Veepstakes

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty ditched his mild-mannered mullet hairstyle for the Republican veepstakes over the summer. But now he has grown it back, giving 2012 presidential handicappers something to watch. Is he trying to show he’s a Mesabi Maverick? Or simply readying his Bemidji neck warmer for winter?
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The nomination of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate is perhaps the most bizarre thing I’ve witnessed since moving to Alaska six years ago, arguably surpassing the time a bald eagle dropped a flounder into my hot tub. Judging by the e-mails I received on Friday — half of which were some variation of [...]

At the conclusion of Sarah Palin’s speech in Dayton today–an event with all the gravitas and eloquence of a high school pep rally where the principal was introducing the new vice-principal– NBC’s Andrea Mitchell dropped this observation, my emphasis added:
“Her infant child, born in April, we are told by the campaign, with Down’s Syndrome. This [...]

Quoting the once and future Hindrocket:
The AP says the McCain camp “hopes the announcement of his running mate will stunt any momentum that Democratic rival Barack Obama might get from the just concluded Democratic National Convention.” If it really is Palin, I’m afraid the opposite will happen. Press reaction will be 100% negative; the emphasis [...]

Just posted, and not confirmed: “Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a self-styled ‘hockey mom’ who has only been governor for a little over a year, is GOP Presidential candidate John McCain’s choice for Vice President, CNBC has learned. According to a Republican strategist, Palin is the nominee, though McCain’s campaign has not comfirmed this.”
UPDATE: Longtime GOP [...]

TalkLeft is reporting that NBC says Joe Lieberman is in Dayton, Ohio, where John McCain is expected to introduce his running mate later this morning.
Politico’s Jonathan Martin says that Mitt Romney, like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, will not be in Dayton today.
There’s heavy speculation this morning about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (check this piece by [...]

Updated 6:15 pm: see below.
More from the political wire about John McCain’s impending VP pick:
David Drucker, Roll Call: “If security sweeps are the giveaway, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may be on the brink of being selected as Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) vice presidential running mate. According to sources with strong Michigan ties, the Secret [...]

Marc Arbinder reports for The Atlantic that Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been canceling print and broadcast interviews for the day. Possibly related fact: The McCain campaign may make its candidate’s selection for running mate known before Democratic nominee Barack Obama delivers his acceptance speech this evening in Denver.
We’ll keep you posted…

Politico’s Mike Allen reported this morning that McCain has made his VP pick and will notify that person today in advance of tomorrow’s planned rollout rallies in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The short list is thought to include longtime veep frontrunners Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty along with a few, possibly token, mentions of possible female [...]

Bob Novak, the eternal GOP hall monitor who was recently diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, has taken up the pen again to warn of the McCain campaign’s continuing flirtation with naming Joe Lieberman as Johnny Mac’s running mate.
Novak: “Reports of strong support within John McCain’s presidential campaign for Independent Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman as the [...]