George Allen's name continues to be thrown around for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008. Robert Novak reports that the Senator from Virginia is on a short list of Republican prospects.

Members of the inner circle of high-ranking House Republicans privately agree that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is an absolute lock for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and will not be easy to defeat in the general election.

The same lawmakers believe the Republican race to oppose Clinton is wide open but regard Sen. George Allen of Virginia as having the edge over Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee. The consensus among them is that Allen is a better candidate than Frist and will the advantage over him in GOP primaries. The House members see little or no prospect for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain of Arizona or Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The Clinton-vs.-Allen forecast by the leading House members duplicates the National Journal's poll of insiders from both parties.

Virginia is known as the "Mother of Presidents"*, and Senator Allen did graduate from Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia. I won't hold being a Wahoo against him, considering he has since made amends by helping force the issue with the ACC to invite Virginia Tech. Likewise, Allen has been a terrific Senator and was a wonderful Governor. He follows the teachings of Reagan and Jefferson and describes himself as a "common sense Jeffersonian Conservative".

If he runs, he's probably got my vote.

* Ohio has tried to steal this title, even going so far as to claim Virginian President William Henry Harrison as their own.