US : Condoleezza Rice ‘Tops Romney Vice President List’

Washington – Mitt Romney’s campaign team stoked speculation on Thursday about who his vice presidential candidate will be as one report said Condoleezza Rice was a surprise name near the top of his list.

“Sometime soon, Mitt will be announcing his choice for VP,” said a statement from the Republican presidential hopeful’s camp, asking for $3 donations “for the chance to meet Mitt and his choice for VP in person”.

A long list of possible candidates includes leading names like Rob Portman and Paul Ryan, but The Drudge Report, known to have good sources in the Republican camp, said it had been told that Rice was now a top contender.

“Late Thursday evening, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign launched a new fundraising drive, ‘Meet The VP’ – just as Romney himself has narrowed the field of candidates to a handful, sources reveal,” the report said.

“And a surprise name is now near the top of the list: Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice!”

Rice, who was former president George W Bush’s secretary of state, has been frequently mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for Romney, and is someone who could lend foreign policy heft to the ticket. As an African-American woman, she is seen as having the potential to blunt the advantages which President Barack Obama has in two important demographics.

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