Two days after it was reported that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was actively pursuing the idea of being John McCain's Vice Presidential running mate, Rice threw cold water on the idea.

In a State Department news conference with the foreign ministers of Mexico and Canada, Rice was asked Tuesday about her post-Bush Administration plans and made clear, they did not include being The Veep.

"Senator McCain is an extraordinary American, a really outstanding leader and obviously a great patriot," said Rice, who then told reporters, "I am going back to Stanford, back to California, west of the Mississippi."

"I very much look forward to watching this campaign and voting as a voter," Rice declared.

I didn't buy the thought that Rice was going to be a Veep.  Why would John McCain want on his ticket someone who was thoroughly identified with the Bush Administration?

One of John McCain's biggest juggling acts at the GOP Convention is going to be the salute to George W. Bush, having the President speak, and then sending him on his way back to the White House for his final few months in office.

In other words, McCain wants to turn the page, not keep the book on the same page.  Condi Rice would have been on the same page.

Democrats are already going to try to argue that McCain is nothing more than Four More Years of the Bush White House.  You don't need to give your opponents anything else for their talking points, eh?

So where does this leave us in the race for the White House?  As I have said before, anyone of any stature who appears in the same room as McCain in coming months will be touted as a possible VP pick.

Partly it's a function of blowing some smoke and stroking the ego of the politician getting the attention.  

("It's nothing I would ever seek, but I'm humbled that I might be considered," Governor Blowhard told reporters today.  "I'm very happy representing the people of my state am certainly ready to campaign for Mr. McCain this fall.")

One thing I certainly believe is true about the VP search - the media pays way too much attention to it. 

But, by the dead of summer, there really isn't much else to worry about, so The Possible Veep gets lots of attention.

When people ask me who I think McCain will pick, I really have been drawing a blank.  That's one reason I keep coming back to Mitt Romney.  He at least made a splash on the campaign trail this year and attracted some more conservative voters.

As for the Democrats, I really don't think we will see Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama.  But then again, no one would have thought we would see Reagan/Bush after the former CIA Director needled the California Governor over "voodoo economics."

But that was the ticket, and a winning one at that.