Veepstakes: Lovin' Lieberman?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

According to Le Politico, Lieberman is still "very much in the mix" for McCain. Indeed, McCain is "seriously considering choosing a pro-abortion-rights running mate despite vocal resistance from conservatives."

Yeah, sure.

McCain and Lieberman are good friends, and some conservatives would welcome Lieberman's hawkishness (and Republicans the fact that he has become a Zell Miller-like anti-Democrat), and he would likely get a top post in a McCain Administration, but McCain the Panderer -- and, these days, he is not campaigning so much as pandering to anyone and everyone, from Harley bikers to theocrats -- isn't about to pick a pro-choicer to be his running mate.

It won't be Lieberman, just like it won't be Ridge.

Indeed, according to Fox News, "senior McCain advisers and aides have told RNC officials that McCain 'got the message' last week that choosing a running mate who supports abortion rights would not be helpful." Which is to say, the extremist pro-life christianist theocrats who make up so much of the Republican base -- and, indeed, so much of the party itself -- wouldn't like it one bit.

And that, to Republicans, and hence to McCain, is what matters.