Opinion: A dark horse for Barack Obama’s #2: Chet who?
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Chances are you’ve never heard of Rep. Chet Edwards, a Texas Democrat whose main claim to fame may come from the identity of his best-known constituent: He’s President Bush‘s congressman.
But the visibility of the nine-term legislator could increase dramatically, thanks to the repetition of some kind words from a powerful Washington politician, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Appearing this morning on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ the San Francisco Democrat had this exchange with host George Stephanopoulos about Barack Obama‘s vice presidential considerations:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask you a question about the vice presidency. Sen. Obama seems to be closing in on a pick. And Newsweek reported today that you’ve been pushing one of your colleagues in the House, Congressmen Chet Edwards of Texas. Now, not a lot of Americans know much about Chet Edwards. Why would he be a good vice president? PELOSI: First of all, I support anyone that Sen. Obama is comfortable with for vice president. I didn’t want to see a discussion of candidates for vice president without showing the House of Representatives. Chet Edwards -- for years, our colleagues have said to....
...him, ‘Why don’t you run for president?’ He is an extraordinarily talented person. He is a champion for veterans in the Congress. He has -- under his leadership, we have passed, including just on Friday, the biggest increase in funding for veterans’ health benefits and other benefits in the history of our country.
He’s a master of needs of our military and their families. He understands the issues of nonproliferation. He has been a champion in the Appropriations Committee and the Congress.
He is -- he’s from South Texas. He represents -- or he’s from Crawford, Texas.
STEPHANOPOULOS: President Bush’s congressman?
PELOSI: He represents President Bush in the Congress. (LAUGHTER) He is as talented, as principled ...
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you thing he’s got a shot?
PELOSI: Well, I think -- well, I would certainly hope so. But, you know what? Sen. [Christopher] Dodd, Sen. [Joe] Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton -- there’s such a great array of people from whom Sen. Obama can choose.
So, any one of them I’m fine with. I just wanted people to be aware of the extraordinary credentials of Chet Edwards. And I hope he will be the nominee.
A request to Edwards’ office for comment elicited no immediate reply. Later Sunday evening, though, he released the following statement: ‘I am deeply grateful for Speaker Pelosi’s gracious comments about me, and I will join with her in strongly supporting Sen. Obama’s choice for vice president.’
Edwards, 56, serves on the Budget Committee and the Appropriations Committee, chairing the appropriations subcommittee on military construction, veterans affairs and related agencies. A graduate of Texas A&M University, he -- like Bush -- has an MBA from Harvard University’s business school.
In other veepstakes news off the Sunday talk shows:
- Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) told CNN’s ‘Late Edition’ that the Obama campaign had not asked her for personal documents as part of the vetting process. Asked whether she thought a decision was coming soon, she said: ‘I talked to Barack about it this weekend. You know what he did? He just smiled.’
- Former White House budget director/U.S. Trade Representative/congressman Rob Portman, who could shore up John McCain‘s economic credentials, said on CNN that he had not been asked for any personal documents either. ‘I think the whole VP thing is a little bit overrated,’ he said. ‘It’s important, but maybe the media is giving it a little bit more importance than it deserves.’
- Tom Ridge, who served as the first Homeland Security secretary and as governor of Pennsylvania, said his support of abortion rights wouldn’t necessarily disqualify him from the GOP’s No. 2 slot. ‘At the end of the day,’ he told ABC’s ‘This Week,’ noting that he and McCain had been friends for 25 years, ‘I think the party would be comfortable with someone that Sen. McCain is comfortable with, and that’s ultimately his decision.’
-- Leslie Hoffecker