The American Spectator

is posting an AP story that cites outside sources with ties to the White House saying that former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson and current White House counsel Harriet Miers are on the short list for the O’C seat.

Miers is a name that came into play late in the process last go-round. By anyone’s estimation, she would possess almost no paper trail for the Judiciary Committee or outside groups to work with.

Thompson’s name has been out there for some time, and is considered by some Washington insiders to be a strong candidate. He and the President hit it off during Thompson’s time directing the President’s Corporate Fraud Task Force. He probably doesn’t possess much more of a paper trail than Miers.

Perhaps there is no point in trying to keep up with these stories, but the fact that so much is now swirling about would indicate that a choice is all but certain in the coming days.

Plans remain for a vote on Roberts on Thursday. That or Friday remains the target date for a new announcement.