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<< Previous   of   Next >> Jim Mone / Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty visits the Minnesota State Fair on Wednesday in Falcon Heights, Minn.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Friday, August 29, 2008 McCain's made his veep choice Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, an apparent front-runner, canceled his public appearances. Associated Press DENVER -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain decided on a running mate early Thursday, and one top prospect, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, abruptly canceled numerous public appearances. The Arizona senator will appear with his No. 2 at an Ohio rally today, aides said, though they provided no details on McCain's pick. Without explanation, Pawlenty called off an interview at the last minute in Denver, site of the Democratic National Convention. Others believed to be in contention for the No. 2 slot on the GOP ticket included former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who was meeting with donors throughout California, and Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who was vacationing on New York's Long Island. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, too, was still a possibility, as was the idea that McCain would choose a dark horse from any number of names that have circulated. Fueling speculation that McCain would choose either Pawlenty or Romney or another conservative Republican, two GOP officials said they believed McCain had picked a traditional candidate. They based their conclusion on the fact that the campaign, which once had put the party on notice to prepare for the possibility of an unconventional candidate, does not have preparations in place to curb the fallout from a right flank that certainly would revolt if Ridge, an abortion-rights backer, or Lieberman, a former Democrat, was on the ticket. If he knew McCain's decision, Pawlenty gave nothing away when he arrived back at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. "This is Senator McCain's decision and his announcement and we all want to be respectful of his desire to have the chance to announce it himself," Pawlenty said. With both the eventual pick and the effort to keep buzz alive beforehand, McCain's campaign hopes to curb any uptick in polling that Obama might get from his convention and to create momentum heading into the gathering of GOP delegates for McCain next week in St. Paul, Minn.

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