More McCain running mate speculation.
Mr. Humble
Although he appears on many short lists to become John McCain's running mate, former Bush budget director Rob Portman downplays his chances so much that reporters are starting to believe there may be something to the boomlet for him.
Mr. Portman, who represented Cincinnati in the House for over a decade, was back in Washington this week for the signing of a bill he had championed to provide released convicts with job training and mentoring from faith-based groups. As part of his visit, he endured questioning from reporters about becoming Mr. McCain's political wingman. One reporter even presented him with a "Vice Presidential Busts" pamphlet with a youthful photo of Portman glued to the cover.
Mr. Portman wasn't biting. "I am happy being home. I don't aspire to go back to Washington right now," he told Roll Call. "I think [John McCain's] got a lot of other really great choices." Among those widely admired potential candidates are Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Securities and Exchange Chairman Chris Cox, and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.
But that won't stop the speculation. In many ways, Mr. Portman makes a natural fit for the GOP ticket. He's from Ohio, a key state in any Electoral College calculation. At age 52, he has had a wealth of experience, including stints as budget director and trade representative. In the House, he steered a bipartisan package that made the IRS a more user-friendly place and also won repeal of the 3% excise tax on telephones, which had survived for over a century after being instituted as a temporary measure to finance the Spanish-American War.
Mr. Portman may not be lobbying for the job of vice president, but that won't stop his boosters -- who include National Association of Manufacturers head John Engler. Columnist Robert Novak claims that Mr. Portman actually tops the short list for VP above all of "those other really great choices" that the former Congressman takes pains to praise.
-- John Fund
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