This Just In ... McCain "VeepStakes" ***UPDATED***

10:34 EST
McCain Campaign confirms to FOX - Sarah Palin is the pick for Veep. (WPBC)

10:25 EST
:::BREAKING::: FNC says sources "backstage" at the Nutter Center are telling them the Veep pick is Palin. (WPBC)

10:20 EST
:::BREAKING::: Politico.com reports it's PALIN! (WPBC)

10:01 EST
UPDATE FNC has producer on the ground at Middleton Airport. FNC reports that plane landed shortly after 10 PM EST Thursday night and that "a woman in her 40s and two young men" deplaned and were picked up by SUVs. McCain has "hit it out of the park" on getting maximum anticipation w/no leaks. Complete steals the news cycle from Obama. Nobody is talking about Obama speech last night. Story continues to move at warp speed. Stay tuned ... (WPBC)

9:51 EST
Were in the World is Eric?
Sittin' here w/the Chica spinning up some blue fruity frozen stuff and I'm not seein' anybody talk about the Congressman from Virginia ... Is the silence deafening? Could it be the #yeswecantor team knows something and just isn't feeding the speculation ... Sarah Palin is a head-fake. Ridge is too toxic. Meg Whitman is too "corporate". CT Joe is too "democrat" of an independent and would be a yawner to most GOPers. Cantor: young, conservative, articulate, and can raise a boatload of $$$. Chica's in for a Mamosa w/Cantor, but really, secretly, wants a photo-op. We all have our reasons I guess. More to come ... (G.O.D./SWC)

9:28 EST
UPDATE Fellow Dumpster Divers! The Obama-mama-mia is being completely shut out less than 12 hours after his rather flat and uninspiring speech from the Baraclopoulis (or was it the Denver Post Office, not sure) ... the 24 minute news cycle has moved on to the GOP "VeepStakes" and the Gonzenator couldn't be happier. First, because it gives us an excuse to fire up the Blender and get a head start on the holiday weekend. Second, because we're all just dyin' to see who gets to collect on the WPBCHQ Office Pool. ($36.00, not chump change, baby!)
Stay tuned ... (G.O.D.)

9:20 EST
UPDATE FNC hawking AK Gov Sarah Palin as Veep pick. Chattering class all "a-Twitter" on the Palin pick ... Report: Bluey, citing @PoliticsNation says "watch Lindsey Graham" ... this reporter is non-plussed about Graham, but story still evolving. (WPBC)

8:19 EST
UPDATE ***Breaking*** PRIVATE AIRCRAFT W/AK Reg parked at Dayton area Airport. Report: Bluey, AK Gov Palin on short list. Fox reports Romney's out too. Speculation rampant among the "Chattering Class". More to come ... (WPBC)

8:02 EST:
This Just In ... Pawlenty out as VP pick. Spotlight on Romney, Cantor. More as information develops. AK Gov Palin may be on "Short List" ... Story is still moving, stay tuned. (WPBC)

Romney Out? Is it a McCain/Huckabee Ticket after all?

FNC reports that Time's Halperin has "multiple sources" confirming that Mitt Romney will drop POTUS bid "sometime today" ... Stay tuned.

McCain-Romney/Clinton-Obama and California ... proportional pledged delegates and reality of perception.

Even if you win you potentially lose. One or the other GOP POTUS hopefuls will "win" Cali's big dance tomorrow, but the number of Congressional Districts that have very small numbers of GOP voters could be potential gold for the down tier (read: Huck and the Paulster) candidates. Plus with 21 other states and territories all playing our game tomorrow, the numbers could end up anywhere. (Remember, New Hampshire?)

Not that we here on this blog care who wins, but the reality is that nobody's going to win big enough tomorrow that everybody won't have something positive to spin on Wednesday morning. California may be the big prize, but there's Georgia and the Midwest, the "wild" west and let's not forget some other notable states that will be following along a bit later... like Pennsylvania. Needless to say, it will be entertaining to watch FNC's stable of former supermodels and Miss Americas (oh, and the Brown-haired Guy that ain't Steve) on Wednesday. They will have a lot to keep up with as the camps and candidates flack their way through the infomercials that are cable news morning shows (after they finish shilling their own books). You can bet that we'll have three or four TVs on to monitor the madness and look for the really good stuff to share with you.

Note to the night-owls:
We may be blogging live from Faulkner Strategies' little shin-dig at the Claddaugh on South Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis tomorrow night. Look for reports at least until our intrepid reporters and insider flacks out there have had a couple of drinks. After that, all bets are off.