Duke for Veep

The Hunter Thompson Watch:

"Kerry stopped first in Aspen. Hunter S. Thompson, the famed practitioner of gonzo journalism" whose books often have included references to his drug use, met Kerry at the airport. Thompson, who lives in Aspen, rode with Kerry in a black sports utility vehicle to the mountainside estate of airplane-leasing executive Michael Goldberg for a campaign fundraiser.

Kerry, speaking to about 150 donors packed in a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, invoked Thompson's name in a humorous reference to his impending decision on a running mate. "Just to put your minds all at ease, I have four words for you that I know will relieve you greatly," he told the guests. "How does this sound: 'Vice President Hunter Thompson?' "

(As reported in the L.A. Times.) If he didn't have my vote before this selction, which of course he did, he certainly has it now.