Sam's Club Republican

In spite of the fact that we have been sure to keep our lines of communication open, John McCain has yet to contact The View regarding our thoughts on his selection of a running mate. And while that may never happen, handicapping McCain's possible Vice Presidential picks can be an interesting exercise in itself as well as an additional point of view on the main contest.

Two of the last men standing on the short list are former Mass. Governor, Mitt Romney, and Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty. We here in the Bay State know a little bit about Mitt, but Pawlenty is more of an unknown. Both have experience as republican Governors in Blue states. (Minnesota has gone democratic in every presidential election since 1960, except for 1972.) As a result, both have had to sail close to the wind, i.e take moderate positions, in order to be able to govern effectively.

An interview in today's WALL STREET JOURNAL, provides an interesting description of the man and his politics, both of which deserve careful attention. The following excerpt from one of Pawlenty's recent speeches highlights his centrist orientation:

"I'm the son of a truck driver and a housewife from a meatpacking town," he introduced himself, "who wants to provide a better quality of life for ordinary folks without growing government." His audience stirred: This was clearly a different sales pitch than they were used to. "We must be the party of Sam's Club Republicans, not just country club Republicans," he continued.

In addition to a strong personal rapport with McCain, his views on the issues generally line up pretty well with those the GOP presidential candidate, which brings up the sensitive subject of his own centrist tendencies. But before throwing McCain under the bus due to concern for his conservative bona fides, it is wise to remember that the election is not going to be won solely on the strength of conservative principals as the successful candidate must also be able to convince the great middle that he can govern effectively. When asked what lessons he had learned from Ronald Reagan, he gave an insightful answer:

"He was proudly conservative," he replied, "but we sometimes forget he got things done as governor and president that represented compromises. If today you went to someone and outlined Reagan's record without using his name some conservatives would want to throw him out of the party. But he never wavered on core principles and he made the country a better and more conservative place."

Balancing one's conservative principals with a "get-it-done" attitude is easier said than done. But when a state task force recommended a Massachusetts-style requirement for the purchase of individual health care, Pawlenty rejected the proposal citing the burden on the already stretched budgets of low-income citizens. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, still crows about the passage of health insurance reform in Massachusetts, which occurred on his watch. While the two state plans have differences, Romney's claims of accomplishment in this area, may well turn out to make him a untenable as a VP candidate.

As reported in today's GLOBE, Massachusetts, yesterday,requested the fourth two-week extension of the federal waiver that has allowed federal Medicaid funds to be used in a non-conforming manner to fund the state's Commonwealth Care program. The waiver was scheduled to expire on June 30th, and there is some indication that the US Department of Health and Human Services is balking at accepting the state's policies on coverage. If this waiver is not extended, it is almost certain to bring down the financial house of cards that is keeping health care reform aloft. Such a failure will have politicians of all stripes running for cover and will certainly take some of the lustre off Romney's list of accomplishments.

Keep an eye on T-Paw. We may be hearing a lot more about him as we move towards the Republican convention in early September