Oy
Here’s some just plain bad reporting from CNN:
Bill Clinton
Few vice-presidential possibilities boast the accomplished resume — or political baggage — of former President Bill Clinton. Clinton studied at Georgetown, Yale and Oxford (as a Rhodes scholar) before returning to his home state of Arkansas. He taught at the University of Arkansas’ law school for three years before, at 30, being elected the state’s attorney general. Clinton later served six terms as Arkansas’ governor (he won in 1978, lost a 1980 race, then was re-elected two years later), before defeating incumbent George H.W. Bush to become U.S. president, starting in January 1993. While federal law prohibits a person from seeking a third presidential term, the Constitution does not specify whether or not a former commander in chief can become vice president.
The problem with the last sentence is that, as far as I know and I could be wrong, the VP must be legally allowed to hold the office of President. Meaning that Clinton, who can only hold two more years as President, could not be VP. Am I remembering correctly? I’m kinda drunk and don’t want to bother trying to look this stuff up.
Kaus has been on this all day today (Monday). He’s recently decided that Clinton is eligible to be president, and as Nathaniel mentions before brushing off, it all hangs on the word “elected.” Of course, it’s all uncertain because (you may know) no two-term president has ever been put on the ticket as a VP. Besides, nobody really thinks Kerry would want him on the ticket.
Wesley Clark as a “top contender” for the VP slot? Please. Him, but not Bob Graham or Joe Lieberman? Clark was a total flake in the primaries (so was Graham, to a lesser degree) — consider his disastrous campaign appearance with Michael Moore, or worse, his reported comments that helped spread the erroneous Alexandra Polier affair rumor.
Just this week Clark sent out a fundraising letter for … Kerry? No. To repay his own campaign debt. This, on top of the fact that he won’t release his delegates until the convention. Clark would be a drag on the ticket, and everybody but CNN knows this.
the 22nd amendment just refers to being elected president. One could reasonably argue that to mean that someone who has served two terms is still elgible to be president, just not to be elected president. Of course one could just as reasonably say that it means a two term president is no longer eligible to be president. Not that it matters at all because putting Clinton on the ballot would kill Kerry’s chances.
Those who believe that Clinton is ineligible to run for vice president point to the 12th amendment (note the last sentence), and those who believe he can point to the 22nd. I’m putting my belief on the former.
I believe you are correct.