By Denise Ross

The Politico report that SD’s own John Thune has made it to the finals of the GOP veep-stakes - he’s in the top 3 - is getting plenty of play. (And with Obama making a big play for Evangelicals, that would seem to tip the scales away from the Mormon Mitt Romney towards the Baptist Thune as a way to shore that demographic up.)

What hasn’t gotten as much discussion is something Barack Obama said that was highlighted on the Chris Matthews Show .

This from the transcript:

Sen. OBAMA: (Wednesday) I want somebody who can be a good president if
anything happened to me. And I want somebody who can be a good adviser and counsel to me and tell me where he or she thinks I’m wrong, not just on
national security policy, but on domestic policy as well.

MATTHEWS: His campaign manager went even further, saying that geographic diversity won’t be a factor. He specifically said Obama wants a true partner like Al Gore was to Bill Clinton and Dick Cheney was to George Bush.

Tom Daschle already fills the “adviser and counsel” role, and with Wesley Clark stepping in it this past weekend, that takes out the top contender from the foreign policy arena. Daschle also fits the “national security policy but also domestic policy” bill.

It’s difficult for me to imagine anyone else who matches these criteria edging Daschle out, given his already close relationship with Obama and the legions of longtime Daschle staffers how now populate Obama’s team. Would they be inclined to recommend someone else?

Only if Daschle himself is pining away to be chief of staff rather than VP. Is that really a contest?

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