Politics / Barack Obama Feisty Sebelius Has VP Chops Kansas governor brings red-state cred, history of standing up to Bush By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff Posted Jun 10, 2008 6:05 PM CDT Copied Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greet one another during a rally at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) Among Barack Obama's potential running mates, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius brings a history of standing up to the Bush White House and credibility for having won over a historically Republican state, Sam Stein writes in the Huffington Post. "Kansans of all political stripes loved" Sebelius' blasting of Bush's war policy when it left the state without military reserves needed to pick up after 2007 tornadoes. "Governor Sebelius has a unique record of reaching across traditional party lines in Kansas to build consensus," said state rep. Raj Goyle, citing another Obama-esque strength. But Sebelius also has question marks—polls show Obama won’t carry Kansas even with her on the ticket; she fell short in delivering the response to Bush's State of the Union; and as a governor she has little national-security experience. (More Barack Obama stories.) Report an error