle.

Condi, Condi, Condi
They won't let you go
All this race you're taunting them
They loved you so

Bush was crazy
Condi, baby!

JohnnyC: She's pro-choice, black, a woman, and most likely gay (not confirmed)...

Yeah... so I don't get how the Republican base is going to go for that. She represents most of what they demonstrate that they're against.

She's rabidly pro-war. As in, Nuke Iran and Russia and China just for good measure on Day 1 of the Presidency pro-war. She never got over the Cold War

Rev. Skarekroe: mrshowrules: Rev. Skarekroe: I have a lot of admiration for Condi, even though she worked for the bad guys.
Kinda like the way I admire Boba Fett or the Witch King of Angmar.

I see her as one of the bad guys. There was no Boba Fett in the Bush Administration although I liked Tom Ridge.

Oh, it's not that I think she's a badass mercenary or something. She's definitely playing for the wrong team. I just think she's got an admirable biography and, unlike certain other Secretaries of State, didn't achieve her success by being married to a former president.

Right. She achieved her success by being an expert on the Soviet Union, and was chosen to be National Security Advisor by a president who may have been unaware that the former Soviet Union hadn't existed for over a decade when he took office.

/won't mention her ties to the oil industry, and fact said president was "oil-soaked" for lack of a better term

I'd actually think that the conservatives would have a harder time getting over the fact that she's unmarried.

rufus-t-firefly: Shrugging Atlas: The only thing interesting about Rice is how bad she was both as the NSA and Sec State. She'd have appeared just downright pants on the head retarded if she had been in an Administration that wasn't populated almost entirely with individuals known mainly for their odious nature or high degree of incompetence.

Condoleezza Rice: But I don't remember the al‐Qaida cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.

Richard Ben-Veniste: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB [Presidential Daily Briefing] warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

Condoleezza Rice: I believe the title was, 'Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States.'

BEN-VENISTE: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6th PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

RICE: I believe the title was, Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States. Now, the ...

BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.

RICE: No, Mr. Ben-Veniste ...

BEN-VENISTE: I will get into the ...

RICE: I would like to finish my point here.

BEN-VENISTE: I didn't know there was a point.

RICE: Given that - you asked me whether or not it warned of attacks.

BEN-VENISTE: I asked you what the title was.

RICE: You said, did it not warn of attacks. It did not warn of attacks inside the United States. It was historical information based on old reporting. There was no new threat information. And it did not, in fact, warn of any coming attacks inside the United States.

She's closely associated with Bush Junior and various generally unpopular middle eastern adventures, she's never run for any elective office at all, she's attractive and successful, she's an elitist west-coast academic, and quite possibly a big ol' lesbian. Also socially moderate-to-liberal.

Least likely Republican VP pick ever.

RoyBatty: Because I don't believe Romney supporters will see "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" to be a problem, instead they will see, woman + black as a good thing and possibly even see woman + black + lesbian rumors as a good thing too

The Republican base will see + black + lesbian rumors as a good thing, I want what ever the Fark you are smoking, quit bogarting that stuff.

sprawl15: RICE: You said, did it not warn of attacks. It did not warn of attacks inside the United States. It was historical information based on old reporting. There was no new threat information. And it did not, in fact, warn of any coming attacks inside the United States.

So a briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" did not warn of any coming attacks inside the United States?

sprawl15: The GOP also just recently learned that Condi is actually a woman.

MissyLissy: Plus didn't she ignore a certain 'Bin Laden Determined to attack inside the United States' memo?

That memo was pretty amazingly useless, as far as actionable intel goes. I'd highly suggest reading it, it mostly states HEY GUYS BIN LADEN IS STILL MAD AT US.

Yeah, good one.
"HEY GUYS! That terrorist who's already bombed us is still mad at us and has some sort of plan to use planes to attack us, here, inside the U.S. So... let's ignore that and focus instead on pointing more missiles at Russia."

If Condi's name wasn't thrown out there today, 100% of the weekend political talk would have been about Mitt's time at Bain, whether he committed a crime and whether someone who is a CEO, sole shareholder and Managing Director of a company has any influence within the company and Mitts tax records. Now the talk shows have two topics to discuss.

spongeboob: RoyBatty: Because I don't believe Romney supporters will see "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" to be a problem, instead they will see, woman + black as a good thing and possibly even see woman + black + lesbian rumors as a good thing too

The Republican base will see + black + lesbian rumors as a good thing, I want what ever the Fark you are smoking, quit bogarting that stuff.

Playing the "Were not racists or bigots, cause we have a black lesbian friend" card

RoyBatty: If it wasn't for "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" (which I think is disqualifying), what are the other objections?

Because I don't believe Romney supporters will see "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" to be a problem, instead they will see, woman + black as a good thing and possibly even see woman + black + lesbian rumors as a good thing too.

Romney voters will insist that she stop being a burden to society by claiming welfare for her 12 children by 15 fathers and demand that she be deported back to the Congo

Since Joe the Intellectual is currently next in line for the POTUS, it's fair to say that emo kid smoking American Spirits behind the 7-11 could probably be less of a potential disaster.

Lost Thought 00: JohnnyC: She's pro-choice, black, a woman, and most likely gay (not confirmed)...

Yeah... so I don't get how the Republican base is going to go for that. She represents most of what they demonstrate that they're against.

She's rabidly pro-war. As in, Nuke Iran and Russia and China just for good measure on Day 1 of the Presidency pro-war. She never got over the Cold War

Well... yeah. All the Neocons are. So you're saying that as long as one is a bloodthirsty warmonger, then all else is forgiven? Seems like the GOP only ever keeps around people who don't fit their "mold" in order to use them as a prop or a stepping stone. Which I suppose could apply here, but really... she's aside from being a Neocon, she's pretty much the antithesis of what the GOP is.

FishyFred: So a briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States" did not warn of any coming attacks inside the United States?

Yup. Like I've said, I would highly suggest reading it (PDF warning). It's only saying that he's determined. That he's still a general threat. The scariest thing about it is the title.

Question 1: Has anyone, at all, expressed interest in being VP on this ticket? Anyone?

Question 2: Is there any potential VP candidate out there who will be acceptable to the GOP base who's not a raving lunatic?

Question 3: Is it possible to pick a VP who won't outshine Romney? Pawlenty may be one, but any others?

I keep telling you guys. You'll hear all kinds of rumors about veep nominees but at the end of the day the GOP leadership and corporate money donors are going to demand that the Palin-era be buried under quicklime. They are going to go with an anti-Palin this time around.

They don't need a side-show act to raise money anymore. Citizens United is the law of the land now. Obama will be outspent by at least 4:1. They won't go with someone they don't understand or can't control. They sure as heyell aren't going with someone they haven't vetted to within a hair of their life.

The veep will be someone boring and reliable. They'll get some middle-aged, white family-man technocrat who will obediently tow the party line. At the end of the day it will be Tim Pawlenty or Mitch Daniels. The funny part is that this was decided a while ago.

propasaurus: "HEY GUYS! That terrorist who's already bombed us is still mad at us and has some sort of plan to use planes to attack us, here, inside the U.S. So... let's ignore that and focus instead on pointing more missiles at Russia."

Please cite the part of the memo that states that bin Laden is planning to attack with planes.

Difficulty: there's not one. The closest is a part that says there was a report from 1998 of plans to hijack a plane to demand prisoner releases.

JohnnyC: Lost Thought 00: JohnnyC: She's pro-choice, black, a woman, and most likely gay (not confirmed)...

Yeah... so I don't get how the Republican base is going to go for that. She represents most of what they demonstrate that they're against.

She's rabidly pro-war. As in, Nuke Iran and Russia and China just for good measure on Day 1 of the Presidency pro-war. She never got over the Cold War

Well... yeah. All the Neocons are. So you're saying that as long as one is a bloodthirsty warmonger, then all else is forgiven? Seems like the GOP only ever keeps around people who don't fit their "mold" in order to use them as a prop or a stepping stone. Which I suppose could apply here, but really... she's aside from being a Neocon, she's pretty much the antithesis of what the GOP is.

That was basically the extents of Cheney's qualifications. An in-bred desire to murder everyone in your path to absolute power.