I never particularly liked Rick Davis, a political operative who has worked for Senator John McCain for many years, up to and including the Presidential race.

But I do credit him with a dazzling choice when it came to the Veepstakes.

According to highly knowledgable Washington Times columnist John McCaslin, Rick picked Palin.

'...Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can thank Washington lobbyist and political consultant Rick Davis, chief executive officer of John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, for being the ultimate pick to become the Republican vice presidential candidate.

"It was all his doing. He was completely snowed by Palin," a source close to Mr. McCain confided to this columnist over the weekend. "He was totally taken by her."

Otherwise, according to the source, Mr. McCain "wanted Lieberman all along" -- referring to Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent -- until such time it was agreed by powers-to-be that adding a woman to the GOP ticket would improve whatever chances the GOP had of defeating Democrat Barack Obama.