Update: Another Drudge VP speculation report doused, as Petraeus denies.
As I was traveling with my girlfriend this morning discussing the upcoming VP pick, I threw out a name, “General Petraeus”. We both agreed that it would be a bold choice, as well as a safe one as Petraeus has been on the national stage and has extensive experience and it would inject tremendous excitement into the ticket. No sooner than returning to my computer and opening up the Drudge Report, I am greeted by this news:
President Obama whispered to a top fundraiser this week that he believes GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wants to name Gen. David Petraeus to the VP slot!
“The president wasn’t joking,” the insider explains to the DRUDGE REPORT.
A Petraeus drama has been quietly building behind the scenes. Romney is believed to have secretly met with the four-star general in New Hampshire.
The pick could be a shrewd Romney choice. A cross-party pull. The Obama administration hailed Petraeus as one of history’s greatest military strategists. Petraeus was unanimously confirmed as the Director of the CIA by the US Senate 94-0.
Obama’s camp would struggle to attack Petraeus, as he was the President’s unanimously confirmed pick for Director of CIA. Drudge is reporting that the Obama campaign is more than willing to hit “one of their own” for Bush ties, even if it means undercutting their own selection. Drudge has a shaky track record when it comes to VP speculation (Drudge single-handedly started Condi buzz a couple weeks ago), so I wouldn’t put too much stake in this. It’s still an interesting development.