Whispers and rumors spread about Romney's veep

As the convention looms closer any Republican seen with Mitt Romney?generates buzz around the GOP veep selection.

By Nancy Benac,?Associated Press / July 8, 2012

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, center, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., right, in Exeter, N.H. Mitt Romney is considering his choices for a running mate, one of the most significant decisions of his presidential campaign.

Charles Dharapak/AP/File

Enlarge

Leaks are springing. Trial balloons are floating. Egos are being stroked. Wanna-bes are auditioning. And, chances are, lies are being told.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "off"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Somewhere, amid all of the shenanigans, Republican?Mitt?Romney?is considering his choices for a running mate, one of the most significant decisions of his presidential campaign.

The secrecy that shrouds the selection of a modern presidential running mate has given rise to political sideshows that play out in public while the more serious search operation takes place at a largely subterranean level.

Names of new?Romney?short-listers emerge; others fall by the wayside.

Any kind of proximity to?Romney?? or his opponent ? generates questions about GOP veep ambitions.

Why did Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire walk in a July Fourth parade with?Romney? Why did Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota turn up in Ohio and Pennsylvania during President Barack Obama's Midwest bus trip? Why did Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio write a Cleveland newspaper column criticizing the president's policies just as Obama headed for the state?

Comments by?Romney?and his team are parsed for deeper meaning.

What to make of Ann?Romney's?remark this past week that women are under consideration? What about?Romney's?earlier comment that outspoken New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "really is something?" Why did?Romney?pull back the veil last month to announce that Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was being "thoroughly vetted" for vice president after reports to the contrary emerged?

Consultant Bob Shrum, who's worked on numerous Democratic presidential campaigns, says a closely held search operation is a good thing because it protects the people who open up their lives to the campaign to be thoroughly checked out as potential running mates.

But the lack of public information creates an opening for all sorts of political gamesmanship, including self-promotion by short-listers who aren't on the short list at all and denials by actual short-listers who feign nonchalance.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/1D_D4GIvBic/Whispers-and-rumors-spread-about-Romney-s-veep

the stand josh mcdaniels cotton bowl wizards of waverly place cedric benson playoff schedule charles addams