Democrats take aim at FexEx founder Smith as GOP's veep
08/07/2008
Commercial Appeal

The Democratic National Committee is taking the possibility of a Vice President Frederick W. Smith seriously enough to create a new Web site to denounce his and six other prospects' candidacies.

TheNextCheney.com examines the records of McCain's suspected short list: Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota; Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida; former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts; Sen. John Thune of South Dakota; Carly Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard; U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia; and Smith, founder and chief executive of FedEx in Memphis.

Smith and his wife, Diane, attended a July 4 barbecue at McCain's Arizona ranch amid speculation that it was a rehearsal for the vice presidential nod.

The Democratic Web site quotes Smith making light of Barack Obama's youth and inexperience, saying in July that the country was not in a recession and telling PBS talk show host Charlie Rose that he "would hope Senator McCain would have better judgment than to hire me."

Smith, who has been involved in McCain campaigns since a senate re-election bid in 1998, will be a Tennessee delegate to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., next month.