The American Spectator

John Kerry have been pushing him to consider former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean , a Republican, as his vice-presidential choice. Kean, who has proven himself a reliable tool of the Democratic members of the 9/11 Commission, which he co-chairs, is the latest in a series of liberal Republicans floated by the campaign, the other most prominent name being former Sen. William Cohen . /p>

Kean hasn’t expressed or shown any interest in getting back into competitive politics, but the name floating is probably due to some Democratic concerns that New Jersey is now in play in the presidential campaign.

The Bush campaign recently began advertising in the state once thought to be a solid winner for Kerry, while the Kerry campaign has been spending more than it had originally been budgeting for the state.

“It’s closer than many of us think it should be,” says a DNC staffer. “But no one’s freaking out about it yet. It’s up to the campaign to fix what ever is wrong there.”

Bush has apparently been polling better than expected in the Garden State, in part, because of his handling of homeland security issues. “People forget that New Jersey was touched by September 11th as much as New York and Washington and Pennsylvania were,” says the Democratic pollster. “It tracks that they would be thinking about this election differently from previous elections.”

As for the Kean rumor? “Hey, he fits the criteria: executive experience, bland and nonthreatening, from an important state. But let’s face it, he doesn’t have a chance in hell of even getting a vetting,” says a Kerry campaign adviser.

p> BLAME IT ON RIO br> Former prez