The Trail

In that vein, McCain joked that he might make big news if he picks a running mate with no particular partisan leanings and no clear political principles, and who "may need a job about that time." People in the audience cracked up when they realized McCain was talking about Leno.

"I can make more doing a week in Vegas," Leno joked.

McCain noted that the "house is nice," a reference to the White House.

"You've got enough of those," Leno cracked. "You need a white one, too."

Later, he asked McCain: "For $1 million, how many houses do you have?"

At that, McCain got serious, saying he had been imprisoned for 5 1/2 years during the Vietnam War -- "I didn't have a house. I didn't have a kitchen table. I didn't have a table." He also praised his late father-in-law -- the source of his wife's wealth -- as a man who came from nothing to be successful.

"I'm proud of my record of service to this country, and it has nothing to do with houses," McCain said. "It has to do with putting Americans in houses and keeping them in their homes."

Leno pushed again on McCain's vice presidential choice, asking why he might not choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate. McCain deflected that question by saying that he has "nothing but respect for Senator Clinton" but that they have different philosophies.

And when Leno asked whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty might get eaten alive by Joe Biden in a vice presidential debate, McCain cracked that "the question for any of them might be getting a word in edgewise."

-- Michael D. Shear