"If he came to you and said: 'John, let's unite this party, I need you to be my running mate?''' Tim Russert, host of NBC News' Meet the Press, asked McCain on the March 5, 2000, Sunday morning program.

"I've said from the beginning, I would not, under any circumstances, consider being vice president of the United States,'' McCain replied. "I said that when there was eight of us in the race. I can serve the state of Arizona and the country far more effectively as a United States senator than I can as vice president of the United States.''

"Absolutely no way?'' Russert asked.

"No, no way,'' McCain said, turning to that wry humor of his. "The vice president has two duties. One is to inquire daily as to the health of the president, and the other is to attend the funerals of Third World dictators. And neither of those do I find an enjoyable exercise.''



Hey John, did you tell Sarah?

Oh, I thought the Vice President was supposed to be the brains and tell the President what to do,
hence the female VP!