NPR’s Ken Rudin takes a look all the way back to 1964 and analyzes veep picks. As we’ve noted before Rudin also writes: “[N]ot since Jack Kennedy picked Lyndon Johnson has the choice of a running mate truly affected the outcome in November. LBJ did, after all, help bring Texas to the Democratic fold in 1960. But the record for subsequent No. 2's is a bit mixed.”

“The Republican candidate’s wife revealed in an interview set to air Thursday that he has not yet made a final decision about his running mate,” the New York Daily News writes. She said yesterday, “We are certainly talking a lot. This last week, this last weekend, there was a lot of discussion. We're not quite there yet. And we're going to be there soon.”

AYOTTE: “Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is closing out a week of active campaigning with another battleground state visit today, appearing at a New Hampshire specialty lumber supplier with prospective running mate Kelly Ayotte,” the Boston Globe writes, adding, “While Ayotte’s announced appearance with Romney would eliminate an element of surprise were he to reveal today that she is his choice for running mate, campaign aides have also described possible decoys or ruses to conceal his pick until the final moment.”

PAWLENTY: He’ll be at an ice cream social in New Hampshire Aug. 11.

PORTMAN: “There's little question that the Republican presidential nominee and Ohio senator have a lot in common,” USA Today writes. “But whether a Romney-Portman ticket would double-down on the stiff, rich, aloof image Romney that is already battling — or the smart, clean, competent message he's trying to project — remains uncertain. What is clear: Portman has emerged as a front-runner in the vice presidential sweepstakes — and part of the reason for that is he has established an easy, dynamic relationship with the former Massachusetts governor.”

Check this out: “At the height of campaign season, and while under extra scrutiny as a potential vice presidential pick, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is on a quixotic bid to reform how the miscellaneous tariff bill is crafted,” Roll Call reports. “In the process, he’s going against the Republican Ways and Means Committee chairman — a close friend, as it happens — while giving bipartisan cover to a vulnerable Democratic Senator.”

RICE: “Some GOP voters say Condoleezza Rice is a game changer,” the New York Daily News writes. “Three in 10 Republicans rank the former U.S. secretary of state as their top choice to be Mitt Romney's running mate - far outpacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (19 percent), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (8 percent) and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (8 percent), according to a Fox News Poll released Wednesday.”

“For months, Mitt Romney's most trusted dirt-diggers have been scouring the secret histories of several Republicans—including punchy Chris Christie, sexy Marco Rubio, snoozy Rob Portman—as they jockey to be his running mate,” GQ’s Zengerle writes. “It's veep-vetting season, and it's the most invasive process in politics. Just how squeamish does it get? We sent Jason Zengerle to one of Washington's top vetters to find out if he's got what it takes to be the next.”

USA Today on the article: “GQ calls vetting a vice presidential pick ‘the most invasive process in politics.’ There are lengthy questionnaires dealing with personal finances, drug use, church attendance, foreign countries visited and the like. Interviews are said to touch on sexual encounters, fidelity, and ‘what if’ policy situations.”

HAMILTON, OH -- In his first public campaign appearance for Mitt Romney, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush did not shy away from attacking President Obama, and advanced the presumptive GOP nominee's messaging this week.

“There are a lot of positive reasons to support Mitt Romney but I want to give you a reason that it is important: because the current president of the United States doesn’t get it,” Bush told the crowd inside United Performance Metals. The president “said in Virginia: “If you got a business, you didn’t build that, somebody else made it happen.” Now that was kind of like saying the private sector is doing good but its the economy that is doing bad. These are insights into the thinking of a man who has had no practical experience in creating jobs.”

Campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio Wednesday just hours before Mitt Romney himself appears in the state,  Bush said it is Obama who has created “a morass” and “a dark cloud over our country” that only Romney can help improve.

“I am so tired of the president of United States –- with the awesome seal he gets to go around with -– pointing, trying to create divisions. Trying to punish people rhetorically for the hard work that will restore American’s greatness,” he said.

Bush’s comments come amid a week in which the tone of the presidential campaign has taken a more divisive tone, with harsh words being exchanged between the Obama and Romney campaigns.

Echoing Romney’s comments just yesterday, when the former Massachusetts governor accused Obama of cronyism, Bush called for an end of policies that allow for failed loans that aid companies, like Solyndra.

“Crony capitalism needs to be rejected and eliminated in our country and what we need to do is restore entrepreneurial capitalism where government plays a role but it is a limiting role. And where we celebrate success rather than punishing it,” he said.

Bush, whose name was once included as a possible vice presidential pick for Romney, shed no direct insight on any VP speculation but did predict that two states are vital to the November election:

“There are two states that actually matter a little bit more -– my beloved state of Florida, which is like the purplest of all the states in this election and Ohio. If we do our part in Florida and you do your part in Ohio, I believe Mitt Romney will be the next president of the United States and the restoration of America’s greatness will begin.”

Gov. Bush, a member of the prominent political Bush family, kicked off his speech giving a “Bush family update” to the couple hundred person crowd. The 43rd Governor of Florida said his parents -- former President George H. W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush -- and his older brother -- former President George W. Bush -- are doing “pretty good.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will deliver the keynote address at next month's Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL.

NBC News' Jamie Gangel reported Wednesday that Christie would be afforded the plum speaking slot at the convention, a gig that sometimes serves as a launching pad for political figures with ambitions of higher office.

The selection of Christie, though, would seem to suggest that Christie is not likely the choice by Mitt Romney to serve as the GOP's vice presidential nominee. Typically, the keynote speaker is separate from the vice presidential nominee, who, like the presidential nominee, speaks on separate nights.

Republicans have not yet released a detailed itinerary of the speaking schedule for their convention.

We noted in First Read yesterday that despite some hints a Romney veep pick would come early, don’t bet on it. And today, the New York Daily News’ Tom DeFrank reports: “Sources close to the Romney campaign told the Daily News the working plan has been to announce the pick after the Olympic Games, which begin next week and conclude Aug. 12 — two weeks before the Republican convention in Tampa.”

More: “The running mate choice — a high-stakes pick often described as the first presidential-caliber decision a candidate makes — will dominate the news cycle for days, temporarily changing the subject from Romney’s financial baggage. But some top advisers believe popping the name now would be seen as a panicky overreaction to Romney’s bad press and should be saved for better ‘bounce’ closer to the convention. As a practical matter, moreover, a GOP veteran of vice presidential rollouts said it takes at least a month for a support staff to be up and running before a nominee is named.”

The New York Times looks at the process of Romney selecting his VP. “Aides to Mitt Romney have pored over video footage of potential running mates, studying hundreds of hours of Sunday news show appearances, campaign debates and stump speeches for insight into how they handle unwelcome inquiries, even hecklers. They have instructed possible No. 2’s to fill out a questionnaire with about 80 detailed and sometimes intrusive questions covering the financial and the personal, including, ‘Have you ever been unfaithful?’ And they have listened for political intangibles that are subjective but potent, like: is a candidate’s style of speaking inviting or grating?”

“In the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, only a quarter of voters say the selection of the vice presidential candidate matters a lot to their decision in November. Another quarter says the choice of running mate doesn’t affect their vote at all. The rest say they consider the selection to some degree,” the New York Times writes. “The group for whom the vice presidential pick matters are voters who are more enthused about voting in November than usual. Overall, a third of all voters say they are more enthusiastic this year about taking part in the presidential election, while a quarter are less excited.”

CHRISTIE: The New York Post: “The word is going out quietly to Republican activists across New Jersey: If you’re going to the GOP convention in Tampa next month, be sure to be there by Tuesday night, Aug. 28, because Gov. Chris Christie is going to be giving the keynote speech that night. ‘We’ve been told that’s the night to be there, that’s when the governor is going to speak. They’re saying he’s the keynoter,’ one top party activist told The Post yesterday.”

PAWLENTY: “Pawlenty, whose name has figured prominently in speculation about the Republican vice presidential selection process, tells "CBS This Morning" he thinks the news media have been obsessed by questions surrounding Romney's taxes. And he accuses President Barack Obama of ‘hanging shiny objects before the public and the press, and the press is taking the bait,’” AP writes. “The former two-term Minnesota governor called releasing two years' of returns ‘the standard for Republican nominees.’ Pawlenty says, ‘I don't think there's any secret to the fact that Mitt Romney has been successful and he's achieved success and he's paid a lot of taxes.’”

He also said on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports that it’s the standard for a Republican to release two years of taxes – despite his father releasing 12 years and Barack Obama releasing 10.

Evan Vucci / AP

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pauses during a speech to the NAACP annual convention, Wednesday, July 11, 2012, in Houston, Texas.

Don’t bet on an early VP pick. Why? Because in modern times, it has never happened this early… Piling on Romney… Romney in 2D, not 3D… Today’s back-and-forth: Obama camp hits Romney on taxes, while Team Romney continues crony capitalism charge against Obama… Romney stumps outside of Pittsburgh at 1:20 pm ET, and Obama raises money in Texas… Is taxing the wealthy popular? Yes, according to a new Pew poll… DISCLOSE Act gets blocked… And profiling the strengths and weaknesses of Tim Pawlenty (whom Andrea Mitchell interviews today).

*** Don’t bet on an early VP pick: While we’re bracing for Mitt Romney to make his VP pick as soon as this week, here is something to consider: If history is any guide, Romney won’t announce his selection until next month. Indeed, in modern times, the earliest a pick was made -- John Kerry tapping John Edwards in 2004 -- was less than three weeks before the Democratic convention began. Outside of that, every other running mate since 1980 has been selected NO EARLIER than a week before the convention began, if not afterward. And right now we are out six weeks until the Republican convention in Tampa. So Romney could very well go this week, but he’d be making an earlier pick than any other presumptive presidential nominee in modern times. For his part, Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told reporters yesterday that “no decision has been made” on vice president.

Here are when the past VP selections were made:
Palin was picked on Aug. 29; GOP convention began on Sept. 1
Biden was picked on Aug. 23; Dem convention began on Aug. 25
Edwards was picked on July 6; Dem convention began on July 26
Lieberman was picked on Aug. 7; Dem convention began on Aug. 14
Cheney was picked on July 25; GOP convention began on July 31
Kemp was picked on Aug. 9; GOP convention began on Aug 12
Gore was picked on July 9; Dem convention began on July 13
Quayle was picked on Aug. 16; GOP convention began on Aug. 15
Bentsen was picked on July 12; Dem convention began on July 18
Ferraro was picked on July 12; Dem convention began on July 16
Bush was picked July 17; GOP convention began on July 14 

*** Piling on Romney: Last month, after weeks of negative press, President Obama and his campaign took plenty of incoming criticism. And this month -- after the focus on immigration, health care (is the mandate a penalty or tax?), Romney’s taxes, and his tenure at Bain Capital -- everyone is beginning to pile on Romney and his campaign. In Businessweek, Josh Green raised the prospect of the “wimp factor” dogging the former Massachusetts governor. “[H]aving made up his mind not to release more tax returns—but feeling compelled to go on television Friday anyway—Romney instead attempted the political equivalent of an NBA player flopping to catch the ref’s attention and draw a charge by demanding that Obama apologize for the mean things said about him.” And in National Journal, Michael Hirsch wrote that Romney risks getting “Dukakis-ized.” Ouch.

*** Romney in 2D, not 3D: Also in National Journal, Charlie Cook explains why these attitudes -- in the press and among voters -- is potentially damaging to Romney: because he is so undefined. “Puzzlingly, the Romney campaign has offered very little to build up its candidate as a real human being, someone of character who’s worthy of being entrusted with the Oval Office,” Cook writes. “Given his campaign’s ample financial resources, the decision not to run biographical or testimonial ads, in effect to do nothing to establish him as a three-dimensional person, has left him open to the inevitable attacks for his work at Bain Capital, on outsourcing, and on his investments. It’s all rather inexplicable. Aside from a single spot aired in the spring by the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future, not one personal positive ad has been aired on Romney’s behalf.”

*** Today’s back-and-forth: The Obama campaign isn’t taking its foot off the gas. With Romney holding a town hall in Irwin, PA (right outside of Pittsburgh) at 1:20 pm ET, the Obama camp is up with a new TV ad in Pennsylvania drawing attention to Romney’s refusal to release his tax returns prior to 2010. “Tax havens, offshore accounts, carried interest -- Mitt Romney has used every trick in the book,” the ad goes. “Romney admits that over the last two years he’s paid less than 15% in taxes on $43 million in income. Makes you wonder if some years he paid any taxes at all.” The ad concludes, “What is Mitt Romney hiding?” For its part, the Romney campaign is once again making the charge that the Obama administration’s loan guarantees -- like to Solyndra -- benefited Obama donors. “While the president’s political allies reaped the benefits of half a billion dollars in taxpayer funds, American workers lost everything,” the Romney camp said in a statement today. “Middle-class families deserve better from their president.” The RNC has this accompanying video. But here’s a problem for the Romney camp/RNC charging that Obama bundlers have benefited from the administration: The Romney camp has so far REFUSED to release the name of its own bundlers.

*** On the trail: While Romney campaigns in Pennsylvania this afternoon, President Obama heads to the Lone Star State. “Obama will start his Texas trip with a fundraising event at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio for a fundraiser hosted by actress Eva Longoria, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzales and others. The president will attend a second fundraising event while in town,” USA Today writes. “Obama then heads to Austin Tuesday afternoon for a fundraiser hosted by the LGBT Leadership Council. The event will be headlined by the singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, and tickets range in price from $250 per person to $7,500 per couple. He later will head to another fundraising event hosted by Tom Meredith, Dell's former finance chief. The Austin American-Statesman reported last week that campaign officials believe he can break a fundraising record with the biggest single-day haul in Texas political history.”

*** Is taxing the wealthy popular? According to a new Pew poll, the answer to that question is yes. “By two-to-one (44% to 22%), the public says that raising taxes on incomes above $250,000 would help the economy rather than hurt it, while 24% say this would not make a difference,” pollster Andy Kohut emails. “An identical percentage (44%) says a tax increase on higher incomes would make the tax system more fair, while just 21% say it would make the system less fair.”

*** DISCLOSE Act gets blocked: Over on Capitol Hill yesterday, the Senate blocked consideration of a Democratic measure to force the disclosure of hidden donors who give money to tax-exempt groups airing political TV ads, NBCPolitics.com’s Tom Curry writes. “The bill fell nine votes short of the 60 it needed to move ahead to debate and final passage. Donors to tax-exempt 501c4 and 501c6 groups aren’t required to be identified publicly; this cloak of secrecy has encouraged some contributors who might fear publicity to invest heavily in trying to influence voters through TV ads. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D- R.I., would require any donor who gave $10,000 or more to a 501c4 group that spent money on political advertising to be identified and disclosed.”

*** Tim Pawlenty’s strengths… : In our latest profile of Romney’s potential VP picks, we take a look at former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (whom NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews today). STRENGTHS: Though once a rival for the GOP presidential nomination, Pawlenty has become a constant and loyal surrogate for the Romney campaign… His conservative credentials are rock-solid, which would please the GOP base (opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, is an evangelical Christian)… His Midwest roots and clear middle-class/working-class background (his mother died when he was 16; his father lost his job at a trucking company) could be advantageous to Romney… As someone who has run for president before, Pawlenty is more than familiar with the national scrutiny and high-profile debates…. Could he put Minnesota in play? On the one hand, he’s a former two-term governor of the state. On the other hand, he never received 50% or more in those two races. In 2006, he barely won re-election against challenger Mike Hatch (D), 47%-46%, and he might have lost had not Hatch referred to a female reporter as a “Republican whore” right before the election. In 2008, by comparison, Obama won Minnesota, 54%-44%.

***… and his weaknesses: WEAKNESSES: There are some holes in his conservative record (signed 75-cent fee on cigarettes into law, once championed initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases)… How much do conservatives really like Pawlenty? Remember that despite going all-in to win it, he finished a disappointing third to Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul at the 2011 Ames Straw Poll; the day after that third-place finish, Pawlenty dropped out of the presidential race… How much does Pawlenty owe Romney? According to an analysis by USA Today, more than half of the political donations Pawlenty received after he suspended his campaign -- to pay down his debt -- came from Romney donors… Pawlenty recently joined the board of Smart Sand, a Pennsylvania firm that has built a large frac sand plant in Wisconsin. That sand is used in a controversial process to extract natural gas from rock.

Countdown to GOP convention: 41 days
Countdown to Dem convention: 48 days
Countdown to Election Day: 112 days

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“The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has from today until the end of next week to announce a pick, before departing for the Summer Olympics in London and visits to Israel and Poland,” the Boston Globe reports. “Romney’s second window opens around Aug. 12, when the media dominance of the Olympics ends, children in many parts of the country head back to school, and the Republican Party gears up for its national nominating convention in Tampa, Fla. It runs from Aug. 27 through Aug. 30.”

“Romney says no decision has been made about the Republican's running mate, despite a New York Times report that has everyone buzzing,” USA Today writes. “The Associated Press reports Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney strategist, said Romney could make a final decision in the coming days.”

Reuters: “Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney appears to be in the final stages of deciding who to pick as his vice presidential running mate, with speculation growing that he has narrowed his choice down to a short-list of three.” The three: Portman, Pawlenty, Jindal. More: “Many Republicans believe Romney will break from tradition and announce his choice well before the party's convention in Tampa in late August that will formally nominate Romney as the Republican candidate. Campaign officials were loathe to discuss the selection process or the short list but made clear that Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, had yet to make up his mind.”

CHRISTIE: Political Wire: “A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie (R) with a healthy 54% to 39% job approval. However, New Jersey voters say by 53% to 40% that Christie would be a bad choice as the vice presidential candidate for Mitt Romney.”

JINDAL: Romney raised money with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal yesterday. Here’s a pic of the two of them together.

BATON ROUGE, LA -– Mitt Romney’s campaign is tamping down speculation that a decision has been reached on a running mate, after a report today that the former Massachusetts Governor had made up his mind.

Eric Ferhnstrom, a top Romney aide, told reporters today “no decision has been made” on vice president. Ferhnstrom told the AP separately a decision could be reached this week.

The remarks occurred during a lunchtime fundraiser here in Baton Rouge, where Romney was joined by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a buzzed-about Republican whom some consider to be on Romney’s shortlist.

This morning, the New York Times reported that people close to Romney say a decision had been made.  The report also speculated about how former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty may appeal to Romney.

But today’s fundraiser, at the City Club of Baton Rouge, marked Jindal’s debut at Romney’s side.  In remarks to guests, Jindal called President Obama “incompetent,” and described Obama’s politics as too liberal for the American people.

“This president, President Obama, he cannot run on his record, he can’t run on his political philosophy so he has to attack and distort Governor Romney’s record,” Jindal said, referring to what he described as the Obama campaign’s negative tactics.

Last week, the Romney campaign fielded attacks from the Obama team over questions about when Romney left the helm of the venture capital firm Bain Capital, kickstarting new discussions about venture capitalism, and the financial economy.

“I am thrilled he’s a successful businessman. You don’t want an unsuccessful businessman in the White House,” Jindal said.

About 40 donors attended today’s luncheon, at $50,000 a plate.  Guests ate Louisiana gulf shrimp and beef tenderloin. 

One guest, Andie Bollinger of Thibodaux, LA, later told reporters that Governor Romney told guests privately about his plans for a Romney presidency, though she didn’t elaborate.

“He’s a brilliant man,” Bollinger said of Romney.

Jindal, who supported Texas Gov. Rick Perry during the Republican primary, has recently become a more visible surrogate for Romney’s campaign, deploying sharp attacks on President Obama and defending conservative issues.

This weekend, Jindal addressed the Nebraska GOP convention, where he touted Gov. Romney’s business background and was met with applause when he said the U.S. Supreme Court made an “awful choice” upholding President Obama’s health care law.

Today Romney and Jindal arrived for the fundraiser only minutes apart, and about half an hour early.  Fehrnstrom said the two men met privately and spoke about education -- a focus for Jindal here in Louisiana -- but didn't discuss the vice presidency.

LEBANON, OH -- Ohio Sen. Rob Portman said Monday he has "no idea" whether Mitt Romney has chosen a running mate, a decision that could come this week before the presumptive Republican presidential nominee takes his campaign overseas.

Portman spoke to supporters and media at the Romney Victory Office here ahead of President Obama's campaign stop in Cincinnati today. It is the second time in the past three days the Ohio senator has campaigned for Romney in the southwest corner of his home state, an area that will be pivotal in deciding whether the Buckeye State goes for Romney or Obama this fall.

Despite his continuing role as a high profile surrogate for the campaign, he has remained mum on any speculation about the prospects of him taking on a bigger role as running mate.

A report from The New York Times this morning suggested that the former Massachusetts governor may have already chosen his No. 2, but senior Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom has since told reporters that no decision has been made.  But -- just to keep the VP buzz at a heightened alert -- Ferhnstrom told the Associated Press, "Technically it could, but the governor hasn't made a decision. It will only happen after he makes a decision."

Near the top of almost every list of possible running mates is Portman, whose deployment today to bracket the president is another sign of the high esteem with which he is held by the Romney.  But the first-term senator again declined to divulge any information about his VP prospects, and if he's the guy, he doesn't know it yet.

"I have no idea," Portman told reporters when asked if he thought Romney had made a decision. "I also have to add that people vote for the presidential candidate, not the VP," he said.

Portman's deployment in Ohio in recent days has focused on refuting the negative ads running against Romney in a state that is more saturated with political ads than nearly anywhere else in the country.  "He's attacking Mitt Romney on a personal basis," he said of the president. "Why? Because he doesn't want to talk about his record."

Portman, who held today's event adjacent to The Golden Lamb, a hotel and restaurant owned by his family that is the longest continuously running business in the state, has sought to portray Obama as out of touch with small business owners. 

"He's in Cincinnati today, I'm glad he's coming to Ohio.  I really am. I hope he'll go on the shop floor and talk to some workers in the greater Cincinnati area. I hope he'll come out to Warren County and talk to some small business owners," he said. "But if he does that, you know what he's going to find, he's going to find the private sector is not doing just fine."

It is going to be a busy week in the state. On Wednesday, Romney will hold fundraisers in the state and a rally in Bowling Green, OH. On Wednesday, former Florida governor Jeb Bush will be here to fundraise for Romney. But with the Senate in session, it is unlikely Portman and Romney will be together again until after Romney gets back from his overseas trip.

The amount of attention Portman's home state will get between now and the election is an advantage that has helped lift him to the top of VP list. It is something that is not lost on him.

"Southwest Ohio is incredibly important, we're going to be in the middle of it again...given where we are as a country, the direction we're heading, for our kids,for our communities and for our country, we have got to have a change," Portman said. "And that's where Warren County, greater Cincinnati, southwest Ohio, are going to play a key role."