A Chief of Staff for an Unchosen VP

Does this mean what I think it does?

What's past the obvious?

I felt so smart at dinner the other night when I quoted Al's mid-May post in which he asserted that HRC had already broached the idea of being BHO's VP and had been turned down...

Looking forward to the return of the archives.

Of course, now there will be two 24/7 weeks of speculation that this indicates the VP will be a woman.

I agree with your take, al, and have long thought she got the very short end of the stick for the failures of many in the HRC campaign. I like that Obama has brought her aboard, and have to think it really is a further clear signal that HRC will NOT be the VP. Which anyone who is paying attention already knows, but the MSM is painfully slow to figure out.

This thing is starting to have the feeling of a very long transition for a President-elect, rather than gearing up for a tough general. McCain is looking weaker and weaker, in my view, while Obama is just playing a very steady, almost (but not quite) boring game. The possibility for a McCain collapse and the ensuing blow-out grows every day. Feels like the big election just happened. Could be wrong...

Al, I do remember that post (or posts) and think it likely that most of her top people will come over to work for Obama, with the obvious exception of Mark Penn. (If nothing else, I foresee that Clintonites he wants balking at the requirement that they work with him again.) I also remember you opining that SD was qualified for a lot of posts within a campaign but was saddled with an unenviable task (running until Mark Penn said boo) that may not have marched her skills. It'll be interesting to see how this develops....it seems kind of an odd post, but as you note is in keeping with the tight, on-message management we've seen from the Obama team.

You are the source for the Catholic Gov Sebelius/Schweitzer/etc theory, right? Because those two are two of my favorite choices.

Choosing a chief of staff for a VP candidate yet to be chosen: this really does telegraph the message that Obama is in charge. I wonder if a) the VP candidate is already chosen and is OK with Solis Doyle, or b) potential candidates are being told to check their egos at the door, thereby winnowing down the list.

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head with that, Al. Though I'm kind of interested, is there some connection between Solis-Doyle and Sebelius that you know of or something which you've heard that leads you to believe that Sebelius is a favorite for the VP nod, or is it a gut feeling on your part (which I definitely don't take lightly either ;) )

By the way, it's good to have you up and writing again, I've updated EI's links page to reflect the new (and improved) home of The Field.

I really want Feingold for VP. I wrote Obama and told him if he picked Feingold I'd quit my job and work for the campaign. I will and gladly for Feingold.

I searched my RSS reader and found this from The Field on Feb 10:

Chiva Expiatoria = Scapegoat
Mark Penn screws up the strategy, Terry McAuliffe falls flat at the big-dollar fundraising, Bill loses South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana… but Patti Solis Doyle takes the hit?

Nice. If you had something longer, I can't find it.
And I'm a lurker, but RSS is just awesome.

Field Hands -

We're experiencing some technical difficulties ("icing on the new Iron Man suit," again, due to the sheer volume of traffic here - not bad for a two-day-old blog) getting all your great comments through the queue. Our crew is hard at work and we expect to see them up shortly.

- Al

There are lots of fun ways to speculate about this

* The VP is going to be a woman and should have a female chief of staff
* The VP is going to be Richardson or someone else engaged in Hispanic outreach, which Solis Doyle will help them with
* The VP is going to be Clark or another Clintonite who will like having Solis Doyle around

Could it be that the VP is already known but not announced and approved the choice themselves? If so, we do not necessarily have a good idea who it is from this.

Very interesting. I agree on the message to the prospective VP. I tend to think that Barack already has it whittled down to a very short list and all on that list are seen by him as willing/able to accept this. I think it hints very strongly in Sebelius' direction. This not only sends the Clinton camp the message, but probably rules out the generals since top brass are accustomed to choosing their own aides-de-camp.

Alternate universe theory: this is a "message hire" targeted specifically at the Clintonistas. When the VP is chosen and if the VP wants to bring his/her own people aboard, Solis Doyle gets assigned to another high profile need identified by the campaign.

Susie Buell is quoted as saying that this hire is a "slap in the face" because it sends a clear message that Clinton will not be the nominee. I really think you can't win with some people and everything is not all about Clinton. By all accounts Solis-Doyle did a good job as Clinton's scheduler; Obama must know her from Chicago circles--why not hire people where their talents will be best used. It's not like he made her campaign manager....

I'm really tired at the continued manufactured outrage. All that drama....

"You don't hire Patti Solis Doyle for her operational expertise. You don't do that. This is someone who failed dramatically at her job. You only bring her on to fuck someone else."

-- A "former Clinton bundler," quoted by the New York Observer, noting that "Clinton loyalists were livid over the pick."

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/06/16/quote_of_the_day.html

Yes I would love to see Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as VP and you hit the nail right on the head Patti Solis Doyle would say the right thing in response to that ridiculous demand that no other woman could be VP. When I first saw SD's picture coming up I said oh you are going to crash your server with this post AL. But I could be wrong, just taking the new (new) Iron Man suit for a spin!

It's a tight ship they run, isn't it? Providing staffers for an important post such as this that would typically make their own hiring decisions.

They are like a well-oiled machine. Josh over at TPM was indicating the other day that Clinton didn't really mean to be doing Obama any favors by putting him through the ringer for the last 5 months, it really has paid dividends. These guys are like a team that gets better as the season goes on. Let's just hope there's no burn out/fade out factor.

I'm sure we all agree on no Penn. I would add no Ickes. I know he has been a hard working Dem forever and participated in the civil rights movement but I just can't get past someone who is so willing to manipulate the system, pander and lie to get their way.

It seems an odd thing to give Solis Doyle a job working for a VP candidate that has yet to be chosen.

Judging from the reaction of the Hillarites, this is being perceived (or spun) as a slap in the face to Hillary. If so - and this all assumes she wasn't consulted on it beforehand - I can see how this could wrankle as an unnecessary, gratuitous insult. Let's hope that's not it, and that we're missing important information.

good to have you back Al. at some point we want all the dirty details.
speaking of dirty details when does Patti's book come out?

I was really wondering about this one. But I've learned to trust your judgment, Al. Thanks for posting.

PS: Still no reply from Debra Kozikowski as to whether she's going to refund my donation so I can donate it here instead. For what it's worth, they're quickly deleting any post over there that says you've moved here, or that complains about the lack of disclosure. Big surprise!

"Chief of Staff" may be her title, but I doubt it's her real position. It's hard for me to imagine a VP choice not being able to bring in some of his own people for top positions. I'm guessing that Solis Doyle's actual role will be as the link and liaison between Obama's team and the future VP team.

can we please get the story on what exactly happened on the field. i am not shocked and glad to see you moved back to narco news.

Sorry Al, not to sound like a techie doofus, but how do we log in?

Did I miss the announcement of the change of venue?? Thank goodness for Wolcott or I'd still think everything I was reading at The Field RSS was, in fact, The Field. Instead, it's now The Back Forty.

What did I miss???

Besides all the various messages this potentially sends....which is of course fun to arm-chair quarterback and all.

What I think is also (perhaps even _most_) important is that O intends that whoever he picks will hit the ground running hard. Whatever imagined or real failings Ms. Solis Doyle had in the HRC campaign, having an experienced 'office manager' build a staff and office now to be ready to go is priceless. It allows the VP nominee to step in and go campaign and never look back or have to worry about admin crap.

Very interesting! I will believe it was a good choice since we have a wise man at the helm. I found it a little disconcerting that the stated reasons for her failures in the Clinton campaign were due to lack of authority. Being in the corporate world, I would never agree to that type of position without the accompanying requisite authority so I'm not impressed that Patty Solis-Doyle allowed herself to be put in that position. But perhaps she was told she would have the authority and things went the other way...

I think the one message this sends is that Obama isn't going to pick a Dick. He isn't going to pick someone who will try to control him or he will have to fight with over and over. He's going to pick a team player.

My guess?

Sebelius.

Edwards or Gore would be true dream tickets but they are both doubtful.

Anti-immigration reform Webb is ruled out.

I think it will be Sebelius or Kaine.

I was confused today after going to your old site! After some moments of poking around I realized you had moved! Sorry that you have had to deal with this situation.

I'm very happy to see you are vivito y coleando!

I like the new comment thread display. It's much easier to reply to a particular post!

Siempre me parecia buena gente la Paty, alguien que tenia poco en comun con los lobos con quien estaba trabajando. In my eyes she's not in need of rehabilitation, but I like seeing that she is having the last laugh.

I think it sends a message to his potential VP: you're not Dick Cheney. You're not going to be independent, you're going to answer to Obama. Everything and everyone is. I like the idea of having the president be in-charge rather than just being "the decider."

As for what it portends: I would say it makes Hillary less likely. She's not one to admit mistakes, and it would look kind weird for her to have "hired" back the woman she fired from her staff basically as a scape-goat. Also, if I recall correctly, Sebelius is a member of the DLC, correct? But that's kind of a stretch, I suppose. We'll just have to wait and see...

Hmm Solis-Doyle as Chief of Staff for the VP? Solis-Doyle who has the potential to do badly needed Hispanic outreach this election cycle? Could this be a straw in the wind that the VP candidate will be loyal, true friend, and fluent-in-Spanish Gov. Kaine from VA and that Hispanic outreach will be the special mission of the VP candidate and staff?

Not a bad move. If I'm right, remember you heard it here.

I'm glad to have found you, Al. Are you getting the money donated to send you to Denver? Do you have access to your old diaries or were they copyrighted through The Field? I want to support you here. Please let us know what you need.

TNR had a telling post about the sheer number of "X is a slap in the face to Hillary Clinton/Hillary Clinton supporters" one can find in a google search, dwarfing those of every other candidate. I truly believe this terminally offended subset (who will find all possible veep selections a slap in the face, even Sebelius because--of all things--she is a woman) is small and shrinking in number, but we have a few more days of their outrage playing to an ever-diminishing audience. Soon it will just be the occasional Lanny Davisism on Fox News as the rest, like Solis Doyle, move into the Obama campaign. (Always excepting Mark Penn.)

Some Hillary supporters take Obama winning the nomination as an unnecessary, gratuituous insult.

I think Obama needs to reach out to Hillary supporters, but not at the expense running the campaign he wants to run.

Al, what recommends Patti Solis Doyle? Where did she build her reputation, and for what? I'm fine with the idea that all the Clinton failures are not her fault, but I'm also looking for signs that she's eminently capable. What makes you say she's one of the Clinton people you'd hire?

Her symbolic value is so strong, given the history, it could not be an accident that she was chosen for this role. Whatever else it may signify, this is a signal to/about Clinton. Obama knows Clinton's campaign was not drama-free, and his campaign's supposed to be drama-free. No way he'd invite the drama of making Clinton and Solis Doyle play nice together day in and day out. I agree with those saying that this is a public notice that Clinton's not a VP candidate.

Maybe the message to VP candidates is that he'll pick VP campaign staff for them. But I'm guessing the true message is he's just picking this particular spot, because of the message he wants to send now, and that they'll need to trust his strategic judgment on this one. To claim the right to routinely pick their staff would be insulting. But this is a special situation.

Actually, I don't know why it was crucial to send this message right now. But I'm no expert. Nice to see again that Obama's not afraid to take the lead and expect others to follow.

I like that photo of Solis Doyle. Not sure what it is. She looks like someone you could connect with.

Tom W - Your words make me smile.

"The big election that just happened" really happened at the point, sometime in 2007, when it was clear that a presidential campaign could be triumphant because of small donors.

When somebody gives five dollars, he and she make an investment. And they work and work and work to make that investment pay.

What's happened here is a volunteer organization, getting its facts and rumor-squashing talking points, down to the level of every precinct and block in the country. When those somebodies add up to a million people, that's one amidst every 280 Americans (about one out of every 100 voters). As you know, there have been political organizations that have had one organizer per 100 voters. It just never formed so organically and horizontally before, without any of them needing to ask permission to do it.

The thing I have my eye on, because anyone with a brain can see what is happening: Watch out for the 11th hour maneuver on the GOP side to replace its nominee with someone like Romney.

But that will be the topic of a different post.

... LOL!!!

Zinzen - See here:

http://www.narconews.com/copublisher/application.php

We have all my old diaries (and all your comments) on file. It will take some time to be able to re-post them here. But we do have them. They have not been erased from history.

I have not gotten any of the money sent to send me to Denver, and most of the money sent to "Keep Al Writing."

I will issue a communique about that tomorrow.

He played some silly games over process, but he never played the race card, which puts him among a very small list among those top staffers.

Amie - La Paty empezó muy joven en la organización Clinton, y siempre fue marcada por su discreción y lealtad. Le hicieron mal en la estructura de la campaña, dandole la titula pero sin la autoridad. Es decir, le apendejaron como "token."

Creo yo que aprendió - en el momento que se hizo chiva expiatoria - una lección muy dura, y ya tiene los ojos mas abiertos. A mí me cae bastante bien, también.

Urraca - I've thought of that, too. I think Kaine is a rare decent human being in politics, that is to say, he's better than 95 percent of the people who enter that profession. Up the humans!

My sense over the past week is the Obama campaign is tipping its hand on a possible selection. Add a staffer who has experience in Hispanic voter outreach as the VP's chief of staff to a VP vetting committee that includes Caroline Kennedy and a possible assumption is the selection will be a Spanish-speaking politician who is close to the Kennedys.

Those criteria point to Chris Dodd, who could use the position to amplify his message on haebus corpus and FISA. Which would in turn provide a real contrast to the current vice president.

(This is not an endorsement of Dodd, but I sense Obama just may pick him. I'd be happy with any number of choices.)

"The thing I have my eye on...watch out for the 11th hour maneuver on the GOP side to replace its nominee with someone like Romney. But that will be the topic of a different post." -- Al G.

Wow! That's something I hadn't considered! Wow.

Nuisance Industry - Dodd was my early favorite (as careful readers of this blog remember) in the sense that in his political development he is the closest ideologically to Obama (especially on the Constitution and civil liberties) and brings heft in other areas, too, not to mention he speaks Spanish.

But this latest hiccup - that like the ex-vetter he got a sweetheart loan from Countrywide Insurance - may be fatal to that possibility. That would suck, but being chairman of Senate Banking Committee does have its drawbacks.

Aside from that, Obama couldn't do better in terms of picking someone ready to be president.

There was another post about Solis Doyle:

http://tinyurl.com/6rph6r

Mainly a citation of an El Diaro article.

Thanks for my email through Fieldhands which let me know about the move! Was surprised to find a different blog with no forward for you. Not nice. Glad to read about the refund. Glad to read the story and comments here about Doyle.

I'm thinking even a pres. who wants to call the shots would still allow his VP to have a say in who his/her chief of staff will be. Obama must know who the veep is. Just my guess.

Loosely. About as loosely as the rest of the Democratic Party. But she's also pretty damn progressive which is what matters, IMO.

How would you, if you were to be chosen as VP nominee, like the idea that you didn't even have the option of choosing your own Chief of Staff? I think this announcement is the pits, UNLESS Obama already knows who his choice is and that choice cleared the Doyle appointment.

I've been wanting a speech about the end of the Imperial Presidency, and for him to say, flat out, that the VP is NOT ABOVE THE LAW.

...the one with the 'affirmitive action' line at the RBC meeting where he had his little rant? I could've sworn it was him, but it was a pretty high-drama day and I may have been mistaken.

Not necessarily. Solis-Doyle is very likely not going to be the VP's chief of staff once he or she assumes office. This is all likely just for the campaign so both Obama and the VP candidate's staffs can remain coordinated and stay on message, especially for the VP and the staff they'll be bringing in. What better person to trust to handle this type of role than the good friend of the Obama campaign's chief strategist, David Axelrod?

There is probably more to it than this, but that's what my impression is right now.

Geez Louise, will somebody tell these self-obsessed nimnulls that PSD has been a friend of Obama's brother since frickin' childhood? Criminy, Clinton dead-enders: It's Not About You. Get over yourselves.

with this story and it's been interesting reading the pro-Clinton sites (not the overthetop crazy ones). It's so interesting to see that so much of the chatter is about whether it's good for Clinton or not, and whether Obama's sending a message to Clinton (um, I think that memo was sent a while ago). It's like looking at everything through a distorted lens of what it means to Hillary and not what it means for Obama or the General Election.

The story of fall and rise is a truly American one (and one that Sen. Clinton would probably like to play out too). Just because someone's been fired (and in politics!) doesn't mean she doesn't have uses and connections and talents and skills.

But, it's still about blaming Patti and anyone else (the media! the DNC! the sexists!), but not the one who ultimately made the decisions and bears the brunt of it.

I would be thrilled with either of them, especially Kaine, for the reasons Al and Urraca say. My husband is his Press Secretary, and I can say with confidence that Kaine is that rare person.

She has been hired as Chief of Staff for the VPs campaign, not for the Office of the VP. I think someone, even an ego-challenged politician (oh wait, I'm being redundant), might be okay with a fully functioning campaign staff from day one, realizing that it is only for a few months.

I got this the wrong way around earlier -- but anyway, her brother is a longtime friend of Obama's, and she knows Plouffe and Axelrod as well.

Tell the Hillary diehards to get a frickin' grip. Not everything is about them. In this case, PSD happens to have longstanding ties to Obama and his key people. Plus, she helps bring the Hispanic vote. You know, the voters Hillary allegedly magically controlled?

...Obama needs to hit the ground running. Unless it's not OK for him to be ready from Day One?

That was really well said.

The Clinton supporters are raging, raging against the dying of the (spot) light. They can't stand that's it's not all about them anymore--in fact, they can't comprehend it.

I'm more and more impressed by Al's analysis of everything. I think this is an Alinsky technique used by Barack. He is making nice with Hillary, but he is also showing her who has the power, and it is not her. I couldn't disagree more with the cover story in New York magazine this week, about how significant Hillary is.

I think she was at the apex of her power a few weeks back, and it is already fading away. I think her inner circle can say they're slapped in the face and outraged by every new development, but nonetheless Obama doesn't have to suck up to them. I think Sebelius will be the VP -- the logic is too powerful -- and it will outrage the Clintonites, because it takes away Hillarys sole remaining claim to significance, which is that she is the sole embodiment of feminism.

When there is another woman -- the same age, coincidentally --who is accomplishing historic firsts, like being on the ticket and being the first Vice-president, it will diminish Hillary significantly.

In six months, the number of people who care about Hillary Clinton will have shrunk to a tiny rump.

Fascinating suggestion, Al, about replacing McCain.. I've wondered (and worried) about that too. A supposed health crisis perhaps? I don't see Romney getting the nod, however.. Maybe Pawlenty?

Your influence is clearly rubbing off on me, Al, because I have been telling everyone I know, "What makes you so sure McCain will be the Republican nominee?"

Of course, I'm primarily trying to stir the pot, but I see several scenarios that could lead to this outcome.

The ever laughable BTD at TalkLeft literally titled his post on this hiring as "A Slap In The Face To Hillary Clinton."

Talk about predictable. And to top it off, he's made sure to reply to every sane post in his thread asking for any semblance of an explanation for his pronouncement with an "If you don't understand why I say this, you're a fucking moron."

How anyone can call that guy a friend and a colleague is truly beyond me.

I think PSD's hiring may send a message, but I think it is highly improbable that she was hired for that reason, for a few reasons:

1. She's an old old friend of Axelrod's - no way he would approve of using her for a merely symbolic hiring
2. It's just too professional an organization to use high profile hirings to "send messages" rather than put excellent people in place
3. She has the story of being ill-used by one campaign already...I don't see Obama's people as people who would pick up a wounded soldier just to wound her again

So, in the end I would say she has been hired for her competency, not her symbolic value...though I'm sure there has been great satisfaction with the message value as well.

According to someone (Jed?) in the past 2 cycles we first heard about the veep cos* about 1 to 2 weeks before we had a veep.

*I think chamber of secrets when I read this, which is actually quite apropos for Cheney.

Jed (I think) had a nice series on this. It seems unlikely in that there's no obvious standard bearer to replace him--for all that McCain isn't universally embraced by the base, any replacement (short of Reagan's zombified corpse) is even less loved. The most likely outcome is tepid support while positioning for 2012.

And let's not forget that Clinton actually once considered hiring David Axelrod to run her campaign - choosing in the end to stick with Mark Penn. Oops.

I think hiring PSD only demonstrates how small and incestuous the campaign management world is - second only to the television news world, as we've learned since Tim Russert's death. I wouldn't read too much into this hire beyond that. Let's face it: there are only so many presidential campaigns available to work on.

I'm not sure why some of the Clinton folks are up in arms about this (other than SOP knee-jerkism over anything Obama). I read this move as a merging of the two campaigns and fully expect others from the Clinton team to join Obama's campaign downstream. PSD had left Clinton's campaign early, so her moving into the Obama camp now shouldn't seem so disloyal.

I don't see the logic of this choice at all. She may be incredibly wonderful as a politican (I wouldn't know because there has been so little press about her -- yes, I know she gave the rebuttal to the SOTU) but she has next to zero name recognition with the general public, and very little experience as a relatively recently elected governor. Zero foreign policy/national security experience as well.

The biggest concerns voters have about Obama is his lack of experience. Doesn't make sense to match his perceived weakness with a VP with the same weakness.

Further, as a woman, I would perceive her selection as pandering since there are better qualified canidates.

I'd rather see someone like Clark or Richardson.

Feingold it shall be, for all the reasons you like Dodd and more... he'll bring Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, and the Midwest as a whole, and definitely help turn out the Jewish vote and Florida.

Perhaps, SD was hired because she's very qualified and this isn't a hint based on her sex or ethnicity.

Al,

I've missed you and am sooooo thrilled that you have kept the Field and your reporting. You are a truly a person I respect deeply because of your genuineness and unparalleled integrity. I trust you not based on your words but because your actions back up your words. I've missed the Field Hands too! I'm glad I've found you all! We must ALWAYS stick together for truth, justice, and making this world, continent, and US society of ours a better place. I'm now and forever a lifelong fan and customer of Al Giordano. Please don't ever go away Al!

I'm developing a crush on you too Al not bc of your looks but bc of your personality, ethics, standards, beliefs, values, and how you act and conduct yourself. Its all very attractive indeed. Your significant other is quite lucky and fortunate. Thanks again for keeping the Field!

Welcome Back Al :-)

Obama has specifically stated that he doesn't feel any lack on the foreign policy side--that the issue is one of attitude and approach to the world, and using good judgment. (And hiring the right people, and Biden, Powers, etc....there's no dearth there.) That he is not looking for a veep pick to burnish his foreign policy cred.

So a governor with executive experience makes a lot of sense--it's where I've been expecting him to pull from. With the occasional exception (Richardson) governors don't have fp experience--Bill didn't--and we manage.

Obama's lack of experience--this can't be mended with a veep. (It can be mended with good hires.) And while I veto McCaskill and Webb on the two-freshman-senators?-No front, for him to admit a lack of experience and point to an experience-heavy veep to make up for it is a negative even before Dick Cheney's example is invoked.

Woman--if he picks Sebelius I think it will be because they work well together, she was an early backer of his, their goals and styles mesh, and she lacks the skeletons in the closet that supposedly bedevil Richardson (women) and Dodd (sweetheart loan). If he picks a woman, Hillaryites will see only her gender, others will see only not-old-white-male, but I think Obama will have decided to risk those for someone he really wants to work with.

On Clark--fine on military, but the man hasn't held elective office. I always think the presidency is a bit too high to start. On Richardson I like him a lot and am just going on rumors that he has too many Bill-esque problems--if he doesn't, he'd be a great choice.

Yes, yes, yes. McCain's being undermined every step of the way. He's getting no defense from Republican groups when attacked, his own advisors are pushing him to flip-flop on every position some of us used to respect, they've entirely dropped the ball when it comes to anything a campaigning with three months to ramp up to full attack mode.

The only thing that makes sense is that the party is working behind the scenes--and probably behind McCain's back--to circle the wagons around a stealth nominee. Let's see...their convention is in July, right? That means that instead of the 18 months the press and blogosphere have had to scrutinize the declared candidates, the new candidate will have a free pass.

So: we're looking for someone who's got finances they can keep secret for a few months, no public record, rich, well-regarded with established Republican base voters--anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-social justice, anti-environmental, and pro-business.

Any takers? Let's say we can come up with a short list. And let's say that sometime in the next week or so one of the more popular outlets--DailyKos, HuffPost, etc.--picks up and posts about Al's recent adventures. And let's say that, embedded in that report is the idea of a stealth Republican candidate, with a few choice names attached.

I think the idea might creep up the food chain enough for it to creep into people's minds so at least some Americans will be prepared for the idea. And maybe us folks can start investigating so we can pull our own July Surprise with background on whomever pops out of the convention.

I personally don't think Sebellius would be a good choice for VP. There are other more viable candidates that would bring much more to the ticket. It is doubtful we could even win Kansas(her home state) with her on the ticket. I like her but I hope Obama doesn't choose her.

I agree with your assessment. I really don't see her adding much to the ticket.

I would love Russ as VP. Obama picking Feingold would highlight Obama's reformer, small-donor, civil-liberties-protecting, vote-protecting Midwestern strengths.

No idea if Countrywide would disqualify Dodd for VP; Johnson was eminently disposable in his position. It is possible that Obama would defend Dodd from similar criticism if he felt Dodd was the best pick.

Either man would bring dignity back to the vice-president's office.

Lenore: Their convention I believe is in September, just after the Democrats'. Producing a new nominee at that time will inevitably look like they were absolutely blown out of the water by the Dems' convention. Far more likely is reasoning of "We're going to lose. We're going to lose big. Let McCain go down on his own."
It's just not a good year to be a Republican nominee, most especially for president. Part of the reason for their sparse field.