John McCain Picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as His V.P.

By: Liz Sidoti, Associated Press

DENVER - John McCain kept his vice presidential pick a closely guarded secret mere hours before the high-stakes announcement Friday, but his choice has been revealed to be Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a self-styled "hockey mom" and political reformer.

With an announcement scheduled in Dayton, Ohio, an associate of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the governor had been informed he is not McCain's pick.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for Pawlenty, who had all but ruled himself out.

"I'm not going to be there. I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that," Pawlenty said on his weekly call-in radio show on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis. He also called it "a fair assumption" that he will not be McCain's running mate.

John McCain Picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as His V.P. ....