The Trail

Responding to Rice's earlier remarks, White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters Monday that receiving the vice presidential nod is a "great honor" for Biden and his family.

"He's done tremendous work over a long period, and I know he has been supportive of Secretary Rice at the State Department," Fratto said.

But the spokesman noted: "I think Secretary Rice has made it clear who she intends to vote for, and that would be Senator McCain and whoever he chooses to join him on the ticket."

-- Glenn Kessler and Rosalind S. Helderman

'GOLD MEDAL FOR POLITICAL GYMNASTICS'

Ned Lamont Reprises Anti-Lieberman Role

Ned Lamont, who made a fortune as a cable industry entrepreneur, was having some trouble Monday with some decidedly more rudimentary technology -- the special-edition biodegradable wooden key card to his Denver hotel room, which was performing in a capricious manner despite being in accord with the Democratic convention's green theme.

But the flustered Connecticut millionaire took a moment from his trek back to the front desk to weigh in with sharp words on one of the hot topics of the day -- the possibility that his Connecticut nemesis, Democrat-turned-independent Joseph I. Lieberman, might become John McCain's running mate.

It was Lamont, of course, who helped set in motion Lieberman's move into the arms of the Republican Party when he successfully challenged him in Connecticut's 2006 Senate primary. In the process, Lamont became a hero to the activist left, which saw Lieberman's rightward drift, particularly on Iraq and terrorism, as a betrayal. Refusing to bow out after losing the primary, Lieberman ran as an independent and beat Lamont in round two with the help of many Republicans and right-leaning independents.

As tenuous as Lieberman's ties to the Democrats have become, Lamont still expressed amazement that his former opponent is being seriously considered as McCain's running mate just eight years after he held the same spot on Al Gore's ticket.

"He gets an Olympic gold medal for political gymnastics," Lamont said. "In our race, he ran around saying, 'I'm a good Democrat, and he's a Republican.' And then when he ran as an independent, he told voters he would stay neutral in Washington. Now he's leading the attack against Barack Obama. It's the gymnastics gold medal."