Gov. Tim Pawlenty is expected to be in Denver this morning, making the rounds of TV talk shows to lambast Barack Obama on the day the Illinois senator will accept the Democratic nomination for president.
The high-visibility mission is the latest stop in a whirlwind campaign swing that for several days recently sent Pawlenty barnstorming for Republican candidate John McCain across the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. It culminates months in which Pawlenty's national profile has risen amid speculation about his chances of being chosen as McCain's running mate.
Pawlenty has plenty of company on McCain's so-called short list of potential running mates. The choice is expected to be announced Friday morning, either propelling Pawlenty into the full glare of the national spotlight or returning him to the relative shadows.
Which will it be? Neither McCain nor Pawlenty is offering any clues.
Wednesday, a rare day in which he was in Minnesota, Pawlenty visited the State Fair, making the rounds of radio and TV stations, drawing questions about his veep prospects that he declined to answer.
When asked if he has spoken with McCain at all in the past week, Pawlenty initially replied, "About what?" He later said, "I don't address questions that relate to vice president issues."
He added that he was "planning" on being in Minnesota Friday for his weekly radio show and scheduled to be in the state Saturday and Sunday.
Earlier this week, appearing on the Tonight Show, McCain was asked about Pawlenty by host Jay Leno. "He's a great young man," McCain replied. "A great governor of his state."