Terry Picks a Mate as Suspense Builds

The streets are empty and eerily quiet this afternoon as 3 million Iowans huddle indoors, awaiting news of who, dammit who, Terry Branstad will pick as his running mate.

Was that a tumble weed?

I am not in the running, even though Branstad and I go way back. We seriously bonded at the April 1989 Iowa House page breakfast, shown above. Mustache and The Mullet they called us. Those were the days. And how 'bout those glasses?

Actually, tomorrow (Thursday) is the day we find out who will be TB's pick for lietenant governor. He's announcing his decision via text message/Twitter before a more old-school fly-around tour.

He gets to Cedar Rapids' Landmark Aviation at 4 p.m. Stop No. 7. I'll stay in a sound-proof booth all day to avoid spoiling the live surprise.

Will it be his vanquished foe, state Rep. Rod Roberts of Carroll, or former Senate President Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny, where Branstad'sanouncement tour starts Thursday morning. Coincidence? Tea leaves?

Maybe it's former ISU rasslin' coach/3rd District congressional loser Jim Gibbons or little-known State Sen. Kim Reynolds of Osceola. IowaPolitics.com says she's the one, according to "several key Republican sources."

Some of Bob Vander Plaats' supporters want the right-swinging Dutchman of 41-percent primary fame to be Branstad's pick. So much so, that they may try to place his name in nomination at this weekend's state GOP convention. Could it be a coup d' Terry? That's French for political embarrassment.

Will it happen? La doubtful.

I'm guessing BVP's BFFs must have found a little-known constitutional codicil showing that it's actually the lieutenant governor who has the power to nullify Supreme Court court rulings. Who knew?

A TB-BVP dreamdate is not going to happen. But the suspense won't end there. No sir. Vander Plaats may still run as an independent, tossing this  election into full-scale tumult.

His former campaign spokesman Eric Woolson sent this message late today (Wednesday):

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats will make his first public comments about the 2010 gubernatorial campaign since Primary Night on Friday, June 25, when he appears on the Steve Deace Show from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Vander Plaats will be at the WHO Radio studios, 2141 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, for the live interview.

High radio drama, maybe like War of the Worlds. I still can't believe he'll do it, but the fact that he's appearing on Deace makes me think he just might cry schism right before a crowded convention.

Back to Branstad. Who will he pick?  I really don't care

know. I'd pick Roberts if it were up to me. He's likeable, distinguished and checks off many important boxes on the GOP order form.

But basically, I can't get too charged up about this. I know it's supposed to be a coveted office that will magically transform its occupant into the next big thing, but it's still a lousy job. Branstad's the last loot-guv to get a promotion, and that's back when you had to actually win a separate statewide vote and presiding over the Senate was included in the duties.

Nowadays, you get to do whatever the governor lets you do. And in a Branstad administration, if the past is an indicator, his mate will be the special director of the Department of Not Much.

But I guess it's fun to speculate for a few more hours. And if the phone rings tonight, The Mullet is ready.