Kerry Running-Mate Talk Picks Up, McCain Says No

By Patricia Wilson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic White House candidate John Kerry ended a campaign swing on Wednesday to hold a series of "private meetings" that added more fuel to the vice presidential guessing game.

Reuters Photo

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee spent the morning in the critical battleground state of Ohio -- where he announced a $20 billion, 10-year plan to help parents with child care -- before returning to Washington.

Aides declined to say who the Massachusetts senator met with during three hours in his Capitol Hill office, but several congressional colleagues on the list of vice presidential possibilities were only steps away.

"I don't talk about the veep thing, you know that," Kerry told reporters. "I've been very disciplined."
Republican Sen. John McCain scotched the idea of a cross-party election ticket with Kerry, declaring: "I will not be a candidate for vice president of the United States."

With the clock running on the selection process, Kerry advisers hope the unequivocal statement will finally lay to rest any lingering notion that the Democratic candidate hopes to persuade the Arizona senator and fellow Vietnam War veteran to join him in challenging President Bush on Nov. 2.

Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter noted: "He also said he hadn't been offered the job." Democratic sources said Kerry was miffed by reports that he had discussed the job with McCain on several occasions and been rebuffed.

Keeping his vice presidential selection almost as private as the choice of a new pope, Kerry and his staff have refused to speculate on names or even discuss the process that veteran Democratic operative Jim Johnson is overseeing.

WILL CHOOSE BEFORE CONVENTION

The candidate's stock response is that he will choose a running mate "before the convention," which begins in Boston on July 26. But Democratic officials said they expected an announcement by mid-July at the latest.

Among those in Congress who have been mentioned as possible running mates were Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, and Florida Sen. Bob Graham, all former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination. Edwards' office said he was in New York.

Others mentioned are Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana, Bill Nelson of Florida and John Breaux of Louisiana.
A dark horse surfaced on Tuesday when Kerry was asked if he was considering Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden. "He's a great friend of mine," Kerry responded.

Adding to the flurry of speculation, two governors considered possible picks -- Tom Vilsack of Iowa and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas -- were in Washington for the release of a new report on health care.
Cutter said only that Kerry was "meeting with his colleagues in the Senate and having private meetings."
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, another former rival, is co-hosting a fund-raiser for Kerry in Washington on Thursday night.

The Kerry campaign announced he had raised more than $100 million since March, topping Bush for the third straight month and shattering Democratic records. But his war chest still falls far short of the $216 million Bush has raked in for his re-election bid.

McCain acknowledged on NBC's "Today" show that he had had "numerous conversations" with Kerry. "I have never been offered the job," he said. "I promise you, I will not be vice president of the United States."

McCain, who challenged Bush for the Republican nomination in 2000, said he would actively campaign for the president.

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