Condi Puts Wooden Stake through the Undead Heart of Beneath the Valley of the Dawn of the Condi Veep Rumors

OK, come on, now. People have been tip-toeing through the tulips of Madame Secretary's emphatic denials and saying wistful things like "while leaving the door open..." while gazing listlessly out their office windows, visions of Hillary/Condi slap-fests dancing in their heads. It's over, folks. Condi had a really, really cutesy presser in Alabama today, and you just can't get much more definite than this:

QUESTION: Have you had any conversations recently with John McCain?

SECRETARY RICE: Not about anything having to do with his presidency. No, the only time I’ve talked to John recently was when we -- I had to call him and tell him that -- around that passport issue, that somebody had looked at his passport file. And he was typically great about it and sort of said things -- things happen.

John McCain is an amazing man. You know, I’ve spent a lot of time with him over the years. He’s a great intellect. He has a tremendous passion about this country. He’s a great hero. But I do not want to be, don’t intend to be, won’t be on his ticket.

Emphasis totally added! Yay!

Elsewhere in the interview? This made me shudder:

QUESTION: I wanted to ask you a question first that my 18-year-old daughter told me I had to ask. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY RICE: Yeah. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: She has your picture up on her bulletin board in her bedroom with Johnny Depp and a couple of rock bands and all this.

SECRETARY RICE: Keeping good company, I see. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: And she jokes that -- she goes to an academic magnet school here, and she -- they jokingly call it “The Nerd School.” (Laughter.) But what kind of message would you like to send to teenagers who look up to you as a role model?

Whoooah, there, Condi as role model? Now that's something worth talking about.