Pawlenty is a no-go.  Jindal, no-go.  A lot of other names, like Portman or especially Romney, are driven by staff and consultants - not by Senator McCain. Lest we forget: it’s his opinion that matters.

Mitt Romney’s qualifications place him in the hopper for Treasury Secretary, far more so than as potential Veep.  Does anyone honestly believe that John McCain is going to willingly anoint Mitt Romney as his successor? As his potential #2? As leader of the GOP?  As the party’s presumptive nominee in 2012 or 2016?  Team Romney is persistent, if nothing else.

Sure, McCain may pick Romney - but that would be seen as a panic-driven, pandering choice to the donor class and staffers looking to pull $10,000 a month.  If you think that sounds crazy, look at the Romney expenditure reports.

McCain’s ‘maverick’ streak may lead him to pull in someone scandal-free but with access to their own national network to augment his own.  The elephant missing in the GOP primary was George Allen, who famously macaca-d himself out of re-election & a presidential bid.  However, dark horse Virginian Eric Cantor could easily tap into the network Allen was building from 1993-2006.  Allen had strong ties into Orange County, CA money that fell to Romney by default.  Not just conservative cash - but Bush Pioneers that have yet to pony up. Think “movement” + Pioneers + New Majority + Lincoln Club.

In previous cycles, the GOP nominee raised one in four dollars in California.  McCain has Schwarzenegger and his fundraising machine, but in a donor state like CA - there is more than one set of Top Tier folks in the ‘underwriter’ class.  By underwriter, I mean Billionaires that routinely Co-Chair inaugural committees and Host Committees.  These are folks who don’t talk to staff, because they don’t have to.  Billionaires do not need the permission of even the most ‘Senior Adviser’ to chat with a potential president.  And the Senator may not report back every detail to staff.  Having watched some of those folks in action, my own instinct tells me that until Senator McCain makes it official -nothing can be counted on.

If McCain chooses someone like Cantor - it please multiple classes of politicos.  Top flight donors, potential Cabinet members, and national-grade consultants who have earned their way to the top as presidential campaign advisers. Cantor has a stable of folks around him, both current and former consultants he remains close to, that could make a McCain-Cantor ticket very formidable.

And that’s just the metrics.  Cantor is in his 40s, attractive, great wife, wonderful kids.  He’s a prolific fundraiser for his colleagues in the House.  He has earned his spot on the national stage - and the chances of being Speaker aren’t so hot right now.

It would be a bold move - and McCain needs to make one.  McCain-Cantor, gosh - it even sounds good.

 —Media Lizzy

IN THE BEGINNING… there was Obamessiah, the ANOINTED ONE…

Ssg. Lorie Jewell/U.S. Army, via Associated Press

Gen. David Petraeus: Class Act
Cardboard Cutout Obama: Ass Hat

I can’t imagine what our military must be thinking about Obamessiah’s Great Adventure to the Middle East. The military is being used as a prop for The Anointed One’s latest propaganda campaign, and they know it. Sometimes, coming face to face with the enemy doesn’t necessarily take place on the battlefield…

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TONIGHT on my radio program — the NYTimes refusal to publish Sen. McAmensty’s op-ed and other examples of slanted coverage favoring Obamessiah. Joining us — Bill Proctor, author of the best seller “The Gospel According to the New York Times”.The Media Research Center reports on more Obamedia bias.

Tune in at 9 ET — click the button below to listen.

***According to Christoph von Marschall, who is the Washington bureau chief of Der Tagesspiegel, a German daily newspaper, Barack Obama has been snubbing the Foreign Press. Phone calls and emails ignored, and von Marschall says, “We Don’t Matter”.From STOP THE ACLU…

In the Washington Post today, von Marschall writes a piece which wonders if Obama’s avoidance and refusal to answer questions from foreign journalists stems from a certain wariness about the risk of speaking to foreign media and how it can resonate back in America, and he uses the examples of Obama’s adviser Austan Goolsbee and his former aide Samantha Power, both of which made comments to foreign press and both saw ripples throughout America at those comments.

Barring that reason, von Marschall also wonders if Obama’s refusal to speak with the foreign press and answer questions from them could stem from arrogance at “being so close to power.”

Barack arrogant? Audacious? Did he just command us to genuflect?

*****