Pawlenty indicates he's not McCain's veep choice

[August 29, 2008]  DENVER (AP) -- John McCain is keeping the name of his vice presidential choice a closely held secret, though Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty appeared to take himself out of the running.

With McCain set to announce his selection Friday in Dayton, Ohio, Pawlenty said he was not making the trip to Ohio.

"I'm not going to be there. I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that," Pawlenty said on his weekly call-in radio show on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis. He also called it "a fair assumption" that he will not be McCain's running mate.

There was no indication that another Republican considered a leading contender, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, was heading to Ohio. He spent Thursday courting donors in California.

John McCain is keeping the name of his running mate a closely held secret just hours before the Republican presidential candidate is set to introduce his No. 2 at an Ohio rally.

"I'm not going to be there. I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that," one top prospect, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, said early Friday on his weekly call-in radio show on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.

There also was no indication that another man considered among the leading contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, was heading to Ohio. He spent Thursday courting donors in California.

All that raised the possibility that others, such as former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge or Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, could be named, or that McCain could choose a wild card candidate from any number of prospects that have been mentioned since he clinched the GOP nomination in March.

[Associated Press; By LIZ SIDOTI]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.