Baker Boys Back Each Other

By Kleinheider Posted on June 12, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Senator Lamar Alexander defends John McCain’s Veep Vetter, Arthur Culvahouse:

A request for comment from the McCain campaign directly was not answered.

But other Republicans rushed to Culvahouse’s defense. Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who has known Culvahouse since the two native Tennesseans worked for Sen. Howard Baker (R-Tenn.), said Culvahouse is “one of America’s best-respected and most able lawyers.”

Culvahouse’s counsel to Reagan during the Iran-Contra hearings also should not harm McCain, Alexander said.

“That’s what lawyers do, they help clients deal with problems and President Reagan had a problem,” Alexander said. “If he was President Reagan’s lawyer in 1987 and 1988 and he was not involved in Iran-Contra, he should have been fired for malpractice.”

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Tags: Arthur B. Culvahouse, Arthur Culvahouse, Jr., Veep Vetter  

Lamar Openly Leaks McCain Veep Search Team Leader

By Kleinheider Posted on May 23, 2008 at 6:31 pm

Warning: If you don’t want the name of the guy running your Veep search team leaked, you might not want to embarrass a guy behind the scene by making calls to scuttle the man’s run for Minority Whip:

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) told The Hill that Arthur Culvahouse, who was Reagan’s White House counsel from March 1987 to January 1989, will be helping McCain vet candidates and develop a list.

Alexander and Culvahouse have known each other for decades and both have connections to former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn.).

“It’s Arthur B. Culvahouse, that’s who’s heading the search,” Alexander said.

Culvahouse refused to comment to The Hill, as did the McCain campaign.

“John McCain is heading his search committee, and other than that we don’t talk about it,” said Charlie Black, a top McCain adviser.

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Tags: Arthur Culvahouse, Charlie Black, John McCain, Lamar Alexander, runningmate, Veep Search, Vice-President