Whom Will Mitt Pick?

The Times thinks Mitt fancies Pawlenty:

The conservative National Review now describes Mr. Pawlenty as “Romney’s traveling salesman.” While other potential vice-presidential candidates like Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana have day jobs that limit their availability, Mr. Pawlenty, who has no other full-time position, is the political equivalent of an empty nester, available to do whatever Mr. Romney asks.

Tim Pawlenty certainly appears to be courting Romney for the running mate position, doing as best he can to remain in the spotlight, both in Romney's eyes and in the eyes of Republicans in general. Indeed, he has had at least some measure of success: the reporter talks about his "down-to-earth" appeal and his "plain-spoken" manner, qualities of unpretentious simplicity which for years have made many even in the supposedly intellectual wings of the GOP positively giddy.

If one thing's for sure, the recent speculation around Condoleezza Rice is probably unfounded. Apart form anything else, political life simply isn't her thing:

How many times has Condi Rice explained that she's just not that into politics? These are not the usual protestations of not being enamored of the veep job in particular; they are blanket denunciations of the very concept of being a politician. Condi doesn't want to kiss babies; she doesn't want to shake hands; she doesn't want to dial for dollars; she doesn't want to eat rubber chicken every night; she doesn't want to be Mitt's attack dog. When she says she'd rather be commissioner of the NFL, she means it.

The story will probably materialize as little more than an itinerant media plaything, around for only the time being.