It may seem too early to be talking about whom the Republican Party might select as its vice-presidential nominee in 2008. After all, there's not yet even a clear view of whom the GOP presidential nominee will be.

Still, applying a little bit of prognostication to some maneuverings in Congress over the past week leads me to believe there is one name likely to be on any short list of potential Republican VPs: Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Start with the reasonable premise that with Texas' own President George Bush with just a 30 percent approval rating, even this reddest of red states can't be taken for granted next year. That new presumption changes everything, because the Republicans must win Texas if they have the slightest hope of keeping the White House.

Next consider current polls. They suggest that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton may well be the Democratic nominee for president. Up against the prospect of her, picture the rather dingy parade of ho-hum white men that peoples the stages at televised Republican debates these days. (Hey, nobody get upset -- I'm white and male, too.)

Quickly the case gets bolder for the Republicans to put someone like Hutchison front and center among potential running mates.

New clarity on the situation was forthcoming this week when Hutchison decided to vote against re-opening the Senate debate on an immigration bill that voters in red states entirely loathe.

InsiderAdvantage polls conducted over the last two weeks in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina showed a minimum of 55 percent of voters opposed to the Bush immigration bill (details at www.advantage.com).

Beyond just voting against reconsideration of the bill, Hutchison also offered what she termed the "No Amnesty Amendment." Her amendment proposed the requirement that all illegal immigrants leave the country within two years before being allowed to apply for special work visas to re-enter the country.

The amendment was defeated, which led Hutchison to remark that without it, there was no way to pretend the bill is anything shy of amnesty for illegal aliens.

The distaste for the immigration bill runs deep among both Republicans and Democrats in states we polled. Could that mean an articulate female Republican senator from a huge electoral state might offer some crossover appeal to independent voters in the presidential election, and maybe even to some scattered Democrats? Continued...