The Washington Times takes an interesting look at McCain's VP vetting experience:

Mr. McCain's experiences in 1988 and 1996, his flirtation with the vice president's role in 2000 and even his handling of 2004 may offer clues to what the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is seeking in his own running mate and how he will go about choosing.

"He is better off having gone through the process, mostly because he understands how it works," said Scott Reed, who managed Mr. Dole's campaign and was the one who called Mr. McCain in 1996 to tell him Mr. Dole had chosen someone else.

"The first lesson is that he wants it to be done in a dignified manner, meaning nobody gets embarrassed, nobody gets a bunch of documents leaked," Mr. Reed said.

To that end, Mr. McCain has been tight-lipped about his selection process. Names rise and fall among pundits, but there's little indication anyone has a good idea about what is happening on the inside the campaign. Arthur Culvahouse, the man heading Mr. McCain's selection committee, has stayed out of the limelight.

To be sure, McCain has played the media well in floating candidate names and keeping the game interesting. We'll just have to see if all his experience pays off in the end.