Jon Cohn's case for Carl Levin is actually incredibly convincing, one of the most convincing cases I've read for anyone thus far. Levin is the aging, rumpled senior Senator from Michigan. He boasts one of the Senate's most liberal voting records, but also garners widespread, bipartisan respect. As Chair of the Armed Services Committee, he opposed the war in Iraq, arguing that the evidence on weaponry was insufficient and the UN should be given more time to finish its inspections. He's been a steadfast and clever opponent of the Missile Shield boondoggle and has amassed an impressive record as a reformer. At 74, he's articulate but not inspiring, with glasses that sit low on his nose and an undeniable aura of grandfatherly competence. He's served in Congress longer than John McCain and actually chairs McCain's committee -- leaving him uniquely positioned to dispense with the "experience" argument. And on the more limited question of the election, he would assure Obama of Michigan, which has been looking a little unsteady lately, and, as an old Jew, help Obama in Florida.Levin's got a few drawbacks, of course. He oppose the 2007 Feingold/Reid withdrawal plan, saying "I cannot support a fixed date for removing all troops." Hailing from Michigan, he's got a checkered environmental record at best. He's been in Washington for awhile, and he's not exactly going to tear up the convention. But he'd be a steadying presence on the stage next to Obama, and his record -- unlike that of Bayh or Chet Edwards -- backs up Obama's central message. And that counts for a lot, or should. VEEPSTAKES: DARK HORSE EDITION.
Jon Cohn's case for Carl Levin is actually incredibly convincing, one of the most convincing cases I've read for anyone thus far. Levin is the aging, rumpled senior Senator from Michigan. He boasts one of the Senate's most liberal voting records, but also garners widespread, bipartisan respect. As Chair of the Armed Services Committee, he opposed the war in Iraq, arguing that the evidence on weaponry was insufficient and the UN should be given more time to finish its inspections. He's been a steadfast and clever opponent of the Missile Shield boondoggle and has amassed an impressive record as a reformer. At 74, he's articulate but not inspiring, with glasses that sit low on his nose and an undeniable aura of grandfatherly competence. He's served in Congress longer than John McCain and actually chairs McCain's committee -- leaving him uniquely positioned to dispense with the "experience" argument. And on the more limited question of the election, he would assure Obama of Michigan, which has been looking a little unsteady lately, and, as an old Jew, help Obama in Florida.Levin's got a few drawbacks, of course. He oppose the 2007 Feingold/Reid withdrawal plan, saying "I cannot support a fixed date for removing all troops." Hailing from Michigan, he's got a checkered environmental record at best. He's been in Washington for awhile, and he's not exactly going to tear up the convention. But he'd be a steadying presence on the stage next to Obama, and his record -- unlike that of Bayh or Chet Edwards -- backs up Obama's central message. And that counts for a lot, or should. 
