With Hillary Clinton’s announcement of a running mate imminent, the White House and former President Bill Clinton have both expressed support for Sen.
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Clinton will visit Orlando on Friday, scheduled to meet with victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and travel to Tampa for a campaign rally later that day at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he doesn’t have any flights booked to Florida this weekend, where Hillary Clinton is expected to unveil her choice for a running mate.
She is said to be focusing on Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vlsack, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
One source close to the Clinton campaign says Kaine has the upper hand, but warned that the former secretary of state may deliver a surprise. Fox News reports that Clinton is expected to announce her vice presidential running mate on Friday, with three names reportedly on the short list.
Clinton campaign aides say she is considering a vice presidential running mate with national security experience, a factor that has sharpened the focus on former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis, who now is dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, a graduate school for global affairs.
Booker, who often fires up audiences for Clinton, appeared with other Democrats in Cleveland on Thursday to push back against Trump and Republicans, who have spent the week assailing her character.
“I think the junior senator’s got a bright, bright future”, Warner said to laughter and applause.
Perez has little campaigning experience, however, having only held one term on a county council from 2002-06.
Kaine has been considered a leading contender for weeks based on his broad experience in Virginia, a presidential battleground state, as governor, senator and mayor of Richmond. Should Trump have picked a woman or a black or Latino vice presidential candidate, Clinton aides thought they would have to match Trump’s pick to respond.
Clinton has been relying on advice from Obama and her husband, as well as her campaign chairman John Podesta. “However, my belief is there are those out there whom she knows better, has a history with, and who appeal to her as more of a known entity, for better or worse”.
“Clinton’s going to be an Obama on steroids when it comes to regulation”, Grassley says, which is a stark difference between her and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. “Cory Booker of New Jersey is also under active consideration for her ticket, according to a Democrat with knowledge of the process”.
Kaine and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have emerged as Clinton’s top two presidential picks, CNN reported. She has always been viewed as a running mate who could help Clinton appeal to Sanders’ loyal supporters. She said in an interview Monday with Charlie Rose for CBS News that she has met with a “bunch” of candidates and said, “I am blessed with a broad group of people to choose from”.
The Democrats are familiar with the selection process and spoke on the condition of anonymity, because they were not authorized to discuss the search publicly.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman of OH said Kaine would be “a good pick” for Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
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He’s a safe, defensive choice, not an exciting one and it’s unclear if Clinton should be playing a preventative defense at this point.
