Could have gone in the other thread as an update but that one’s already Dramamine-worthy. How apparently serious has the vetting process gotten? If Politico’s to be believed, serious enough that the research director of Joementum’s 2004 presidential campaign is involved:

Top aides to Joseph Lieberman have reached out to former staffers in recent days with “substanative questions” about the issue areas they worked on while working for the Connecticut senator, according to a source close to Lieberman…

Without saying defnitively that the information-gathering was being done to share with McCain’s campaign, this source said “it would be unusual if not in the context of being vetted.”…

Another strong clue is that one of the former aides contacted was Lori McGrogan.

A longtime Lieberman aide, McGrogan served as Research Director on the senator’s 2004 presidential bid where she was tasked with investigating her candidate’s record as well as those of his Democratic primary rivals.

Meanwhile, ABC corroborates NR’s report that not only were top McCain aides calling around to float the idea of a pro-choice VP yesterday but they’re still doing so today. Exit question: Have we officially reached crisis stage now? Time to start phoning Maverick HQ and begging them to cease and desist? It worked with amnesty! (Well, no, not with McCain it didn’t.)

Update: Might as well dump all the VP rumormongering into one thread. Granted, every potential nominee denies that they’re being considered, but would Biden really say something this definitive with Obama’s choice (allegedly) having already been made?

As he pulled out of the driveway in the driver’s seat of his car he then said to the press gathered near his gate, “You guys have better things to do. I’m not the guy.”

Update: It’s … it’s a head fake! “Some conservatives went so far today as to suggest that the McCain camp was raising the issue of naming a pro-choice running mate just as a way to woo moderates, even though he has no intention of doing so. And it all comes as we are receiving word from Republican and conservative officials that pro-life Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has moved to the top of McCain’s vice presidential short list.”