Pawlenty, Romney Said Out; Odds Rise for Alaska's Palin

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been told he won’t be John McCain’s running mate, MSNBC reports. The governor told listeners to his radio show that “I'm not going to be” at the nominating rally planned for today in Ohio. “I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that.” Meanwhile, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has moved to the top of the rumor list after a secretive charter plane landed near Dayton from her state. Mitt Romney, meanwhile, has no plans to be in Ohio, NBC notes.

Palin would be an “outside-the-box game-changer,” writes Andrew Malcolm in the Los Angeles Times. The 42-year-old is Alaska’s first female governor, and she opposed her party line with a “series of reforms.” (More John McCain stories.)