Zinni for vice president?

[dArKeR]

By Tom Curry
National affairs writer
MSNBC
Updated: 11:16 a.m. ET June 02, 2004

WASHINGTON - He's not yet in the top ranks of contenders in speculation about Sen. John Kerry’s vice presidential pick, but retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni is very much a favorite of some Washington insiders.


At the end of an appearance by Zinni before the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington on Tuesday night, the event’s host, Washington power broker, Aspen Institute president, and former CNN head Walter Isaacson turned to Zinni, a registered Republican, and suggested that Kerry might call him and say, “You should run with me on a ticket of national unity.”

The audience of 200 retired State Department officials, Washington lawyers, and foreign policy think tank experts burst into applause.

Zinni replied, “I’m not interested in any political office in either party.” When Isaacson persisted, Zinni said, “Do you have trouble with the ‘N’ or the ‘O’?”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5113717/

Not to get anyone upset but I feel Zinni is much stronger in appeal, body language, honesty... than Clark.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. He's a Republican who voted for Bush nt

[IndianaGreen]

13. and he has repented of his Bush vote

unlike those that are yet to repent of their IWR votes.

Zinni is highly regarded among career Pentagon civilian and military people.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. Is that true? Citation please.

Here's what he said this past Sunday:

WOODRUFF: What about higher than the Pentagon? The president, the vice president?

ZINNI: The president laid out the objectives and what he wanted to do. He receives the intelligence, and he directs that a strategy and a plan be put together. I felt the president was ill-served in this. You know, he doesn't do the planning.

I actually object to those who said that the president on his speech the other night should have laid out specifics in the plan. That's not the role of the president. The president gives strategic guidance, sets the goals. It is up to those in the cabinet responsible to provide him with the plan. They should be talking about the specifics.

WOODRUFF: You supported him in the last election.

ZINNI: Yes, I did. WOODRUFF: Do you support him for reelection?

ZINNI: Well, I certainly -- can certainly support this president, but I will have difficulty supporting it if this Pentagon leadership is still in place. I couldn't.

WOODRUFF: In other words, if the same people are still there, you couldn't vote for George Bush again...

ZINNI: I -- I couldn't.
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0405/30/le.00.html

Hey, I like Zinni, for a Republican, and I like what he had to say in this interview, but I certainly -- can certainly support this president does not sound like 'repenting of his Bush vote' to me.

[incapsulated]

17. Yeah, it's all Rummy's fault

The military brass hate Rummy, so his conditional support of Bush based on sacking him is no surprise.

He gives Bush a total free ride, he holds him accountable for nothing.

In short, he is a Republican. Not a crime, certainly a "good" one by "McCainish" standards, but hardly Kerry VP material.

[Jai4WKC08]

24. Yep, Zinni still supports Bush

He said on Lou Dobbs he would have to "think hard" about voting for Bush if he doesn't can Rumsfeld. But for right now, he gives Bush a pass.

Zinni is gutless. It's a lot easier to snipe from the sidelines than to throw yourself into the battle. Write a book and make a buck.

Clark is the guy who was willing to stand up to the Repubs, put his career on hold and his reputation on the line.

[mitchtv]

2. while an honest republican should be lauded,

There is too much talent here within our party.Lets get real

[IndianaGreen]

12. Zinni was right about Iraq, and is right about I/P

which is more than can be said about some of the people being mentioned for VP, such as Dick Gephardt or even Hillary Clinton.

I rather have a patriot and an honest Republican than a crooked Democrat for Kerry's VP.

[Scoopie]

3. He won't do it

People of my former profession have lost their minds.

I love Anthony Zinni. He's a smart general who realizes the error of his ways. He won't vote for Bush (and I'm not sure he's backing Kerry), but the important thing is that he won't make that mistake twice.

And, finally, Zinni will NEVER participate in partisan politics. He's said so. I know so. So Tom Curry and his "sources" can stop speculating.

If they want a general so bad - they have one already. Clark.

[kalian]

4. Why is it....

that Kerry's potential VP candidates are all repukes...? :shrug:

Strange.

[Scoopie]

5. Because it makes us read it, listen to it or

watch it.

And fume.

And fuming earns ratings, apparently.

I swear, newspapers weren't this shitty five years ago when I left.

[JI7]

6. none of Kerry's potential vp candidates are republicans

the ones confirmed to be possible vp picks are all democrats.

[kalian]

8. Really....?

Then why the hoopla about McCain...?
And now Zinni...? :shrug:

[JI7]

9. uh, that's the MEDIA, not kerry

kerry himself said he likes to bring up mccain's name so much to annoy karl rove.

all the confirmed vp choices for kerry are democrats. they are clark, edwards,gephardt, vilsack, and i think richardson was on there also but couldn't be sure.

[BringEmOn]

14. Annoy Karl Rove? .....who has only one vote

and annoy millions of liberals?

[JI7]

15. why would liberals be annoyed by it ?

i'm not annoyed by it. and he mentions mccain in terms of the work he did with mccain such as the investigation into pow/mia from the vietnam war and normalizing relations with vietnam again. i see nothing wrong with that. he doesn't mention mccain as someone for vp.

[LoZoccolo]

19. You don't have to be annoyed by it.

Everyone knows it's not going to happen.

[Jai4WKC08]

25. It also generates media buzz

Keeping Kerry's name on TV and in the op/ed columns.

Also deflects attention from who the eventual pick will be. So that there's some surprise (and more media coverage) when it's announced.

[BringEmOn]

26. In an ideal world, the media would be buzzing about

universal health care, livable wages, eliminating dependence on foreign oil, protecting Social Security and other values the Democratic party has proudly championed since the New Deal.

Sorry, getting way off topic. :)

[cosmokramer]

7. Zinni is not pro-choice...

...he is a republican who is supporting Bush, just like McCain.

And frankly, this democrat believes more in welcoming REAL democratic General's to our party instead of puppet GOP Generals who merely disagreed with the war.

Give me Clark ANY day of the week...

[incapsulated]

10. Wha?

"appeal, body language, honesty... than Clark"??

Look, I appreciate Zinni but Clark is far more appealing in every way, the most important being he is a fucking DEMOCRAT working his ass off for Kerry. And I don't even want him for VP (I want him as Sec. of State).

Honesty? How about saying that Bush and co. where planning the invasion from day one during the primary debates? How about being one of the Democrats with the balls to say that Bush stole the election, period? Please.

[IndianaGreen]

11. Zinni is a good pick, but AIPAC will never approve of him

Zinni believes in fair play in the I/P conflict. Nothing short of total appeasement of the Likud policies will be acceptable to AIPAC.

[VOX]

18. Won't happen. Just the media fooling around. n/t

[Claire Beth]

20. naaah! wouldn't work. n/t

[troublemaker]

21. I draw the line at supporting Bush

If Zinni could support Bush if Bush fired Rumsfeld et al then Zinni has some damn funny ideas. The civilians in the pentagon are hardly the full extent of the problem

[Adelante]

22. If Zinni ever ran for president

which I entirely doubt he would, it would be as a last ditch effort replacing Bush on the Republican ticket. Be careful what you wish for.

[in_cog_ni_to]

23. Nope, we have to have a DEM for VP

a republican is a republican. We have many, more than qualified Dems...like Wes Clark who should be VP. Not a republican.