Edwards on Obama's VP list

2008-06-20 09:39

Washington - Former senators John Edwards and Sam Nunn are on a list of potential running mates for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a congresswoman said on Thursday, one day after she met with members of Obama's team vetting possible candidates.

Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Michigan Democrat who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, said members of her caucus asked her to forward the names of Edwards and Nunn when she met on Wednesday with Obama's vice-presidential search team. The vetting team, Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, indicated the two were on the list.

"We've been brainstorming in the Congressional Black Caucus. Former Senator Sam Nunn's name has come up, as well as John Edwards's name has come up among our CBC members. I reported that to them and they had both of those names on their list," Kilpatrick said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Al Gore

Kilpatrick said she made several suggestions during the 45-minute meeting, including former vice-president Al Gore, Pennsylvania Representative John Murtha and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Gore endorsed Obama in Detroit on Monday.

"I asked them what type of person the senator is looking for? And they said in general someone who could help him rebuild the country ... talking about change. How we reinvest in America, get people back to work and reinforce our education system and bring the jobs back," she said.

She declined to say which names were put forth by Kennedy and Holder during their meeting. The prominent Democratic attorneys have been meeting with lawmakers to receive feedback on Obama's potential running mate.

When Kilpatrick said Gore was her personal choice, "they had a smile on their face. They have a list of candidates. I think I may have been the first to do that. They didn't say one way or the other."

But she wasn't the only one to mention Gore.

Representative Joe Baca, chairperson of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, met on Wednesday with Kennedy and Holder. A former Clinton supporter, he offered Clinton's name but said he mentioned others, too. Those included Edwards, Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, Gore, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano.

"These are all good names," Baca said. "Ultimately the decision will be up to Obama."

- AP