Santorum offers advice on McCain VP pick

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, writing in The Philadelphia Inquirer, wants Sen. John McCain to play it safe when it comes to picking his vice presidential running mate.

Santorum writes:

The Arizona Republican needs to err on the side of caution. His choice needs to be a pro-life economic conservative with zero baggage and solid experience in government. Completely noncontroversial.

The 2008 presidential race is a referendum on Barack Obama, Santorum says.

Santorum writes:

If the Republican victory strategy is to disqualify Obama, McCain can't do anything that would disqualify himself in the minds of these less-than-ideological voters prepared to shift his way. As such, McCain's vice presidential pick has to be a nonevent, something of a yawner.

McCain needs someone who isn't going to upset the essential conservative base of the Republican Party, but will not raise red flags to moderates who have disqualified, or are ready to disqualify, Obama.

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.