The Hill asked the 97 senators not running for president...

[randomness]

...whether they'd accept the VP spot.

Here are some of the answers:

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
“We already have a vice president from Wyoming. So we’ll have to see if Sen. McCain asks me to chair his selection committee. That seems to work well. It certainly seemed to work well for the last guy from Wyoming.”

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.)
“No, I can already preside over the Senate, and I do not enjoy spending a lot of time at ‘undisclosed locations.’ ”

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)
“Yes. Sign me up. I’ve been kidding people for years: The hours are better, the wages are just as good — whoever heard of a vice president getting shot at? — and it’s a great opportunity to travel. And actually since time has gone by, the job is robust … So sure. Anybody here would, if they’re going to be honest. The chances are slim to none. But I promise you, I would deliver all three of Delaware’s electoral votes.”

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho)
“I would say ‘No, Hillary.’ ”

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
“No, I’d have Jon Stewart stand in for me. Jon Stewart. That’s my guy.”

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
“I plan to stick with my current job until I get the hang of it.”

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
“No, and in my case it’s obvious: There’s not going to be two candidates from Arizona.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)
“Once is enough. I already have the T-shirt and I’m proud of it. I yield to my colleagues.”

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.)
“I’d say, ‘Please read the Constitution.’ I wasn’t born in America; I can’t be VP.”

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
“Absolutely. Absolutely. I think I would be great. First of all, I know how to behave at weddings and funerals. And I know how to be commander in chief. I’d bring a lot of fun to the job. We would rock the Naval Observatory.”

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
“The chances of that are so remote that I’m more likely to be hit by an asteroid.”

The noteworthy thing here is that in general, the ones who have a serious chance give nuanced answers.

Hat tip: tenzil.

Comments

[dianec42.livejournal.com]

Umm, your subject seems to have gotten truncated. I'm too tired to fill in the rest myself, though I am amusing myself trying.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Edited.

[dianec42.livejournal.com]

I actually just read the end of the list... I still love Sen. Mikulski. (-:

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

I probably wouldn't enjoy Sen. Byrd spending a lot of time at An Undisclosed Location either.

[belfrynotes.livejournal.com]

What kind of world would we have to live in to have for the phrase "Vice President Larry Craig" to be uttered in truth? Would it be a better world or not? In some ways I feel sorry for him. I mean, he's not more hypocritical than a lot of other senators. On the other hand, he is pretty much an asshole. I need to look up who's declared to run for his seat in the fall.

[digitalemur.livejournal.com]

"We would rock the Naval Observatory."

That is one of the funnier statements I've heard this week.

[ishaa.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thanks for this. I had to go find the full list.

I also was amused by these:

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
“No. I’ve got too many things that I still want to do as a senator. And I don’t like the idea of a job where you sit around and wait for someone to die.”

Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah)
“Of course. Big house, big car, not much to do. Why not?”

The accompanying story adds this:

“Besides, there was a famous quote about the vice presidency from Franklin Roosevelt’s vice president,” [Richard] Shelby said. “You should look that up.”

Shelby was referring to John Nance Garner, who served under Roosevelt from 1933 to 1941 and described the job as “not worth a bucket of warm piss.”


Also, what the hell, John Sununu is a Senator now? I did not even know that. A little Googling reveals that in fact this is the son of the John Sununu who worked for Bush I.