While everyone else was reporting the Repug-manufactured story about Kerry all but pleading with McCain to be his running mate, there were those of us at Democrats.com who never believed it and kept refuting the story. Now Kerry has revealed on Larry King Live that John Edwards was his first choice and that he never offered McCain the position or even made overtures. The entire McCain offer story was manufactured to try to make ANY VP choice Kerry made seem second choice, and to give McCain free news coverage for weeks that Bush could later exploit (he is doing so right now, making the rounds of public venues with McCain in tow).

AP: "Sen. John Edwards interrupted his Walt Disney World vacation last week to meet with Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, adding a new level of intrigue to the vice presidential search. Kerry must nominate a vice presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention, which opens in Boston on July 26. Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said the Massachusetts senator has not made a decision, but that didnâ??t stop speculation from running rampant in Democratic circles. An announcement could come as early as this week. Edwards, a polished populist from North Carolina, outlasted all but Kerry in the Democratic primary fight and is the favorite of many party regulars. Two officials close to the Kerry campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Edwards interrupted a family vacation and flew from Florida to Washington on Thursday to meet secretly with Kerry."

AP: "Democrat John Kerry has one less person to consider while deliberating his choice of a presidential running mate: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has said thanks, but no thanks. Richardson said he wants to keep a promise to the people of his state to serve a full term and noted that Kerry has 'numerous experienced and talented leaders' from which to choose a vice presidential candidate."

"In a nationwide poll (1st wk June) that tested the pairing of John Kerry with two VPs, Howard Dean and Richard Gephardt, Bush-Cheney holds a narrow lead over both Kerry tickets (45% to 43%). However, among key Kerry constituents, Gephardt is lethal: For 18-29 year-olds Kerry-Dean leads Bush-Cheney, 60% to 29%. With a Kerry-Gephardt pairing, the Kerry ticket drops 16-percentage points to a 54% lead vs. 39%. .Among single voters, Kerry-Dean leads Bush-Cheney 57% to 34%, but with a Kerry-Gephardt vs. Bush-Cheney pairing, this slips 51% to 38%. Support by African Americans for the Dem ticket slips from a 72% to 19% lead with Kerry-Dean, to a 65% to 26% lead with Kerry-Gephardt. For people with household income less than $15,000, With a Kerry-Dean ticket, the Democrats lead Bush-Cheney, 57% to 26%. With a Kerry-Gephardt ticket, just 42% would support the Democrats, with 40% voting for Bush-Cheney."

AP: "[A new poll] showed that 36% said they would most like to see Kerry choose Edwards [for VP]. Among Democrats surveyed, Edwards fared even better: 43% preferred him over three other Democrats. 19% wanted Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri; 18%t chose retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, and 4% picked Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, a relative unknown on the national scene. When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York was added to the mix, one-fourth of the respondents supported her while Edwards' backing remained strong at 34 percent."This poll was reported by snide righty Ron Fournier, who leads into the story with the sniping description of Edwards as a "smooth-talking populist." Fournier is a master of nasty and not-so-subtle anti-Dem side-swipes.

"Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry has discussed the vice presidency with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on several occasions, the most recent in the past two weeks, informed sources said yesterday. But the conversations have gone nowhere because McCain believes such a bipartisan ticket would not work and could weaken the presidency, ...Some Democrats have seen McCain as an ideal choice as Kerry's running mate, as a politician whose presence on the Democratic ticket would shake up the race between Kerry and President Bush...some Democrats have discussed Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), an independent-minded conservative ...Hagel recently told The Washington Post that several Democrats have approached him about running with Kerry." No Kerry-McCain!

NY Times reports, "Despite weeks of steadfast rejections from Senator John McCain, some prominent Democrats are angling for him to run for vice president alongside Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, creating a bipartisan ticket that they say would instantly transform the presidential race. The enthusiasm of Democrats for Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, is so high that even some who have been mentioned as possible Kerry running mates - including Senator Bill Nelson of Florida and Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska senator - are spinning scenarios about a 'unity government,' effectively giving Mr. Kerry a green light to reach across the political aisle and extend an offer. 'Senator McCain would not have to leave his party,' Mr. Kerrey said. 'He could remain a Republican, would be given some authority over selection of cabinet people.'" Is this a DLC-GOP-PNAC plot to perpetuate Bushism without Bush?