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Sen. John Thune of South Dakota is being touted as a “sleeper” candidate to serve as Mitt Romney’s vice president, the Sioux City Journal reported. Thune may be at a disadvantage because he comes from a state with only three electoral votes, South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Ben Nesselhuf told the Journal. So electoral strategy might tempt Romney to pick Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida or Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. Rubio ‘s Florida has 29 electoral votes and Portman’s Ohio has 18. That aside, Thune has qualities to match the job, according to Doug Gross, an Iowa Republican...

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has reemerged as a viable vice presidential candidate who would check many of the boxes Mitt Romney is looking for in a running mate. He’s an experienced legislator who has earned respect from both parties in Congress, and if he didn’t end up in a Romney cabinet many think he could one day become the Republican leader in the Senate. In an interview with The Hill, Thune acknowledged he’s been to Boston to meet Romney’s senior advisers and has met Beth Myers, who is leading the search for the vice presidential nominee. ... Thune also has...

Sen. John Thune NOT Running for President February 22, 2011 12:09 P.M. By Jim Geraghty Tags: John Thune John Thune will NOT be running for president. For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States. We have appreciated hearing their concerns about where the country is headed and their hopes for a new direction. During this time, Kimberley and I and our two daughters have given a great deal of thought to how we might best...

SIOUX FALLS, SD - We will know whether South Dakota Senator John Thune will run for president by the end of the month. Thune says he is close to making a decision and will announce his plans in the next few weeks. It may seem early to announce a run for president, but the first primaries are less than a year away. And, even though no other Republican has made an official announcement, Thune is prepared to announce his presidential aspirations within weeks. "It's such a big decision unlike anything we've ever contemplated before," Thune said. Thune and his wife...

Today's candidate filing deadline in South Dakota marks the start of serious talk about Sen. John Thune's potential presidential campaign in 2012. The Thune forces have been loathe to discuss his potential 2012 candidacy while there was still a possibility -- albeit it a VERY slim one -- that he could draw a serious Democratic challenge for his re-election race this fall. But, privately, those close to Thune acknowledge that he has been receiving considerable encouragement to run and is likely to take a hard look at a national bid. Those same sources caution, however, that he remains entirely undecided...

If someone asks me to briefly describe the philosophical difference between the liberal-left Democrats and the conservative Republicans, I simply point out that the Dems believe in the politics of envy while the GOP believes in the politics of true hope. A conservative and liberal are standing on the street corner and they both see driving by them a chauffeured limo with an obviously wealthy man sitting in the backseat reading the Wall Street Journal. The liberal will comment, "Why should that man have a chauffeured limousine? Who does he think he is? Does he think he's better than me?"...

"For those in the GOP who aren’t giddy about a second Mitt Romney run and aren’t sold on the viability of Tim Pawlenty, Thune represents a mainstream conservative alternative..."

I just saw Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) on FOX News discussing the Obamacare bill. He is a terrific voice. He's RIGHT on the issues. Looks great on TV. In other words would make a great GOP candidate in 2012. A winning conservative voice who sells our issues beautifully.

Some days the Republican Party seems to be going crazy. Its public image is often shaped by people who appear to have gone into government because they saw it as a steppingstone to talk radio. But deep in the bowels of the G.O.P., there are serious people having quiet conversations. The people holding these conversations created and admired Bob McDonnell’s perfectly executed Virginia gubernatorial campaign. And now as they look to the future of their party, and who might lead it in 2012, the name John Thune keeps popping up. As you may or may not know, Thune is the...

As expected, the Senate Republican leadership continues to line up against the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, with Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Thune (S.D.) on Monday joining Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on the list of official “no” votes. Thune joins a growing list of Republicans who publicly oppose the nomination. But a number of GOP Senators have also announced their support — including Sens. Dick Lugar (Ind.), the longest-serving Senate Republican, Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Mel Martinez (Fla.). Sotomayor is expected to be easily confirmed by the full Senate following a vote in the Judiciary Committee next...

We're hearing that South Dakota Sen. John Thune has locked up support to replace Sen. John Ensign as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. The opening came when Ensign admitted to an affair with an ex-aide and could clear the way for Thune, talked about last year as a vice presidential nominee, to run against President Obama in 2012. Tall, somewhat quiet, and Western handsome, Thune is already considered a dragon-slayer, having taken out former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004 and beating back a base closing in his state during the Bush administration. Should he nail the...