MR. HUNT: Let me try one other way. Do you think that given McCain's emphasis on national security and his experience that Barack Obama should look first to someone with national security credentials as a running mate?
GOV. SEBELIUS: Well, I think he'll make a great choice. I support him because I think he's the kind of leader we need for the future of America, and I think he's got an array of talent and people with a variety of capabilities. You know, to me, the American people want to be assured that we will have a commander in chief who is ready to stand up for America, to protect America, to keep our citizens safe and secure. And that's really the opportunity that Barack has. I think he is just that leader, and that's where the national security barrier will come, is assuring the American public that he both will restore our place in the world, make allies once again, make friends once again, and have a strategic initiative that focuses the terror battle where it really exists, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the emerging threats from Iran and understands the world as it is today.
MR. HUNT: Governor Sebelius, the Obama campaign has identified 18 battleground states, 14 red states. Kansas is not on the list. Kansas is not in play for the fall?
GOV. SEBELIUS: Well, I think, Al, given the fact that only twice in history has Kansas voted for a Democrat for president, we don't rise at this point high enough on the list. What I'm optimistic about is that even if Senator Obama doesn't win Kansas, I think he will do substantially better than candidates have in the past. John Kerry lost Kansas by 25 points. Al Gore lost Kansas by 21 points. Bill Clinton didn't carry Kansas either time. Our most recent public polling indicates that Barack is within about nine points in Kansas. That's a huge difference for our United States Senate race, for our members of Congress who are running. Our entire legislature is on the ballot. So I am very optimistic that we have a momentum here in this state.
Barack overwhelmingly won the Kansas caucuses. Seventy-five percent of the folks who showed up at our caucus went for Obama. We have candidates who have stepped up to run for the legislature who are very excited about being part of this process and about the work that's going on here. So I think there is a momentum. Even in states that won't necessarily be in the column with their electoral vote, there will be an enormous momentum down-ticket for the Obama campaign.
MR. HUNT: Let's talk about his pledge to end the partisan divide. That's something you have been renowned for in the Jayhawk state. But if you look at - if you look at what Barack Obama is campaigning on, he wants to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. He wants to end the Bush war. He wants to push the Democrats' climate change agenda, Kennedy-embraced health care. Where is the bipartisanship in this?
GOV. SEBELIUS: Well, again, I think that it's not necessarily what issues you choose. I mean, I supported education reform and healthcare reform. And we've done a lot of work on energy initiatives here. But at each point along the way, it's a process of reaching out and making sure that, first of all, you get the best ideas, whoever they come from. So good ideas don't come with a partisan label. It's exactly the kind of work Barack has done in the center working with Dick Lugar on nuclear arms, working on financing initiatives with Republicans
What we need, again, is a president who calls upon us to be Americans once again, not Democrats or Republicans. That kind of bipartisan work goes on in states across the country. I'm a Democratic governor in a state where 27 percent of our registered voters are Democrat. Yet, time after time, again, we put together the Republican majority to work with our Democrats in the legislature, and balance budgets and move initiatives forward. That work needs to be done in Washington. It's not happening now, and I believe he's the kind of leader who can make that happen within the beltway. We desperately need it.
MR. HUNT: Governor Sebelius, if you're not the running mate, you still - Obama says you are - he says there's no more talented public official in America than Kathleen Sebelius. He is very high on you. You would be a sure bet to be asked to be in the cabinet. Would that interest you, coming to Washington and being in the Obama cabinet?
GOV. SEBELIUS: You know, I love this state. I love being here in Kansas. There's no better job in America, I think, than being the governor of a state because you actually get to do things. You get to move an agenda forward and represent great people. And you were kind enough, Al, to mention the Jayhawk State and have a championship basketball team now and again is not a bad deal. But I would certainly look at ways that I can be helpful to a President Obama. I want to spend the next several months doing what I can to make sure that he is President Obama because I think that will be great day for this country.
MR. HUNT: But you don't rule out being a cabinet member?
GOV. SEBELIUS: Well, I'm not looking for a new job right now. We have some very exciting things going on in the state. I have two and a half years left in the term that the people of Kansas elected me to. I am very honored to be reelected to a second term, so I'm not packing my bags to look for any new position. But I want to do what I can to make sure that we have a new president
MR. HUNT: Final question: with his successful trip to the Middle East and Europe, are we now looking at a likely blowout in a November, a really big Obama victory?
GOV. SEBELIUS: I don't think there's going to be anything easy about this election. I think that anybody who thinks that this is a done deal here in the middle of July needs to go back and look at where Democrats were four years ago and eight years ago when it seemed inevitable that a Democrat would be elected
MR. HUNT: Kathleen Sebelius, thank you so much for being with us. We'll look forward to seeing you in Kansas and elsewhere.
GOV. SEBELIUS: Great to see you, Al.