WASHINGTON - The cicadas have swarmed, spring flowers have bloomed and now Washington's chattering class is abuzz with a favorite quadrennial parlor game - guessing the next vice presidential running mate. Who will be John Kerry's choice? The political newsletter "The Hotline" recently identified 68 men and women the presumed Democratic nominee might be considering, among them a couple of Republicans, including Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel. The provocative thinking goes like this: Pick a Vietnam combat veteran, a Midwesterner, a maverick who often fusses with his own GOP leadership. Maybe Hagel could balance the ticket with a dose of bipartisanship....