McCain To Name running mate today

John McCain has decided on his running mate, two Republican strategists in contact with McCain’s campaign said Wednesday. He is expected to reveal his choice at 11 am on Friday at a rally at a basketball arena in Dayton, Ohio. Republicans close to the campaign said that the top contenders remained the same three men who have been the source of speculation for weeks: former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and, possibly, Senator Joseph I Lieberman, Independent of Connecticut. Romney remained the most talked-about possibility among party officials. But Pawlenty gained some currency because of what were perceived as Romney’s downsides.