Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell for Vice President? (The Ticket)

McDonnell (Steve Helber/AP)

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday ?became the new chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), affording him a new, national platform to aid his apparent interest in winning the vice-presidential spot on the 2012 GOP national ticket.

"I look forward to working with my fellow Republican governors to expand our majority and ensure the RGA remains the most effective political committee in the nation," McDonnell said in a statement Monday regarding the committee, which coordinates gubernatorial campaigns.

But that's not the only thing he's looking forward to.

The governor confirmed to Politico that he is also open to the No. 2 spot on the 2012 ticket. "I'd be very interested," McDonnell said. He continued:

I'm not asking for the call. I'm not looking for the call. As I've said many times, I've got the best job in America ... But I think anybody who is in public life, if a presidential nominee called him and said, 'I need your help to win,' it would be a tremendous honor? We'll see. It's going to be seven, eight, nine months before any of these decisions are made."

McDonnell also noted that Virginia is a swing state, which makes him a potentially attractive VP pick for a Republican candidate looking to shore up support in the state.

McDonnell's comments to Politico mark his most direct and public show of interest in a vice-presidential candidacy. Previously, McDonnell had merely said said he wouldn't rule out a vice presidential bid.

Republican insiders had expected McDonnell, who had served as vice chairman of the committee, to get the nod to replace former chairman Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who on Saturday announced his presidential campaign.

The association offers its chairmen a direct link to a national Republican network and donor base--together with a heightened profile on the national political scene.

The position has served as a platform for many rising Republicans, including Perry, former President George H. W. Bush, former presidential and vice presidential candidate Bob Dole, and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who was regarded as a potential 2012 candidate but declined to run.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110815/ts_yblog_theticket/virginia-gov-bob-mcdonnell-for-vice-president

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