Update on Veepstakes

Well, one day after my last post on the trials and travails of Democratic Party presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama's choice of a vice presidential vetter (see the whole post below), that choice left.

Jim Johnson, former CEO of Fannie Mae, a US government lender to mortgage bankers and former CEO of former Countrywide Financial,a mortgage lender caught up in the controversy over foreclosed loans, was revealed to have gotten mortgage loans on very favorable terms from Countrywide.

This was a major line of attack from Senator Obama against his rival, Senator Hillary Clinton as several of her aides had ties to Countrywide. Senator Obama even specifically mentioned Countrywide as the poster child for what was wrong the mortgage banking system as many subprime loans and homes have been foreclosed.

There was no way that he could keep Mr. Johnson on staff with what he had said earlier. But worse, he said that Mr. Johnson was not one of those "folks who worked for me." That didn't wash either and on Wednesday, Mr. Johnson left the campaign to no one's great surprise. So, ironically, the first victim to vetting in the Obama vice presidential vetting campaign was a vetter, not a candidate.

Meanwhile, what of Republican nominee John McCain's ideas for a vice president? So far, he's shown inclinations towards his former primary rivals, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, and also in there is Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

Messrs. Romney and Huckabee are obvious candidates for consideration, it's Bobby Jindal who is the interesting candidate. He's young; he just turned 37; he's been a member of Congress and perennial candidate in Louisiana. He has an impressive resume; he is the first elected Indian-American governor in U.S. history (not that the press would ever mention that because Jindal is a Republican), and the second Asian-American governor in the country. He attended prestigious Brown University in Rhode Island and later received a master's degree in political science from New College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar.

He entered state government in Louisiana, served in various medical roles and eventually was tapped as an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. He left to run for governor.

Political analysts say he would bring a dash of diversity and pizazz (he's often called the Republican Barack Obama)to the ticket and conservatives who are supportive but cool towards McCain, would love him.

But Jindal's youth, which has pluses, also has minuses. It would point up McCain's advanced age--71--and also rob McCain of any political points gained at the expense of Barack Obama's young age, 46.

How can you criticize Obama for being young if the man you chose to be a heartbeat away from the presidency is ten years younger?

Again, such are the pitfalls of vice presidential choices; but keep your eye on Bobby Jindal. He could be going places and bringing a growing and vibrant constituency, Indian-Americans, from the Democratic Party to the Republican.

You heard it here first.