By Denise Ross

(Photo courtesy of Rapid City Weekly News / Andy Jacobs UPDATE: Correct photo credit goes to Tom Lawrence)

Potential VP candidate Sen. John Thune, R-SD, strikes a pensive pose as GOP prez nominee John McCain answers questions from SD reporters aboard the Straight Talk Express bus on Monday.

I wasn’t on the bus, but Tom Lawrence of the RC Weekly News tells me that both Thune and McCain downplayed Thune’s VP prospects. However, they stopped short of outright laying them to rest, and traditionally the thwarted VP contender publicly falls on his/her own sword by saying they really don’t want the job and wouldn’t accept an invitation.

Thune stuck with his line that he’s not expecting an invitation and broadened it out to say he expects probably a governor would get the nod.

Likewise, McCain said he really couldn’t comment in depth. But he then went on to extoll Thune’s resume - solid conservative credentials, young and handsome.

Here’s how Kevin Woster of the RC Journal quoted McCain:

“Sen. Thune won one of the great races in recent history (over former Sen. Tom Daschle), one of the most hotly contested, and probably one of the most watched races in recent political history. … On a broad range of issues, he’s highly respected and highly regarded. And as I mentioned before, he is not ugly.”

We’re mere weeks away from knowing the answer, and Thune’s still in the mix. Whatever happens, that can’t be bad for Thune or for SD.

Bonus photo on the jump.

They give McCain a hard time about being averse to modern telecomm and computer technology, but that looks for all the world like a video iPod. Probably so he can keep up with all the Family Guy episodes.

UPDATE: Turns out that iPod does not belong to McCain. It belongs to the Rapid City Weekly News crew that so generously shared these photos with Hoghouse Blog. They used it to record the discussion. Ownership of the candy wrappers is yet to be determined. 

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