Virginia guv to be Obama’s running mate?

White House hopeful Barack Obama is close to picking a running mate, with Timothy Kaine, the one-term governor of the swing state of Virginia, a prime contender, reports said on Wednesday.
Kaine, 50, has told close associates that he has had “very serious” conversations with the democratic senator about running as his vice presidential nominee, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The Obama campaign has been combing through Kaine’s background as part of an in-depth vetting, but is also taking a serious look at senators Evan Bayh of Indiana and Joseph Biden of Delaware, the newspaper said.
Both Kaine and Obama were in Washington on Tuesday but the Virginia governor denied they had any “secret meetings” planned.
Asked if he was being vetted, Kaine told a radio station, “I have been on board with the campaign since February 2007 but don’t talk about my conversations about the campaign”.
“It’s flattering to be mentioned. My mom loves it. But that’s for the campaign to decide...And whatever they decide, they’re going to make a very good decision,” he said.
One politician not considered as a leading runner for the V-P slot is senator Hillary Clinton, Obama’s defeated rival for the democratic nomination, both the Post and the New York Times reported.
Betting on the running mate stakes is intensifying in the runup to the democratic convention in late August.
The relatively inexperienced Obama, 46, must take several factors into account including a potential VP’s pedigree as an officeholder and his or her experience in national security.