Clinton Passes on Warren, Republicans Pile Insult onto Injury

Hillary Clinton passed on Elizabeth Warren for VP Friday, and Republicans were ready to dance on the grave of the vice presidential candidacy that wasn't.

Clinton, who will be formally named Democratic presidential nominee this week, announced Friday that Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine will be her running mate. Republicans leaped at the chance to stir the pot and spread news of liberal dissatisfaction with the relatively moderate VP pick.

This jab at Warren played prelude to a deluge of critical tweets from GOP candidate Donald Trump shortly after the announcement Friday:

It's arguable whether Warren indeed wanted that spot badly, or at all. As many political observers have noted, if Democrats take the White House in November, they stand a strong chance of retaking the Senate majority, considerably upping her influence there.

Warren gave a winking hint on Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" last week that she would not be the pick.

"I think if it was me, I'd know it by now," she said, on the eve of Clinton's announcement.

• Video: Elizabeth Warren on "Late Show"

One person sad to see Warren off the list is Bernie Sanders.

Sunday on "Meet the Press," he said he'd have preferred her over Kaine.

"Tim is a very, very smart guy. He's a very nice guy. His political views are not my political views. He is more conservative than I am," Sanders said, according to a show transcript. "Would I have preferred to see somebody like an Elizabeth Warren selected by Secretary Clinton? Yes, I would have."

In another series of tweets, Trump ran with the narrative, casting Warren's snub as the death knell of Sanders' "political revolution."

Warren speaks at the Democratic Nominating Convention Monday, the same night as Sanders. There, she will no doubt continue needling the GOP's chosen candidate.

She promised as much in a Twitter reply to Trump Saturday:

Massachusetts' Democratic delegation to the party's nominating convention left for Philadelphia Sunday. Meet the Massachusetts Speakers at DNC 2016 here.

>> Photo by Darlene Rogers, via @KathyGroob. Used with permission.