He's the former NATO supreme commander (2003-2006) who served as the commandant of the Marine Corps under presidents Clinton and Bush. He's also been bandied about as a possible veep pick for Obama. Well, until the New York Sun's Russell Berman noticed something strange:

When the advisers tapped by Senator Obama to find a vice president met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, one name that leaked out was that of a former NATO commander, General James Jones.

But yesterday, as the presumptive Democratic nominee held briefings in Washington with dozens of military and foreign policy advisers, General Jones was not there. Instead, he was in Missouri, sitting on an energy security panel convened by Mr. Obama's Republican rival, Senator McCain, who praised him as "a great friend and a great patriot."

That General Jones would be mentioned as a potential running mate for one party nominee and participating in a campaign event of the other befits the reputation forged by a man known equally for his diplomatic skills and his military acumen, foreign policy analysts said yesterday.

"I had no idea whether he was a Democrat or a Republican. All I know is he was respected on both sides," a former Pentagon colleague of General Jones's who now heads the Center for a New American Security, Kurt Campbell, said in an interview.

His noncommittal party status probably makes him an attractive choice for Obama, and, despite the meeting, he hasn't endorsed anyone. But Jones has known McCain for decades, which makes him a bit of a longshot. That, and the fact that he has no real political experience outside of diplomacy.