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What South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford looked like upon his return from Argentina and the revelation of his activities there. Click here

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At last -- a stumble by the vaunted White House political operation, and an opening for Republicans.

The stumble? This week's mishandling of the seduction of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The opening? An opportunity to trap the Democrats in a corner.

Two decisions late last week by by New Jersey GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie offer clues to what may turn out to be a crucial campaign decision for him: Whom to nominate as his running mate, for the new post of lieutenant governor?

On June 11, Christie anointed 37-year-old first-term Assemblyman Jay Webber of Morris County to serve as chairman of the state's Republican Party.

Webber is a Ronald Reagan conservative -- so much so that several years ago he began organizing New Jersey Reagan Day, an annual celebration on the anniversary of Reagan's birth.

He is a graduate of Harvard Law, opposed to abortion, and has shown political courage -- enough to have challenged a senior Republican state senator in a primary in his first run for office.