McCain Flying Solo In Vice Presidential Search

During the 2000 presidential campaign, Dick Cheney headed up the search for George W. Bush's running mate – and eventually settled on himself.

The person running the vice presidential search for presumptive GOP nominee John McCain won't have that option – since, the Chicago Tribune reports, it's McCain himself who's handling the job.

The Tribune reports that McCain advisor Charlie Black said during a lunch with reporters that McCain is "the chairman of the selection committee."

"He is thinking about names," Black said. "He's not talking to any of us about that." The advisor also said McCain had set no timetables for the search.

One of the people thought to be a favorite for the slot, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, recently distanced himself from McCain's comments that last summer's Minneapolis bridge collapse occurred "because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects." McCain subsequently backed off those comments.