In order to make their case, these folks first have to “come clean.”

The VERY FIRST action that (for instance) Mrs. Clinton would have to take would be to attest to the following as regards ALL OF her campaign contributors FROM NOW ON:

1. NO contribution is being made by them from the general treasury funds of a corporation, labor organization or national bank.
2. NO contribution is being made by them from the funds of a political action committee (PAC).
3. NO contribution is being made by them from the treasury of an entity or person who is a federal contractor.
4. NO contribution is being made by them from the funds of an individual registered as a federal lobbyist or a foreign agent, or an entity that is a federally registered lobbying firm or foreign agent.
5. ALL are United States citizens or lawfully-admitted permanent residents.
6. ALL are at least 16 years old.
7. NO contribution is being made by them in a way so as to avoid complying with Items 1-6, above.

Now…Mrs. Clinton (for instance) COULD WAIT until after Mr. Obama invites her to be on the ticket before personally attesting to the foregoing. However, if she waits, it will look like nothing more than political opportunism (which in fact it would be, of course).

On the other hand, NOT waiting might simply dry up much of her present campaign funding…funding that she needs to run for reelection as U.S. senator from New York (the latter assumes that Mr. Obama does not choose her).

More importantly…if Mr. Obama chooses a vice presidential running mate who can’t swear off his or her addiction to funds that don’t comply with Items 1-7, above…then the premise of Mr. Obama’s “independent” campaign for “individual” Americans will go straight down the tube, i.e., right down the drain.

That’s why Mrs. Clinton WILL NOT be the next vice president.

The person Mr. Obama needs is one who believes in Mr. Obama’s vision for all Americans so fervently that he or she is willing to “go for broke” insofar as “political funding as usual” is concerned.

I think that Mrs. Clinton (for instance) already has a corrupted and therefore so called “special interest” campaign contribution war chest…and so does Mr. McCain.

This next election is going to be the “battle of the titans”, i.e., the several titans of “special interests” against the “cumulative single titan” of individual Americans come together…the latter being what I like to call the “Middle Class/Working Class Argonaut”.

Jack

P.S. Mr. Obama/Mrs. Pelosi/Mr. Reid and every single democrat in congress (and republicans who can see their way to do it) have got to lead the way in creating jobs and cutting taxes for the Middle Class (down to a max of 15% from 25%) and likewise the Working Class (down to a max of 5% from 10%-15%)…in order to facilitate Working Class upward mobility into the Middle Class, i.e., so that America can re-grow the Middle Class as it did through two world wars and the Great Depression.

Likewise, Mr. Obama/Mrs. Pelosi/Mr. Reid and every single democrat in congress (and republicans who can see their way clear to join in) have got to lead the way on raising taxes for the Privileged Class and Super Privileged Class (up to at least the pre-1981 level of 70%), so that the bills of our great nation can finally be paid again.

Up until 1981, the Middle Class & Working Class traditionally spilled their blood in America’s wars, and consumed the U.S. economy into profitability for the Privileged Class and Super Privileged Class. Up until 1981, the Privileged Class (for example, members of the U.S. congress and U.S. presidents and corporate CEO’s et al) traditionally got America’s Middle/Working Class into wars…but also created Middle/Working Class jobs and paid America’s bills.

Beginning in 1981, the Privileged Class and Super Privileged Class slashed their own taxes from 70% down to 50% (and in 1986 from 50% down to 28%), and then stopped paying America’s bills…while borrowing from the Middle/Working Class social security trust fund and foreign governments…and raising taxes on the Middle/Working Class to at least 15%-28% (from the pre-1981 10%-11%).

Frankly, there is no other way to lift the American economy out of the “$4.50-gas/$135-oil” hole that Messrs. Bush/Hastert-Gingrich/Frist-Lott led the way on digging (the latter “shovelers”, of course, to include powerful democrats who went along with the republicans on domestic and foreign policy…including Speaker of the House “Tip” O’Neill (in league with Mr. “the Gipper” Reagan on tax “relief” for the Privileged Class & Super Privileged Class); and the 29 democrat senators who helped send America’s (Middle/Working Class) Best & Finest into the quicksand & blood of a perhaps 10-year counterinsurgency in Iraq…among these Privileged Class democrats: Mrs. Clinton and Messrs. Reid, Daschle & Kerry and Mrs. Feinstein, at whose home Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton recently met).

Jack

Invite a conservative democrat.

Invite a person who has military experience, e.g., in Vietnam…and whose child has military experience in Iraq or in Afghanistan. In other words, invite a person whose family believes in serving in the active duty uniform of our great nation.

Invite a person who has switched parties, because his or her conscience just can no longer abide the downhill slide while a republican is “at the helm” and while republican foreign and domestic policies are “guiding” the destiny of our great nation.

Invite a woman if one can be found.

Otherwise, invite Senator Jim Webb of Virginia…one junior senator to another junior senator.

Jack

P.S. Quote from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb: On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Webb declined to stand in the line to have his picture taken with the president, whom Webb often criticized during the campaign. The president approached Webb later and asked him, “How’s your boy?”, referring to Webb’s son, a Marine serving in Iraq. According to Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, aides warned the President to be “extra sensitive about talking to Webb about his son, since Webb’s son has had a recent brush with death in Iraq.” Webb replied “I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President.” Bush responded, “That’s not what I asked you. How’s your boy?” Webb responded, “That’s between me and my boy, Mr. President.” The Hill cited an anonymous source who claimed that Webb was so angered by the exchange that he confessed he was tempted to “slug” the president, but of course did no. Webb later remarked in an interview, “I’m not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall.”

Two people he should seriously consider are Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana or Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma. With Henry you get a conservative democrat who will help with the Southern vote and Schweitzer is a scientist who is big on energy policy. He should stay away from knowns like Biden, Edwards, Richardson, etc. Research my two choices and see what you think.