The Veepstakes Heat Up: McCain-Romney and Obama-Kaine

former VA Gov. Tom Kaine and Obama
McCain and former MA Gov Mitt Romney

There are exactly 26 days until the start of the Democratic National Convention in Denver on August 25-28. So, sometime in the next four weeks the identity of the vice-presidential candidates on both national tickets will most likely become known. The Beijing Olympics are from August 8 to 24. Barack Obama has already made a $5 million advertising buy to promote his presidential campaign on NBC's Olympic coverage.

The Veepstakes (the search for a Vice Presidential candidate) has reached a fever pitch.

On the Republican side most of the discusion is about a McCain-Romney ticket.

On the Democratic side most of the discussion is about an Obama-Kaine, Obama-Clinton, Obama-Biden or Obama-Sebelius ticket.

MadProfessah had been mildly supportive of Virginia Tim Kaine being on the ticket but that is before I read these posts from noted progressive bloggers Rod McCollum, Melissa McEwan and Matt Stoller:

Rod2.0:
Choosing the first term Virginia governor for the number two slot appears to be the conventional wisdom, albeit a bland and uninspiring choice. The Dixiecrat endorsed Obama early in the primary and is anti-choice, pro-death penalty and supported the Iraq War—the perfect resume for the "post-partisan" Republican lite politics of the new "Democratic" Party.The icing on the cake is Kaine's woeful record on gay rights—against gay adoption, partner benefits, discrimination legislation, and ,of course, against same-sex marriage and supported the amendment that now bans gay marriage in the Commonwealth. The Virginia governor also has the distinction of running one of the more creative gay-baiting campaigns in recent history, branding his anti-gay Republican opponent "having a gay sounding voice." Kaine is hardly presidential timber—more like pressed plywood.

Melissa McEwan:
Suffice it to say I am as decidedly unthrilled as I am (unfortunately) totally unsurprised that the Obama campaign is even considering putting a gay-baiting DINO war hawk whose personal "views on abortion are roughly in line with those of George W. Bush" on the ticket.

Matt Stoller:
Kaine is a very bad choice for VP. He's done nothing as Governor except turn a functional state government into a partisan cesspool of giveaways to the rich and anger everyone in the process. And on national positions, the only thing he brings to the table is that he can play the Lieberman as VP role again. And sequels usually suck, especially if the original was bad.
You can read more from those who know him best and even helped get him elected at RK, the blog that no longer bears his name out of disgust for what he has done as Governor.

If this is a trial balloon then it is fair to descibe the progressive blogosphere unimpressed. Next!