Coro Alumnus to be Obama's VP Pick?

Both Politico and the Washington Post are suggesting that Coro alumnus, Tim Kaine, may be selected as Senator Obama's running mate. Although Coro alumni have served in every administration since President Eisenhower, this would be the highest level public servant for the venerable leadership development organization. Just weeks ago, he was considered a dark horse in the Veepstakes but his stock continues to rise.

The Virginia Governor went through a Coro training program in Kansas City and is part of a national network of more than 10,000 leaders in local, regional and national/global businesses, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies and elected public office. Now in its sixth decade after launching in San Francisco, Coro has grown to include centers in six cities: San Francisco (1947), Los Angeles (1957), St. Louis (1972), Kansas City (1975), New York (1980), Pittsburgh (1999), and a new Executive Fellows program in Cleveland (2005).

Kaine, an early Obama supporter whose biography nicely dovetails with the Illinois senator’s, "ranks very, very high on the short list," said a source who has spoken recently to senior Obama aides about Kaine. - Amie Parnes and Ben Smith, Politico

Picking Kaine would seem to satisfy many considerations Obama has recently laid out. During an interview with Tom Brokaw on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, the presumptive Democratic nominee said he was looking for someone who shares his desire to change Washington politics.

Kaine, a former Richmond mayor, would bring outside-the-Beltway credentials to the campaign. The relationship the two share would seem to fit with Obama's desire, as he said, for someone "with independence -- who's willing to tell me where he thinks, or she thinks, I'm wrong." And the governor probably would bolster Obama in Virginia, where the campaign is making an all-out push. - Michael D. Shear and Shailagh Murray, Washington Post

Coro is a nonprofit, non-partisan educational institute supported by foundations, corporations and individuals. Coro alumni in public office (from California) include U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Jerry Lewis, state Senator Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and others. Coro Southern California's 2nd Annual Summer Family BBQ will be held next month on August 17th in America's suburb, the San Fernando Valley.

(Full Disclosure - I am a consultant with Coro Southern California and also a former staffer and program participant).