Key Clinton aide questions Obama's veep credentials

Barack Obama has some boning up to do, at least according to Hillary Clinton's chief spokesman, Howard Wolfson.

Even as Wolfson's boss, the presidential candidate, and her husband, the ex-president, have been doing their part to fuel speculation about a potential Clinton-Obama Democratic ticket (see here and here), the aide today -- making clear he was speaking for the campaign -- doused some cold water on the notion.

During a conference call with reporters, Wolfson said: “We do not believe at this point that Sen. Obama has passed that key commander-in-chief test” that Clinton would require for a running mate.

But the aide held out the prospect that Obama could buff up his resume and meet the threshold (whatever it is) between now and the party's national convention in Denver in late August.

Perhaps he has a reading list that he can provide Obama (who late last week sought to scotch the prospect that he would be willing to play second fiddle to Clinton).

More on Wolfson's comments can by found in this Chicago Tribune post.

--Don Frederick

Comments

[Adam]

Isn't this the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard? The commander in chief test can be passed by doing something in a few months? This shows Clinton is really getting desperate. Obama is as ready to be commander in chief as she is and she knows it. Offering to make him VP shows that. Why the double-speak Hillary?

[MB]

How insulting. Is she running for high school student body president? Oh, and will the test be essay or multiple choice?

[jason calacas]

I would have to agree. What is she thinking? It shows poor thinking on the part of her and here campaign.

[Terrance]

Wow, they have finally done it! I have been a longtime Clintons' fan. I voted for Bill twice and was all ready and set to vote for Hillary. But this is it. I'm done. How can someone so seemingly desparate, dishonest and amoral expect to be elected our Commander-in-Chief? I mean, haven't we already gone down that road with Bush? How much more insulting can she be to the average American's intelligence with all her doublespeak? What a hypocrite. And this Wolfson guy is the absolute pits. For everyone's sake, can someone PLEASE put a muzzle on him right away? I really hope that Obama can stay above the fray and just march on towards history because I'm finally on his bandwagon too.

[CR]

Sounds like the Clinton camp realized how hypocritical they sounded in claiming Obama isn't ready to be President but would make a great VP (a heartbeat away from being Pres). Damage control after they saw how silly they are coming off on this.

[TheKK]

Team Hillary has to come out with this crap because OOOpps! All this talk of him as a running mate is lending credibility to his candidacy and suggesting maybe he DID cross the commander in chief threshold, whatever that is.

Hillary Campaign= desperate and INCOMPETENT. The most compelling reason not to vote for her at this point is how absolutely INEPT they have shown themselves to be at managing anything.

Mistake after mistake after mistake....

[Bill]

Why doesn't Hillary just return to her Young Republican Roots and run as McCain's VP? The Democrats would be well rid of her, she could finally be honest with herself and everyone else, and Obama could WIN and LEAD without her constant whining!

[ted chyn]

Howard W only has one vote. American people will make a determination of who is qualified. Wolfson is a hired lobbist and hired gun who collect millions dollars fee from clinton's should only speak for himself.

[Thomas Dark]

This is ridiculous. C'mon folks...she was the wife of an Arkansas governor and then Presidential First Lady. She has limited experience as a senator. She is no more suited to be commander in chief than Obama, McCain or even the bus driver I rode with today.

She couldn't even handle Bill's extra-marital affairs in the white house nor have the backbone to vote against senseless aggressions like Iraq.

[MB]

How insulting. Is she running for high school student body president? Oh, and will the test be essay or multiple choice?

[Eric]

You'd probably have to be under 13 years of age - the limit for this blog - to listen to the Clintons with a straight face but then I don't want to insult 13 year olds. How's the tax return coming along Hillary?

[petesb]

wolfson you need to be put out to pasture!!!

[Tabet Killianah]

EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD BY NOW KNOW HOW THE CLINTONS CAN MANUPILATE AND DECEIVE.

IT IS JUST TOO MUCH!!!

NOT COMMANDER IN CHIEF, NO EXPERIENCE BUT CAN BE A FORMIDABLE VEEP

ARE THEY TALKING TO PEOPLE WITHOUTINTELLIGENCE!!!

[Colin]

What a joke...it is so easy to see that all of this has been calculated by the Clinton campaign. Are we really to believe that an aide to the campaign openly and publicly disagrees with or questions the person he is trying to help elect to be president? Either this all is a structured plan, or the campaign is being so poorly mismanaged that everyone should question Hillary's ability to lead this nation (when she can't even lead her own campaign).

A vote for Clinton is in no way a vote for Obama - and never be fooled to believe otherwise.

Where is the news about Clinton's own involvement with the Canadian government regarding the NAFTA fiasco?? If it was such big news for Obama, why is a Clinton link not making the news??

[WitchHazel]

Wait. So if Obama studies enough, he can be VP?

Like, if I study real hard, I can pass my driver's test?

Ohhh well, then I'm gonna hit the books hard, and I'll be able to be VP by October. VOTE FOR MEEEEE AMERICA!

[Audrey]

If you say it, it is true. The woman who spent 15 years working on health care policy with zero result, the woman with less foreign policy experience than the handbag she carried overseas as First Lady is disparaging the credentials of a man who has caught the imagination of an entire generation. Even her public speeches (which she pays top dollar for) are dull and tired because she lacks the oratory to bring other people's words to life. Take away Bill's name, his charismatic campaign effect, and what have we got? Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Her quest for power cost Gore the election in 2000 and stuck us with Bush. Why doesn't someone write about that? Join the lecture circuit Hillary, go back to Walmart, just get out of the way so we can seize back the country you helped us lose in 2000.

[Joe]

The Clinton campaign's desperation is increasingly evident as they continuously send contradictory messages, trying to be all things to all people: demonizing Obama in one moment, praising him in the next; calling him too far right, too far left; saying he's not ready now, then saying they want him as a running mate. This is an obvious attempt to trick undecideds into thinking they're getting a twofer with Clinton (same thing Clinton said back in 2000). Which bad rerun will the Clintons throw at us next? Whichever one is poll-tested to scare/cajole/charm the largest number of voters.

[John]

Hussein Obama would only qualify for a dog catcher in a small town.

[Jack Brown]

The Clinton camp is topping themselves daily with their reality-challenged pronouncements... How exactly would Hillary be in a positions to offer Obama anything when he will inexorably lead her in the delegate count going into the convention?

What high-handed nonsense!

[fjfjdvdv]

After all the awful things Hillary has said about Senator Obama, why would she want to be his running mate? Let’s see, she’s claimed that he doesn’t want Americans to have health care, that he’d be a worse commander in chief than McCain, that his image is so clean that he must be hiding lots of scandals, and that he shouldn’t even be allowed to answer a phone.

So now she wants to be his running mate. Either (A) she knows her attacks were nothing more than groundless slander, or (B) she’s so blinded by a thirst for power that she would collaborate with the evil, evil Obama. I’m starting to lean toward (C) all of the above.

Whether she’s a liar or a power-hungry ogre, she’s lost my vote.

Oh yeah, and which is it, Hillary? Are you “honored to be here with Barack Obama,” like you say to his face, or is he the devil incarnate, as you say whenever he’s not around? I just can't figure out which of your contradictory positions you want me to believe.

[fjfjdvdv]

Note that one aspect of the hoodwinking is that the Clintons' current tactic keeps media attention on the question of Obama's fitness to be commander-in-chief. Why is nobody questioning her own readiness to assume this role?

For example, in her ‘3 a.m.’ advertisement, Senator Clinton tells us that we should vote for ‘someone who already knows the world’s leaders.” But she's the candidate who, in the most recent debate, couldn’t properly name the new president of Russia. When told Dmitri Medvedev’s name, she laughed and said: ‘Whatever.’ If she can’t remember the name of the newly-elected president of Russia, how can she pretend that she knows the world’s leaders?

And in January she joked that President Putin ‘doesn’t have a soul’ (New York Times, Feb 15). Are such statements appropriate for a future commander-in-chief who will need to work with foreign heads of state?

Honestly, why are we still even considering this person for office?

[Keilth]

Hillary Clinton (and should I also include Bill) are soo desperate to get back in the White House, they will come up with almost ANYTHING they can to win!! Kinda scary!!
I even have a half notion the "Clintons" have devised this scheme of Barack Obama being HILLARY's running mate in order for the Obama supporters will vote her way thinking it will get HIM into the White House also, be it half fiddle!! I think it is PURELY RIDICULOUS for her to even be discussing the prospects of a running mate, when ~
1. She is trailing in delegates. 2. He has won twice as many states as she has! John McCain ~ who has already WON the Republican nomination is only NOW beginning his VP search! People need to open their eyes to what the "Clintons" are doing behind the scenes!
I will say it again..... if she is at the top of the Dem. ticket, my Democratic vote will be in favor of the good ole Republicans!!!

[Chris McClum]

Who created the commander in chief test? Hillary? Who graded her paper? She did. I looked at the test paper she submitted and there were a lot of eraser marks and a few blank answers.

I gave the test to Obama and guess what? He passed with an A as he has done on most tests he has taken in his life.

[Brooks Clark]

This entire Obama VP discussion was completely planned. First Clinton claims that she is "considering Obama for her VP" but then, on second thought, she "realizes he does not have the credentials for VP". This comes after saying that both she and McCain would be an effective commander in chief but not Obama. It is clear that what is important to Hillary is winning and not much else. I can not bear to hear speak. When she comes on the radio I have to shut it off. She makes me ill.

[Tim]

Hillary is a huge hypocrite by self proclaiming "she's ready." I'm a veteran, and I know that you can only understand the Armed Forces by serving. Anyone can hold the title, but that doesn't mean the people working for you will respect you, especially if you're incompentent. Considering that neither have served in the Armed Forces, neither are qualified to claim "they're ready."