Bush: Cheney For Veep Hunt

George W. Bush on Tuesday selected former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney to head his vice presidential selection team.

"I can't think of a better person to do this," Bush told reporters in announcing his decision while campaigning in Dayton. "He's a man of enormous experience."

Bush, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said he hasn't made any list of potential prospects to share the GOP ticket.

The Texas governor said the main qualification for his running mate would be "somebody who can be president of the United States."

Bringing in Cheney to steer the search would give the campaign a big dose of experience. Cheney, now chief executive officer of Halliburton Co., a Dallas-based engineering and construction company, served PrmsI`ent Bush as defense secretary and President Ford as chief of staff. Before that, he was a Republican congressman from Wyoming.

Democrat Al Gore's running-mate search is headed by Warren Christopher, who helped President Clinton choose his first Cabinet and then served as secretary of state.

Speculation on Bush's prospective running mates has focused on a number of Republican governors and his former GOP rival John McCain. Other possibilities include former presidential rival Elizabeth Dole.