VICE PRESIDENT JINDAL?

Retiring Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, a prominent Republican moderate publicly critical of his party's right wing, has joined conservatives boosting newly elected 36-year-old Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to be John McCain's vice presidential running mate.

Meeting with reporters, Davis said Jindal as the son of immigrants from India would add an ethnic element to the Republican ticket without turning off any voters. He noted that Jindal, who served briefly in Congress before his election as governor last year, has about as much federal experience as Barack Obama. "I don't know whether that qualifies him to serve as VP or not," Davis commented.

Jindal-for-vice president chatter got a boost when he spent a recent weekend as a guest at McCain's Arizona cabin.

COURTEOUS REPUBLICANS

Sens. John Warner and Pete Domenici, two senior Republicans not seeking re-election this year, made certain that Democrats narrowly passed their budget, 48 to 45, because they exercised old-fashioned senatorial courtesy.

The two most senior Democratic senators, Robert Byrd and Edward M. Kennedy, were not present for the vote because of illness. Warner and Domenici gave them "live pairs" -- not voting in order to negate the absence of the Democrats. If Sen. John McCain (the only absent Republican) had been there and Warner and Domenici had voted, the budget would have failed on a 48 to 48 tie.

A footnote: Sen. Hillary Clinton was absent, but Sen. Barack Obama was presented and voted for the budget.