With the Democratic race all but sewn up, if Barack Obama hasn’t begun the search for a Vice President yet, the process will be underway soon.

In fact, a Democratic activist says that Jim Johnson, a former Fannie Mae CEO who helped screen prospective VPs in both 1984 and 2004, has accepted Obama’s request to begin the selection process for the No. 2 spot.

We have no way of knowing for sure who’s in the running, but we have some ideas. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of these choices for Vice President - or if we’ve left off someone you think is worthy.

Who will - or should - Barack Obama choose as his Vice President?

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton

Pros: Tenacious. Seen it all, done it all. Talk of “dream ticket” still resonates with many voters who have invested heavily in this contentious campaign.
Cons: As divisive as they get, plus there’s some hostility from Obama’s camp. When you suggest that your opponent is unprepared to lead, that’s to be expected. Also, Michelle Obama is not a fan of the idea.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson

Pros: Has major Cabinet-level and national security experience. Governor of a critical state. Member of key demographic group — Hispanics. His huge endorsement during Rev. Wright mess gave Obama a boost.
Cons: Bill Richardson can be an uneven campaigner, doubts about his ‘00 and ‘04 V.P. vetting linger - and putting an African-American and Mexican-American on the ticket at the same time might (sadly) give pause to some.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell

Pros: This could be the one. A popular figure in a key state, he helped deliver Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton. A plausible president, and a smart, tough and respected party Democrat not tied to any particular constituency. Would embrace Obama loyally and undoubtedly help the ticket.
Cons: Little national security experience.

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The Democratic Congress is poised to heed President Bush’s call to help save the economy, but may not give him much else.

In a State of the Union speech that recycled many past initiatives, the lame duck called again for immigration reform, an end to lawmakers’ pet projects, control of Social Security and making tax cuts permanent.

Democrats have rejected many of the same Bush initiatives before.

In a sign that the dominant political battles will not be in Congress, many in the House chamber kept an eye not on Bush’s speech but on Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, who hours earlier had endorsed Obama over Clinton, reached out to shake Clinton’s hand when she approached.

Delivering the televised Democratic response, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - who is considered a possible running mate for Clinton or Obama - urged Bush to work with a Congress controlled by her party.

“The last five years have cost us dearly — in lives lost, in thousands of wounded warriors whose futures may never be the same, in challenges not met here at home because our resources were committed elsewhere,” she said. “America’s foreign policy has left us with  more enemies.”

The president pushed hard for “a robust growth package” to jump-start the economy, asking Democrats to avoid the temptation “to load up the bill.”

Democrats already were planning to expand the stimulus plan negotiated by Bush and House leaders from both parties, to include tax rebates for senior citizens and an extension of unemployment benefits.

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