Veep Stakes (Repugs)

[FOTD]

They can't think outside their little boxes...

McCain picks former Reagan official to head VP search  
By J. Taylor Rushing  
Posted: 05/23/08 05:53 PM [ET]

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mccain-selects-former-reagan-official-to-head-vp-search-2008-05-23.html

"Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has tapped a former Reagan administration official to head his campaign's search for a vice presidential nominee.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) told The Hill that Arthur Culvahouse, who was Reagan's White House counsel from March 1987 to January 1989, will be helping McCain vet candidates and develop a list.


Alexander and Culvahouse have known each other for decades and both have connections to former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn.).

"It's Arthur B. Culvahouse, that's who's heading the search," Alexander said.

Culvahouse refused to comment to The Hill, as did the McCain campaign.

"John McCain is heading his search committee, and other than that we don't talk about it," said Charlie Black, a top McCain adviser.

Culvahouse is a partner at O'Melveny & Myers and works in the law firm's Washington, DC office. He has practiced law with O'Melveny & Myers from 1976 to 1984, and from 1989 to the present. From 1982 to 1984, he was a partner with the law firm of Vinson & Elkins.

The Senate Office of Public Records does not list him as a current lobbyist though he did lobby for Lockheed Martin in 1999 and Fannie Mae in 2005. Last month, O'Melveny & Myers submitted a document to the Senate records office stating that Culvahouse no longer lobbies for the Civil Justice Reform Group, which has pressed Congress to pass tort reform.

Culvahouse has been active in GOP circles, consistently contributing thousands of dollars to Republican candidates. He donated to McCain in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Other Republicans that Culvahouse has contributed to include Sens. Alexander, Arlen Specter (Pa.) and Richard Lugar (Ind.).

In January, The Washington Times noted that Culvahouse was one of the "Reagan alumni" backing McCain for president. At the time, Culvahouse said, "I think Reagan would have agreed with McCain that we must win in Iraq. Both of them had long-held beliefs that were not negotiable.

John McCain is the only candidate who can rally the Reagan coalition of conservatives, independents and conservative Democrats needed to defeat the Democratic nominee."

Culvahouse favored George W. Bush over McCain in the 2000 GOP presidential primary, contributing a total of $3,000 to the now president, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Bush selected Culvahouse to be a member of the president's Intelligence Oversight Board in 2006.

McCain is hosting several potential vice presidential candidates this weekend at his ranch in Sedona, Ariz., including former presidential candidate and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.).

McCain's choice of Culvahouse is also likely to spur talk that Culvahouse will end up on the presidential ticket since Vice President Cheney led Bush's vice presidential search before ending up with the job. Cheney and Culvahouse have known each other for over 20 years.

Alexander, in his response to The Hill when quizzed about whether he would take the job, half-jokingly said earlier this month, "I know already who it will be: The man in charge of the search...That's how you get to be vice president."

Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) echoed Alexander at the time.

"That seems to work well," he said. "It certainly seemed to work well for the last guy from Wyoming."

As Reagan's lawyer, Culvahouse advised the president during the Iran-Contra investigations, the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Anthony Kennedy, according to his law firm's Web site.

Reagan awarded Culvahouse a Presidential Citizens' Medal in January 1989 as he was leaving office.

From 1990 to 1992, Culvahouse served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Nuclear Failsafe and Risk Reduction, appointed by then-Defense Secretary Cheney. In December 1992, Cheney awarded Culvahouse the Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Culvahouse counseled Baker from June 1973 to November 1976, during which time Alexander was the GOP nominee for governor of Tennessee.

He also publicly supported the controversial nomination of John Bolton to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 2005."

Sam Youngman contributed to this article.


I say be consistant and pick Chee knee again.
But it will no doubt be someone with little help. It's a hopeless situation.