by Josh Drobnyk
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was among the prospective running mates invited to Sen. John McCain's Arizona ranch this weekend, but he has a prior commitment in Europe and won't be attending.
"I was invited to go," Ridge, a former Homeland Security Department secretary, said in an interview Thursday. "Ridge Global is my company and [we] are off to Europe to try to pick up some clients and do some business."
He added: "John and I talked about it. I am going to go campaign with him later on in the month in June. I don't need to go to Sedona to see him, I see him around here plenty. I was glad to be invited because a lot of my friends are going out there."
The New York Times yesterday revealed that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- all considered potential picks for the VP slot -- planned to attend a gathering at McCain's ranch in Sedona this weekend.
Ridge has been on many political observers' short-lists of potential McCain running mates. The two are close friends, having entered Congress together in 1982. And while Ridge would no doubt help McCain in Pennsylvania, a state Republicans haven't carried in 20 years, he is a moderate Republican whose choice might not sit well with many conservatives. For one, Ridge favors abortion rights.
Asked whether he thought he was on McCain's list, Ridge responded: "I am on everybody's speculative short-list but whether I am on John's remains to be seen."
He added: "I am sure they have in their minds a half-dozen or a dozen people. No doubt about it. I think the list will narrow in the month or two ahead."
So what kind of person might the Arizona senator might be looking for?
"I know John well enough that I suspect he will want a personal comfort level," Ridge said. "He will not want necessarily somebody who has to agree with him all the time privately."
• 
• 
• 
• 
Comments
As a Pennsylvania native I have serious reservations about Ridge. He hasn't held office in-state since 2001 so it's unlikely his presence will have any effect in delivering Pennsylvania (where McCain already polls ahead of Obama). He'd be a better senate candidate against Junior Casey in a few years since he has shown himself to be the embarassment to the democrats that we all knew he could be.
I've become a Romney man. If he can put aside the acrimony of February so can I.
Posted by: Jeff | May 22, 2008 2:06 PM
Isn't Ridge the one who came up with the colorful terror alert system? The one that's only mentioned right before an election?
Posted by: Paul | May 22, 2008 2:08 PM
It doesn't matter. Gasoline prices will remind everyone on election day that it is still about the economy "stupid". No one will care about color codes, etc. The party that targets the economy will win running away!
Posted by: Joe | May 22, 2008 2:46 PM
If McCain picks Romney, I feel he has a winning ticket. The rest are known to their local constituents, but not nationally.
Posted by: Lynn Ben-Ami | May 22, 2008 2:48 PM
Ridge's upside of potential help in Pennsylvania is not worth his downside. The Dems will pin every shortcoming in Homeland Security to Ridge, deserved or not.
Posted by: Joe | May 22, 2008 2:55 PM
I've become a Romney man. If he can put aside the acrimony of February so can I.
Posted by: Jeff | May 22, 2008 2:06 PM
Yes Repubs, please pick Plastic Mitt the elitist flip-flopper as your VP candidate, I'm sure he'll have alot of sway with the Independents and Dems....
Posted by: John E | May 22, 2008 3:06 PM
Mitt Romney, the only man to have taken more sides on every issue than John McCain.
Posted by: Victor | May 22, 2008 3:30 PM
John, he will have PLENTY of sway in Michigan, I'll promise you that. Please tell Obama to keep ignoring it.
Posted by: Jeff | May 22, 2008 3:44 PM
John, he will have PLENTY of sway in Michigan, I'll promise you that. Please tell Obama to keep ignoring it.
Posted by: Jeff | May 22, 2008 3:44 PM
Not from Michigan Dems and Independents, Jeffy, they know he's an elitist flip-flopper.
Posted by: John E | May 22, 2008 4:28 PM
Jeff,
That's funny because after the MI primary you were the first to suggest that Romney only won because DailyKooks had Democrats vote for Romney. That is SOME sway Romney has.
Posted by: jackson | May 22, 2008 5:17 PM
Tom Ridge is worthless. He would make a great running mate for old man McSAME!!!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | May 22, 2008 6:43 PM