Politico: Tim Kaine Is High On Obama's Short List

The Politico reports that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine "ranks very, very high on the short list" for potential Obama running mates, according to a source who has spoken recently to senior Obama aides.

Kaine, an early Obama supporter, has the relative youth and compelling biography that the presumptive Democratic nominee may be looking for to dovetail his campaign's message, and it couldn't hurt that Kaine is from Virginia—a state that's shaping up to be a critical battleground.

Kaine, who's stock has been rising in the CBSNews.com VP Hot Sheet, recently got some unexpected support from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe, who said that the Virginia governor would be the Democratic Party's best option to fill out the bottom half of the ticket.

Though an Obama spokesman declined to comment, Virginia Democrats close to Kaine, Politico reports, said Kaine and his staff believe that he is being very seriously considered for the number two slot.