How much would Condoleezza Rice as v.p. help the Romney campaign?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Mitt Romney might have a shot at a game changer that actually works in his favor.
Speculation has been rampant for the last several days that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might be on Romney's short list for vice president.
Unlike Sarah Palin, who all but destroyed John McCain's chances, Rice might be just what the doctor ordered for Romney.
She's smart, has foreign policy credentials that are unquestioned and would certainly make the race a lot more interesting than it is now.
Romney is getting his nose bloodied by President Obama's incessant pounding on Bain Capital and his tax returns. Unable to seize the initiative and make the race about the economy, which by any measure should make Obama unelectable, Romney needs a spark.
Rice would immediately tap into African-Americans and women, two areas where Obama holds substantial leads.
Whether she would agree to be on the ticket remains a question. She has said she is not interested. But if your country comes calling ...
Anyway, barring putting Chris Christie on the ticket, you gotta love the idea of Rice. She would erase the memory of Palin and immediately energize the race.
With the start of the Summer Olympics fast approaching, Obama and Romney are going to be hard-pressed to get media coverage.
Rice would help in that department, too.
Here’s my question to you: How much would Condoleezza Rice as v.p. help the Romney campaign?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
Does the public have the right to look at a candidate's tax returns?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Some Republicans and Democrats have finally found a topic they can agree on: Mitt Romney's tax returns.
Romney is coming under fire from both sides of the aisle for releasing only two years of his tax returns.
President Obama and the Democrats are trying to turn it into a major campaign issue, suggesting there's something in those returns that Romney - who's worth more than $200 million - doesn't want Americans to see.
And it's not just Democrats. Alabama's Republican Governor Robert Bentley, conservative columnist Bill Bristol and former George W. Bush aide Matthew Dowd all say Romney should release additional returns.
Some Republicans think the sooner Romney makes this stuff public, the sooner the issue will go away.
President Obama has released 12 years worth of tax returns - they're all posted on his campaign website. And Mitt romney's father - George Romney - also released 12 years of tax returns when he ran for president in 1968.
For his part Romney is standing his ground. He told the F-word network today that his rivals want to "make a mountain" out of the issue. Romney said he will release only two years of tax returns which is what John McCain did in 2008.
If the IRS is OK with Mitt Romney's tax returns and no laws have been broken, one could make the argument that it's nobody's business.
Romney says all of this is a distraction from the real issues of the campaign.
And that's the whole problem for Romney. The more the focus stays on tax returns, Romney's wealth, his offshore investments, etc. the less people are focused on the economy.
And the economy is an issue where President Obama is vulnerable.
Here’s my question to you: Does the public have the right to look at a candidate's tax returns?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
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