Expect an August Pick for McCain's Running Mate

Some advisers to John McCain expect him to choose a running mate in early August, about two or three weeks before the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. McCain is said to believe that announcing his VP early would give him and his staff a window to address any criticisms that might arise. McCain wants to avoid the furor that followed George H. W. Bush's choice of Dan Quayle in 1988. That last-minute announcement ignited an unanticipated controversy over whether Quayle had used family connections to get into the Indiana National Guard and thus avoid possible combat duty in Vietnam.

McCain's friends say he has a solid list of people to select from, including conventional choices such as former Rep. Rob Portman, who might help the ticket carry his home state of Ohio, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran against McCain in the GOP primaries and could firm up support among conservatives. But McCain's friends say he could choose a different kind of sidekick, such as newly elected 36-year-old Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose parents immigrated from India, or former business executive Carly Fiorina, who would be the first woman on a GOP ticket.