David Petraeus Really, Really Doesn’t Want to Be Vice-President

Petraeus's face today, probably.

Matt Drudge is known to be tuned in to Romneyworld through Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades, so whenever he has a scoop, people pay attention, even if that scoop seems absurd on its face. And today's scoop seems absurd on its face.

Now, don't get us wrong: David Petraeus would probably be an amazing, game-changing running mate. But there are two major reasons not to take the possibility seriously. The first is that Petraeus is currently the head of the C.I.A., and it's almost unthinkable that he would abruptly ditch such an important post and leave the agency in the lurch. The second problem is that no single person over the past few years has been quite as Shermanesque about ever running for office. Here is his response in March of 2010 to rumors that he may run for president:

"I will not, ever, run for political office, I can assure you." Here he is again on Meet the Press that August:

"I am not a politician, and I will never be, and I say that with absolute conviction." A few months ago, a CIA spokesperson took on the VP rumors directly:

And for what it's worth, NBC's Andrea Mitchell has her own sources, and they are laughing.

Maybe Romney does want Petraeus on his ticket, but he'd also probably love to have Ronald Reagan, and that scenario seems just about as likely.

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Ask a Best Doctor: Why Doesn’t Bloomberg Just Promote Diet Soda?

When I hear about Bloomberg's anti-soda campaign, I always wonder, Why don't they just mention diet soda as an option? Is diet soda not so great for you either?

It really isn't. "Diet sodas, and all diet drinks, have aspartame or sugar supplements that stimulate the pancreas in the same way regular sugar does," says Dr. Ohan Karatoprak, director of the wellness and family medicine departments at Holy Name Medical Center. That extra stimulation produces extra insulin, which then causes weight gain and belly fat, and from there it's a slippery slope to increased risk for cancer, a heart condition, or diabetes. Don't freak out completely: These risks are more likely when you're drinking soda in the 32-ounce size Bloomberg warns against. If you're of normal weight and downing a twelve-ounce can of Diet Coke from time to time, "we don't prefer it, but it's not such a problem," Karatoprak says. You could always just reach for a seltzer; it's the doctor's bubbly drink of choice.

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