Over the past few weeks, we've spent a lot of time attempting to divine the identity of Obama's VP pick. And although the Chicago version of Kremlinology has been fun, it's clear that we've been lax in studying the entrails of the sacrificial Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, and Rudy Giuliani. It's time that we focus on McCain's choice.
Analysts generally agree that McCain needs to look for a candidate who meets a few key criteria. He should go with: A) someone from a major swing state, preferably in the Midwest; B) someone who's not too young -- so as to avoid making McCain look ancient by contrast -- but also; C) someone who isn't that old, so as to avoid making the GOP ticket appear to be a Boca shuffleboard partnership; D) a candidate with serious Washington experience, to bolster the message that the Republicans can be trusted more than the brash young Obama, but also; E) a candidate who's spent some recent time outside of the Beltway, and who can credibly run as an outsider.
It's a tough set of guidelines, one that rules out most contenders. But there's one clear choice who satisfies all of them -- and while he had appeared to be out of the running for circumstances beyond McCain's control, he's now available for service. This 54 year-old Ohio native spent a decade in the House, during which time he rose to chair a key committee. But he left the House a few years ago, retreating to a contemplative life in the heartland of America.
Did you guess Rob Portman? Well, good try. But that's not the Buckeye McCain should be tapping.
Robert W. Ney -- the former congressman now officially known as federal prisoner No. 28882-016 -- will complete his sentence Friday, less than two years after pleading guilty to corruption charges stemming from the investigation of now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff's dealings with Congress.
Ney, 54, an eight-term Republican from eastern Ohio, entered a federal prison in Morgantown, W.Va., in March 2007 and transferred to a halfway house in Cincinnati in February, according to federal prison officials. Sentenced to 30 months, Ney will have served 17 1/2 months.
McCain-Ney '08!. The words roll off the tongue.