Minn.’s Pawlenty Was First Runner-up for Veep Pick, Report Says

The Republican vice-presidential sweepstakes came down to two finalists: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, reporter Dan Balz writes in today’s Washington Post. Campaign soures told the Post that Palin, who is to address the GOP convention tonight, was on an original list of 20 names vetted by John McCain’s campaign. It said the list “was pared to six serious finalists, then to two, and finally to Palin.”

The report names the other four finalists as: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romey and U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Democrat turned Independent from Connecticut.

The Post, relying on unnamed sources, said that Palin disclosed her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy in a meeting with the head of McCain’s vetting team last Wednesday in Arizona, the day before McCain offered her the vice-presidential spot.