Tipsters did what tipsters do, and they tipped us to a nascent House-based campaign to whip up support for Texas Rep. Chet Edwards as Barack Obama's running mate.

Pennsylvania Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz is leading the charge -- apparently independently of Edwards, whose name was first floated to Obama's veep vetters by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Schwartz is a rising star in Democratic circles -- and a frequent cable television surrogate for Obama -- whose district straddles northeast Philadelphia and some of its critical-in-November suburbs.

We obtained a copy of a letter Schwartz recently sent to the Obama campaign in support of Edwards. Here's some of what the second-termer had to say about the chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that deals with military construction and veterans issues:

"Both to win the election and to succeed in implementing Sen. Obama's bold ideas to meet the challenges before us, Congressman Edwards would be a tremendous asset ... He is principled, thoughtful, and he is deeply respected by his colleagues. Few have the credibility he has on veterans' issues. Few are as broadly admired within Congress ...

Certainly, Pennsylvania will be key to victory. Women, older voters, and suburban voters will all be necessary to achieve this win ... Chet Edwards would help Sen. Obama win in swing districts like mine and in states like Pennsylvania...

Chet Edwards  would provide strong support to the new administration by engaging Members of Congress to pass critical legislation: health care for all Americans; comprehensive energy policy; new tax policy; and an end to war in Iraq, bringing our troops home safely and responsibly..."

Her office declined to comment on the letter, but a spokeswoman echoed its sentiments by saying that Schwartz "believes that Chet Edwards is incredibly principled, widely respected within the House, and has a reputation for being a leader on the key issues facing America."

Edwards is a dark horse, for sure. But as Mel Brooks would tell fans of the spoof film Spaceballs, "Never underestimate the power of the Schwartz ..."

Gen. Wes Clark's slogan -- "Securing America's Future" -- is the theme for the night Barack Obama's running mate is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention.

Clark's political action committee is called WESPAC -- Securing America's Future.

It could just be a coincidence. After all, Clark appeared to dash his hopes of running with Obama in late June when he said getting shot down in Vietnam did not qualify John McCain to be president.

But if Obama believes Clark has strong enough military credentials to snipe at McCain effectively, he might still be in the mix.

On Monday, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Obama adviser Anita Dunn announced the themes for the various nights of the convention, including "Securing America's Future" for the third night, when the vice presidential candidate will speak.     

Kathleen Sebelius is no longer denying that she is being vetted by Barack Obama's campaign.

The 60-year-old Kansas governor told me on Thursday that she was never vetted for the vice presidency in 2004 but declined to make the same pronouncement about this year's process.

Asked whether Team Kerry ran the traps on her, she flatly said "No." Asked about this year, she said "Any discussion about this process is being done by the campaign itself."

Just last month, Sebelius told McClatchy Newspapers that she had not yet been vetted.

"There has been no discussion with me or anyone else on my team about serving as vice president," she said at the time.

Her reply Thursday is not exactly a smoking gun, but "no" is such an easy answer when it's true -- and she has given it before. It is at least an opening of the door and probably a hint that she is being vetted.

An Obama spokesman did not reply to a request for comment on whether Sebelius was being reviewed by Veep vetters Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder.

But even if the campaign is quiet, Obama can hardly say enough positive things about the second-term governor, who first delivered a Republican state into Democratic hands in 2002.

"I love Kathleen Sebelius," he recently told a FOX affiliate, praising her competence and integrity before pulling back a bit.

The role of The Oft-Mentioned is an unusual one for elected officials -- particularly governors -- who are accustomed to making the decisions that affect their own lives and those of others. Sebelius noted the difference in our conversation.

"It is like having an experience that someone else is driving and talking about," Sebelius said. "It's not like being involved in a campaign where we're actually doing something and taking actions."

Sebelius, who remembers her father, former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan, preparing for a 1976 presidential bid before he was unseated in 1974, said it is "flattering" to be among the mentioned.

But she is not always sure who is doing the talking.

"It's a little bit of an experience of watching a lot of the pundits talk to each other and just continuing to do my work here in Kansas," she said.

Still, all the chatter has earned her street cred at home.

"My son talked to me about -- I didn't know this existed. I guess there are brackets that were set up like the Final Four -- he was thrilled. He said, 'Mom, I'm so glad you are a No. 1 seed,' and he had to introduce me to this bracketology."

Yes, Sebelius was a No. 1 seed in CQ's VP Madness, which Gen. Wes Clark won. Sebelius bowed out in a quarterfinal matchup against Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., the eventual runner-up. It was the same round in which Hillary Clinton was defeated.

Some folks already have designs on a ticket featuring Kansas' favorite grandson and favorite daughter.

For now, Sebelius says she gets her information on the vice presidential search from newspapers.

"I know about as much as everyone else does," she said.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flew to New York Wednesday with Veep vetter Caroline Kennedy, stoking speculation about whether the former first lady might become the lady first in line to the presidency.

The senators appeared at a pair of fundraising events Wednesday and this morning, as Obama courts Clinton donors and Clinton tries to erase her campaign's debt. Kennedy's presence on the plane reignited talk about a "dream ticket."

Paradoxically, Clinton is said to be the worst and the best pick for Obama, depending on whom you ask. There is plenty of grist for both sides.

If Obama sees a unified and energized Democratic base as his best chance of winning, he might pick his onetime rival. But if capturing the hearts and minds of independents is his game, Clinton could hurt him.

Obama has positioned himself well to go in either direction since the end of the primary season June 3.

He picked deposed Clinton campaign chief Patti Solis Doyle to be the top aide for the yet-to-be-named vice presidential nominee, a move that was interpreted as a snub of Clinton. If he chooses someone other than Clinton, his campaign can point to the Solis Doyle move as evidence that he made clear early on that he wouldn't put the New York senator on the ticket.

But it could also be used to demonstrate his intent to go with Clinton. Solis Doyle was as close to Clinton as anyone in Hillaryland -- a sobriquet coined by Solis Doyle -- before the campaign and reconciliation is a motif of politics.

One thing is clear: The lack of clarity is a good thing for the future of this blog.