Obama's Veep Choice Early Next Week?

Indications from the Obama and McCain camps are that the vice presidential picks are right around the corner. Top Democratic sources tell Whispers that Sen. Barack Obama could announce this week, after returning home from vacation Friday. What's unclear is if he will do it this weekend or next week. But, says the source, picking his running mate in the next week "gives him a couple of days to fly around with whoever it is and into the Democratic convention" in Denver starting August 25.

Many party insiders expect Obama to pick Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a popular former governor.

On the Republican front, the picture isn't as clear because the GOP convention is still two weeks away, giving Sen. John McCain more time to work on his choice. But party insiders believe that he will name his nominee as early as the Friday, August 29, following the Democratic convention. That would give McCain the headline going into the weekend and into his convention in Minnesota.

Who he will pick is less clear, in part because party officials believe he is considering several candidates, including some women. Democratic officials, however, tell Whispers that they believe he is leaning to South Dakota Sen. John Thune, a darling of conservatives for beating former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. GOP party insiders, however, see McCain picking somebody from a key battleground state.

Democrats also fret that if he picks a woman, such as former eBay boss Meg Whitman or Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, that moderate supporters of Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton will jump ship to vote for the ticket propelled by their desire to put a woman in the White House.