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February 5, 2012 in City
Spin Control: McMorris Rodgers for veep makes rounds
A political website in the other Washington suggests a certain congresswoman from this Washington could get the No. 2 spot on the GOP presidential ticket this fall.
The Daily Caller quotes Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway as saying Cathy McMorris Rodgers would fill the bill as a vice presidential selection that “needs to be a surprise, but not a shocker.”
The site recounts parts of McMorris Rodgers’ bio that could make her a good pick, at least on paper: daughter of fruit farmers, first in her family to attend college, married to a retired naval pilot, only woman to have two kids while in Congress, founder of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus after her first child, Cole, was born with that condition, leadership post in the House Republican Caucus, from a Western state …
One thing the list doesn’t mention is that McMorris Rodgers is very much up on social media, sort of the Twitter maven for the House GOP. Probably a skill that any Republican contender could put to use.
“As a young conservative well known by the press if not the public, McMorris Rodgers is a contradiction: a familiar outsider, a seasoned political pro working just under the radar,” the post says.
McMorris Rodgers endorsed Mitt Romney, and serves as his state chairwoman. If someone else gets the GOP nomination, this might be an even longer long shot.
Even though her office sent out a copy of the post, the Eastern Washington Republican wasn’t taking calls last week for comment on the article. Her spokesman Todd Winer said she considered it “way too early to speculate” if she’d take the spot if it were offered.
“It’s never a bad thing to have people include her in the discussion; it really validates her work and growing influence in national politics,” Winer said in an email. “But she’s 100 percent focused on her current job.”
As part of that job, McMorris Rodgers showed up on CNBC’s “The Kudlow Report” Friday evening after unemployment figures came in at their lowest point in nearly three years. She stuck with key GOP talking points that recovery isn’t because of President Barack Obama but despite his policies, that he shouldn’t have given money to Solyndra, that he should’ve approved the Keystone XL pipeline.
“What if the president would’ve said yes to the Keystone project? How would that have impacted this jobs report?” she asked. (Possible answer: Hardly, if at all. Friday’s report is for a time mostly before Obama made his decision. Even if he said yes rather than no on Jan. 23, construction wouldn’t be up and running full bore overnight.)
She couldn’t duck Kudlow’s question about her interest in the veep spot: “It’s flattering to have my name mentioned,” she said before pivoting back to the attack on Obama’s economic policies.
Being suggested for the No. 2 slot this early rarely pans out. Better to stay below the radar. At this time four years ago, most people didn’t know Sarah Palin was the governor of Alaska. At this point in 1988, most people outside of Indiana had never heard of Dan Quayle.
Palin and Quayle were “shockers,” Conway says; McMorris Rodgers would just be a “surprise.”
It could be an unpleasant surprise, or at least a significant problem, for Washington Republicans. If tradition holds, the veep selection wouldn’t be named until or just before the Republican National Convention, which runs Aug. 27-30. But to hold her House seat, McMorris Rodgers will have to run in the 5th District congressional primary on Aug. 7. She’s the prohibitive favorite to come through the Top 2, but the results won’t be certified for the November ballot until Aug. 24.
Washington state law doesn’t allow a person to be on the ballot in two major races. So she’d have to withdraw from the congressional race after qualifying in the primary, and the Republican Party would have to come up with a replacement.
There would be no shortage of Republicans raising their hands to be considered for the job. The decision would have to be made quickly because county auditors all over the state will be rushing to get ballots printed to be mailed to troops overseas by Sept. 22.
The real beneficiary of prolonged “Cathy for Veep” chatter could be Eastern Washington Democrats, who might be shaken out of their political torpor at the prospect of having a viable candidate in the right place if lightning strikes.
Spin Control, a weekly column by Olympia bureau reporter Jim Camden, also appears online with daily items, reader comments and videos at spokesman.com/ blogs/spincontrol.
Initiative filed to create public charter schools 
terryalan on February 05 at 7:31 a.m.
and when President Obama is re-elected she will become a hysterical (sic) footnote…
Rid of McMoRo? Too good to be true….
I have had the BEST time watching the repub. circus this year..
sean96 on February 05 at 7:42 a.m.
Just shows that in America that any little girl with an IQ of 10 can grow up and become president.
rosehips on February 05 at 8:10 a.m.
Good point terry.
Cathy, don’t do it. Romney won’t win and you will have abandoned your constituents, just like Sarah Palin did.
Please don’t be our Sarah Palin. It won’t be good.
rosehips on February 05 at 8:12 a.m.
sean, that’s not nice. Have you ever met Cathy?
And are you implying in any way that because she’s a girl she’s not smart?
JBlim on February 05 at 8:15 a.m.
Her slogan will be “helping people by putting business first.” Code words for socialism: people, public, we, community.
Marksman on February 05 at 8:36 a.m.
Politics is an adult activity and I am always amazed at the schoolyard taunts and namecalling that the so called enlightened Liberals embrace every time a Conservative achieves any accolades or success. Having a Spokane resident considered as a Vice Presidential candidate is a high honor and deserves recognition. It will do more for the region than all the sour grapes being produced by the Liberal talking machine!
rosehips on February 05 at 8:53 a.m.
Mark, I have to agree with you. I am glad to see Cathy McMorris Rodgers get some recognition. She’s a hometown girl.
In some ways I think she will make a good candidate for Republican VP. America is ready for a woman in the White House. She has a squeaky clean past, as far as I know. She tows the GOP line. She’s already endorsed Romney and is working for him. She is very business-friendly and an advocate for the Keystone XL. She has conservative values.
If you’re a Republican, what’s not to like?
She will be vilified by the left for her record. It won’t be pretty.
I suggest Cathy stop at flattery and dismiss any invitation. She will have to give up her seat in Congress for a chance at the big House, but her chances aren’t that good that she’ll get there.
Not this year.
steadystu on February 05 at 9:46 a.m.
If anything this signals that our representative is indeed a rising star in both the GOP and nationally. To even have ones name on the “potentials” list is indeed a high honor and indicates a brightly rising political star.
Of course, it will make the liberals’ heads explode. They’ve done all they can to paint her as an empty suit, while building up other (Democratic) women as giants of state politics.
Undeterred, Representative Rodgers is building political clout that benefits Eastern Washington. Evidence: Mitt Romney picked her to be his #1 in the state, passing over a slew of better known (male) Republicans.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on February 05 at 11:47 a.m.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Thanks for the comedy piece this morning SR.
Oh man, I so hope she is the VEEP nominee for Romney…..it just couldn’t be better than that.
The VP debates would be amazing watching Biden rip Cathy McMoRo apart for her HORRIBLE of record of doing nothing while in office while being able to stand and look pretty behind republican leaders in press conferences.
misjustice on February 05 at 11:58 a.m.
I hope that she does get tapped to run. She’ll have to give up her seat in the House; only to lose on the national level. From where I sit, it’s a win-win situation.
Run, McMoRo, RUN!
idahocity on February 05 at 2:09 p.m.
so conservatives vote to legalize bestiality. she did when she voted for the ndaa.
SMARTGUY on February 05 at 2:44 p.m.
The real reason she is being considered is the GOP always tries to disguise the fact that at least 75% of there members are old, white, men. That is why they have a few token women, blacks, and hispanics in the spotlight.
sean96 on February 05 at 7:52 p.m.
In regards to the person who commented on my earlier post. I do not think she is supid because of her sex. I think she is stupid because she sounds like an idiot when she opens her mouth. Cathy McWingnut has done nothing to help Spokane. She is more interested in helping her rich out of district supporters.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on February 05 at 8:42 p.m.
steadystu, What has she done to help Spokane since she has been in office?