The morning after MSNBC's Chris Matthews discussed his strengths and weaknesses as a possible running mate for Barack Obama, the campaign of U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said the former Democratic presidential nominee is "not interested" in being vice president. "I can't be more clear about this. No. Not interested," Kerry's campaign manager Roger Lau told PolitickerMA.com Tuesday. "The only job John Kerry is running for, contemplating, or considering, is the one he already has as senator from Massachusetts."
Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) made his way into the constant stream of vice presidential candidate speculation Monday night, as MSNBC's Chris Matthews dedicated his "Name that Veep" segment of "Hardball" to the pros and cons of putting the 2004 Democratic nominee on the ticket.
Responding to the speculation, Roger Lau, Kerry's Senate campaign manager, said Tuesday that the senator is in no way interested in the position.
"I can't be more clear about this. No. Not interested," Lau told PolitickerMA.com. "The only job John Kerry is running for, contemplating, or considering, is the one he already has as senator from Massachusetts."
Yet there are reasons why Kerry would be a good choice for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said Michael Shea, a Boston Democratic strategist. "No Democrat in history," he said, "has gotten as many votes or raised as much money as Kerry did in the last election."
More, Kerry would bring Obama substantial experience on foreign policy and has substantial military experience, two perceived areas of weakness for Obama, Shea added. Kerry's "tremendous experience in the Senate" could only help Obama, Shea said.
But Kerry's increasingly large role in the Senate is exactly why he doesn't want a new job.
"This is John Kerry's moment in the Senate," Lau said. "He was just ranked the 12th most powerful senator out of 100. He chairs the Small Business Committee that delivers millions in loans for women and minorities in Massachusetts. He's ranked No. 3 on the Foreign Relations Committee and No. 3 on the Commerce Committee. Barbara Boxer just called him the Senate's ‘go-to guy' on global climate change," he said, referring to the U.S. senator from California.
To Kerry's detractors, though, he would be welcome on the ticket, if only because they think it would hurt Obama's chances in November.
"We encourage Sen. Obama to pick Senator Kerry as his running mate because they have a lot in common," said Barney Keller, spokesman for the Massachusetts GOP. "Both of them support higher taxes, both of them oppose gas price relief, both of them voted against money for our troops, and in November, both will be failed presidential candidates."
Lau, unsurprisingly, sees things differently and said Kerry looks forward to working with an Obama administration from his seat in the Senate
"After November [the senator will] be serving with considerable seniority in the Democratic majority with a partner as president whom he endorsed very early," Lau said. "John Kerry is teed up to play an incredibly central role in what he describes as the 'first moment of real progressive legislating' since the Great Society. Why would he want to leave the Senate now? There's a reason John Kerry is running so hard for re-election and taking nothing for granted."
