“The time has come for would-be vice presidential candidates to bare their fangs,” National Journal writes. “Republican senators Marco Rubio, Rob Portman, John Thune and Kelly Ayotte all attacked President Obama within the past week. They appeared on Sunday talk shows and penned articles on the Fox News website. They targeted issues from student loans to Iran to same-sex marriage.”
The Boston Globe looks at potential VPs.
AYOTTE: On Mother’s Day, the Foster’s Daily Democrat writes: “Senator Mom.”
NPR looked at Kelly Ayotte as veep.
CHRISTIE: “Tick. Tick. Tick. Is it the sound of time passing on a conflicted, year-old criminal investigation of an alleged $245,000 pension fraud involving New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno?” New Jesrey Watchdog writes. “Or is it the countdown to an embarrassing scandal for her boss, Gov. Chris Christie — a rising political star who declared pension reform as his ‘biggest governmental victory?’”
He’s still against same-sex marriage.
JINDAL: Some Jindal buzz.
MCDONNELL: He tells the AP the time might be right in Virginia for tax reform, including broadening the base and lowering overall rates.
PAWLENTY: He said this last month about being veep: "Well I've taken my name off the list for Vice President so we should talk about Marco Rubio and the other great possibilities that Mitt Romney will have. Look when you put up Mitt Romney and whoever he picks against President Obama and his failed leadership and his failed economy I think that ticket on the Romney side is going to do very very well. I've taken my name off the list."
RUBIO: Time asks, “Can Marco Rubio Win More Latinos Over to the GOP?”
RYAN: The Washington Post: “Ryan budget still an issue in congressional races.”
THUNE: Thune on being VP: "I don't think you ever rule out opportunities or options when you're involved in public life and you say you want to make a difference and you're serious about that, obviously, then you don't foreclose options. But in my view, I have a job to do in the United States Senate, I like what I'm doing. I think I can make a difference there.”
Tighten regulations? Nah. “Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican conference and a lead critic of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, warned Sunday against jumping to the conclusion that the $2 billion loss JPMorgan Chase incurred on a risky bet means regulations need to be tighter,” The Hill writes. Thune said, “We need to make sure we get all facts before jumping to conclusions about the need for greater financial regulation.”