DRUDGE: OBAMA VP WED A.M.?

DRUDGE BULLETIN:

Obama has set an elaborate roll-out to announce his decision that will begin with an early morning e-mail to supporters, perhaps as early as Tuesday, [NY Times reporters] Zeleny and Adam Nagourney have been told.
A top source close to Caroline Kennedy tells DRUDGE -- the pick is more likely to come early Wednesday morning.

Which almost certainly means Tim Kaine, who'll appear with Obama in Martinsville, Va., at an invitation-only event Wednesday.

(Cross-posted at AmSpecBlog.)

UPDATE: While awaiting further irresponsible speculation, I'll point out The Onion's big scoop:

"Oh, sure, yeah, [Kaine] is definitely ready to fill out the ticket by appealing to white blue-collar workers and Latinos," said Tim Kaine expert and daughter Annella Kaine, 13. "Not! He'll probably be like, 'Vote for me and I'll make everyone go to bed early. Derr, derr, derr.'"

(Hat tip: John Tabin.)

UPDATE II: Fox News:

"It's bologna," Traveling Press Secretary Jen Psaki said of the rumor. "Anyone who thinks they know, doesn't know. Senator Obama's looking forward to addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention tomorrow." . . .
One staffer wondered aloud why the presumptive Democratic nominee would make the major announcement during the middle of a hurricane at a VFW event.

Which tells me that Obama staffers are idiots. But we knew that already, right?

UPDATE III: Dallas Morning News:

He's at the VFW convention in Orlando on Tuesday, then spends the day in southern Virginia on Wednesday, reportedly with Senate candidate/ex-Gov. Mark Warner (who has ruled himself out), but not with Gov. Tim Kaine (who hasn't). But there's talk that Obama will spend the night in Richmond, which gives him every chance to appear Thursday with the governor. Hmmm.

I so called this one.

UPDATE IV: The New York Times story is now online and no big whoop:

Senator Barack Obama has all but finalized his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate roll-out plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday, followed by a trip to swing states by the new Democratic ticket, aides said. . . .
Mr. Obama had not notified his choice -- or any of those not selected -- of his decision as of late Monday, advisers said. Going into the final days, Mr. Obama was said to be focused mainly on three candidates: Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware.

"Aides said ... advisers said," yadda yadda. TPM's Greg Sargent:

And Bayh may still be in the running, supposedly, though that's very hard to imagine.

"Very hard to imagine" because Sargent's Netroots buddies screamed bloody murder about Bayh. But people I know in Virginia aren't really impressed with Kaine, either, and I heard from one reporter who's still got the thick stack of oppo-research the GOP put out on Kaine in 2005. If the list is down to Bayh, Kaine and Biden, and if the announcement is "as soon as Wednesday," it's almost certainly Kaine.

Wonder what the PUMAs will say?

UPDATE V: Allah:

Who will it be? The smart money says Biden, who’s just back from Georgia with a feather in his cap and whose foreign policy advisor, Tony Blinken, was coincidentally “vacationing” last week in … Hawaii.

It's Kaine, dadgum it. Two senators on the same ticket? No, not unless it's You-Know-Who. And Biden's an outdated joke from a 3-EV state that's not even in play. So it's a governor. The Netroots hated Bayh. And Obama's going to be in Virginia two days this week, so it's got to be Kaine.

UPDATE VI: Ace of Spades:

Bill Kristol hears a different three: Kaine, Biden, and Sebelius.
So did he pick Sebelius? Does the NYT's final three not include her as a head fake?

Dear Ace:
WTF did Bill Kristol ever do for you, huh? I mean, c'mon. And exactly what makes you think any Democrat who has the slightest clue of what's going on at Obama HQ is going to tell BILL FREAKING KRISTOL anything?
But no, I understand. I see how the game is played. It's much more impressive to quote Bill "The Iraqis Will Welcome Our Troops With Flowers" Kristol than to quote a mere blogger.
I mean, simple common sense will tell you that if Obama picks Sebelius, the PUMAs will do like Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction." And yet, because he's Bill Kristol and I'm not, you're quoting him instead of me, when I'm telling you in BIG RED NEON LETTERS it's going to be TIM KAINE.
Your disappointed moron,
-- RSM