COULD THIS BE REAL? – AT 8:30 A.M. ET:  Ordinarily, I'd dismiss political speculation like this, but it comes from one of the best, old-time shoe-leather political reporters around, Fred Dicker of the New York Post:

A Prominent Republican is joining a prominent Democrat in predicting that Gov. Cuomo will become President Obama's running mate for vice president next year.

Former New York GOP boss William Powers, credited with playing a key role in electing Rudy Giuliani mayor and George Pataki governor, was effusive in his praise of Cuomo's successes in the just-ended legislative session, and in his prediction of the freshman governor's political future.

"Andrew had a fabulous session. It was fabulous. A property-tax cap, ethics reform and, for Democrats, gay marriage," said Powers.

"I don't think there's any doubt Obama is going to pick him as his running mate. The president is in trouble and [Vice President Joseph] Biden doesn't bring anything to his ticket.

"The president will call him up later this year and say, 'Andrew, you have to do this for the good of the country.' What's Andrew going to say, 'No?' "

Yes, Cuomo did have a solid opening year as governor.  First of all, he has a pulse, which, for a New York governor, is an unusual characteristic.  He got things done, and most of them flashed "moderate" rather than liberal.

Cuomo, who saw a flurry of predictions last week in the wake of the gay-marriage victory that he'll run for president in 2016, has repeatedly refused to discuss the possibility of higher office.

He wouldn't comment either on Powers' prediction, but a source familiar with his thinking half-jokingly said this when asked what action Cuomo would take if Obama called to offer him the nation's No. 2 position: "He won't answer."

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown earlier this year also predicted that Obama would pick Cuomo to replace Biden, who he claimed would be named by the president to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"He's a big name, a big-state governor, and a Democrat who is taking on the issue of public-employee salaries and pensions. Plus, he looks good," Brown said of Cuomo.

Clinton has announced she'll leave after one presidential term.  Replacing her with Biden makes sense because Biden has what the inside-the-Beltway crowd calls "extenstive" foreign-policy experience.  Trouble is, he's been wrong most of the time.  If we had listened to Biden, we'd still be fighting the Cold War, and probably losing.

I'm skeptical of the story.  Biden may bright nothing to the Democratic ticket, but I'm not really sure what Cuomo brings.  He's governor of a state that's already in the bag for Obama.  Also, dropping Biden may look like Obama, once again, throwing a friend under the bus.  It's getting crowded under there.

Finally, Cuomo is a shrewd political operator, and much more hard-knuckled than his philosophical father, Mario, a three-term governor.  He knows something about appearances, and abandoning the state to run for national office barely two years into his term just doesn't look very good.  Too ambitious.  Too eager.

But I'm willing to be convinced.

July 5, 2011