Lately McCain has been testing the waters with former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. McCain told The Weekly Standard: “I think that the pro-life position is one of the important aspects or fundamentals of the Republican Party."
Yet in his next breath, he added, "And I'm not trying to equivocate here -- that Americans want us to work together. You know, Tom Ridge is one of the great leaders and he happens to be pro-choice. And I don't think that that would necessarily rule Tom Ridge out.” I guess you could say he incited the Evangelical-Conservative base into nothing short of a riot.
That’s not the only reason for speculation. John McCain has been hanging out with Ridge A LOT. He’s been to Pennsylvania, a serious battleground state, more than six times over the past several months. He was there on Monday and Tuesday of this week, swinging through Erie to Harrisburg and Lancaster. The pals were even spotted at a Bass Pro Shop in suburban Harrisburg on Tuesday.
Congressional Credentials:
1st Secretary of Homeland Security (2003 – 2005)
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security (2001 – 2003)
Governor of Pennsylvania (1995 – 2001)
US House of Representatives (1983 – 1995)
Background:
Ridge was born to a Navy veteran / traveling salesman and is of Slovakian and Irish descent. He grew up in Munhall, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. Later, Ridge earned a scholarship to Harvard and received his JD from the Dickinson School of Law. He’s also a decorated Vietnam Veteran. This 62-year-old has been married since 1979 and has two children -- Lesley and Tommy. Now he’s working in the private sector on the advisory boards of Home Depoit, Deloitte & Touche, the Hershey Company, Tech Radium and Cernium.
His Agenda:
Terrorism, law and order, education reform, economics, environment
Foreign Policy Cred:
Like McCain, Ridge is a decorated Vietnam vet. He was an infantry staff sergeant, which earned him the Bronze Star, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaig Medal, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
He was a favorite of Colin Powell’s for the Secretary of Defense position in Bush’s cabinet, although several prominent politicians didn’t feel Ridge had enough security experience. He still found a place in the newly created Department of Homeland Security – for whatever that’s worth. He didn’t seem happy in his post there: they were always fighting over changing the colored terror alert levels. Ridge would say he didn’t think it was necessary to alarm the people but he was always overruled in the end. As a result, Ridge resigned from his position in 2005, citing “family reasons.”
Domestic Policy Cred:
This is where Ridge would be the biggest asset to McCain, who critics say lacks executive experience. In his two terms as governor, he cut taxes every year (totaling $2 billion) and grew the Commonwealth’s budget by 2-3% every year, ending with a billion-dollar “Rainy Day” fund to be used during a recession. He focused on technological advancements and $650 million in Greenhouse initiatives to improve everything from education to the environment. His Children’s Health Insurance Program increased free or low-cost coverage for children by 145%. In short, blue collar Pennsylvanians love him.
There’s another side, though. Ridge is a tough dude… (as if you couldn’t tell by looking at his stern countenance.) As Assistant District Attorney in Erie County in 1980, he prosecuted 86 cases in just two years. When he became governor, he supported California’s harsh “three-strikes law” and signed over 224 execution warrants (five times the number signed over the last 25 years!)
Star Achievements:
He received the Woodrow Wilson Award
Erie International Airport was renamed Tom Ridge Field
There is also a Tom Ridge Environmental Center
His governorship was widely viewed as a success and he hasn’t lost a political race to date!
Possible Snafus:
There’s nothing terribly exciting about this man. According to Lisa Schiffren at the National Review Online, the problem with Ridge is “bottom line: too unsexy.” (Thanks for bringing down the female journalist community with your E-News style reporting there! Geez.)
The Department of Homeland Security gig was a bust. The whole creation of the Department comes off as arbitrary and stupid to most Americans – especially when they were advising us to “purchase duct tape in the event of a chemical attack” and raising the terror alert levels to a new color every other day for seemingly no reason. NY Times writer Nicholas D. Kristoff reported back in May 2002, “Tom Ridge's command center is symptomatic of the floundering war on terrorism.” Yikes!
The Democrats have already begun their attack to keep fence-sitters away from Ridge. Some Democrats, particularly the bitter Clintonites and all those who feel alienated from Obama, may be inclined to go for a McCain-Ridge ticket simply because McCain is such a maverick and Ridge is edgy in the sense that he’s Pro-choice and won’t always tow the party line. However, according to DNC’s site TheNextCheney.com, there are a number of accusations against Ridge: he ignored pre-Katrina warnings about FEMA weaknesses, he raised the terror alert levels while Bush was pressured to enact 9-11 commission reforms, he proposed raising the gas tax by 6.5 cents in 1995 and 1996 and his tenure at the Department of Homeland Security was criticized by many inside informants who griped about his leadership and management – or lack thereof.
Lobbying is a sticky situation. There are loads of Republican entrepreneurs who leave office to work as advisors or board members in the private sector. Yet back in June, Roll Call -- a Capitol Hill newspaper -- accused Ridge of failing to disclose he was working for the Albanian government (with a $500,000 lobbying contract in 2006.) Oops…?
Tom is not truly a party faithful. He views waterboarding as torture. In December 2003 he suggested that 8-12 million illegal immigrants should be legalized (which prompted immediate flare-ups from Immigration Czar Tom Tancredo, of course!) It gets worse...
His pro-life stance is pissing people off… BIG TIME. GOP strategists say this is the big deal breaker. I mean, Joe Lieberman is also pro-choice, but at least Lieberman is cool… a true mirror image of McCain’s independent-mindedness and the caliber that could sway other unfulfilled Democrats to change teams. Yet either way, the Evangelical-Conservatives are mad. “If Tom Ridge is on the ticket, I will not be voting Republican,” said Mike Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association. Similarly, Donald P. Wildmon of the American Family Association added that Ridge would be “a disaster for Republicans” and Beverly LaHaye of Concerned Women for America said “many will walk” if it comes down to a pro-choice VP. Mike Huckabee said, "I think he's one of the most outstanding, brilliant, and broadly experienced people. I wish he were pro-life. I wish everybody was. ... It's Sen. McCain's choice to make. ... I hope that whoever he picks would be pro-life." Steve Scheffler from the Iowa Christian Alliance points out that “26% of the 2004 voters were self-identified Evangelicals and pro-life Catholics” so choosing Ridge “would greatly diminish McCain’s potential to win.” Ironically enough, a 1998 survey says that Ridge opposes partial birth abortion, abortion as birth control, abortion without parental consent, travel to other states to avoid anti-abortion laws and abortion in cases other than rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. In other words, he’s about 95% pro-life… but that’s not good enough, is it?
VicePresidents.com Assessment…
A lot of people do still like Tom. After all, people have been floating his name around for Veep since 1996. (You don’t think that’s a career-killer, do you?) At any rate, he’s been traditionally viewed as qualified and capable. Those are two very important qualities, considering McCain’s age. He’s loyal, diligent and reserved about his disagreements with the administration.
“You’d see Pennsylvania light up like a Christmas tree if Tom Ridge was tapped as vice president,” admonishes Vic Stabile, Harrisburg attorney and chairman of the Cumberland County Republican Party. “He’s a superior candidate. After 9/11, we had two people who kept our nation safe: President Bush and Tom Ridge. He has proved his worth.”
"Tom Ridge is a great guy who is working very hard and traveling all over the country for John McCain. He should certainly be on the shortlist for VP if McCain wins," said Republican National Committeeman Bob Asher. It’s true that Ridge has been an ardent supporter of McCain since February 2007 and has done a lot of legwork for the candidate.
Rudy Giuliani told Hannity & Colmes on Wednesday: “I think Tom Ridge would be an excellent choice. I think Tom's background is broad enough so that that's just one issue among others. He was a governor, homeland security. I think he could help from a political point of view quite a bit in Pennsylvania, which I think is -- it's only my own analysis. I think Pennsylvania is the key state.” Yes, PA is quite the battleground, with 21 juicy electoral votes!
"His efforts have resulted in safer skies, increased border and port security, and enhanced measures to safeguard our critical infrastructure and the American public," President Bush wrote when Ridge resigned from DHS. "In the fight against terrorism, he has played a vital role in protecting the American people from a real and ongoing threat."
"Tom Ridge is a decent man and a fine public servant but unfortunately was not given the leeway or resources to tighten up homeland security in the way it should be done," said respected Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) added, "Tom Ridge has provided strong and resolute leadership in the fight against terror during his service as America's first secretary of homeland security.”
And California Rep. Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Ridge "has made real progress under difficult circumstances."
Washington Governor Gary Locke said, ''Everybody thinks the world of Tom Ridge. When problems have arisen, he jumps on them.''
However, there are simply too many cons, given all the other vice presidential options. It’s a shame Tom Ridge got mixed up with Bush and the Department of Homeland Security… it really is. Before their tarnished administration left a stain on Tom’s jacket, it seemed he was unstoppable: he had the loving admiration of rust belt Pennsylvania, he was a good Roman Catholic and he left with a 57% approval rating.
The buzz on the internet is how well McCain did at Saddleback.Also how poorly Obama came off.Obama does well
in a scripted more controlled setting;what struck ppl is that he appeared to dodge some questions particularly re
abortion.
So McCain actually seemed to gain some trust among evangelicals(which i'm not btw)after Saddleback.
What does he do? He sends out a bubble that Tom Ridge is under serious consideration for VP.
How stupid was that?! McCain seems to shoot himself in the foot.
I will tell you this.I much prefer McCain to Obama but if he puts Ridge on the Ticket i can't see the difference
in voting for McCain or Obama and i'd be tempted to make a protest vote.
Few facts:
Your article suggests that Tom's being head of the Homeland Sec Dept was a minus.Nope,that's a plus.If anything
that is one of the decisions of the Bush Admin that he can be proud of.
It goes onto say Tom is a good Roman Catholic.You must be kidding.His pro abortion postition is contrary to the
teachings of the Church and with his being a public figure causes scandal.
He is just the type of Catholic politician devout Catholics would NOT support.We have enough of those.
I AM Catholic and know what the Church teaches.
Last but not least,Huckabee is McCains best choice. We can hope he'll have the sense.
P.Sarver
http://pillar.bigforumpro.com/index.htm
<img src=http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9172/cooltext86237846va3.png>
Several things wrong with this article;the Homeland Security Dept was an achievement of the Bush Admin.Hardly deserves criticism.
Tom Ridge is a "good Roman Catholic"? You must be kidding.You have no idea what you're saying here.
Last but not least he puts Ridge on the ticket(McCain that is)he's doomed.He loses my vote.And not cos Tom is supposedly Catholic or came from the Bush admin.
He puts Ridge on,i'll plug my nose and vote Obama and he'd be the last guy on the planet i'd want for Pres.
consider it,a protest vote.
McCain finally connects with the evangelical base(and i'm not one-AM Catholic)and then he shoots himself in the foot by putting Ridge out as a possibility.Is their campaign team for real?How stupid was that?!!!