WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- The New Republic rated Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen the best potential presidential candidate among the Democrats' second tier of stars.
"There's something too insidery about the humdrum list of '08 contenders that already passes for conventional wisdom," Reihan Salam said in the Nov. 22 issue of the liberal opinion journal, referring to potential 2008 White House contestants like Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, John Edwards of North Carolina and Evan Bayh of Indiana.
Bredesen is the only "A" rated candidate. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner rates a B-plus, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell a straight B, and Govs. Mike Easley of North Carolina and Janet Granholm of Michigan -- who is a Canadian by birth and cannot become president -- share a B-minus.
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, whom '04 presidential nominee John F. Kerry considered for the No. 2 spot on his ticket, rates a C-plus while Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle gets a C. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democrat's new No. 2 in the U.S. Senate, gets a C-minus.
Rounding out the list are Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius at D-plus and California State Treasurer Phil Angelides at D-minus.
