Can you picture an Obama-Hagel ticket?

The race for the Democratic presidential nomination isn't over yet, but that hasn't stopped people from speculating about whom front-runner Barack Obama might choose for a running mate.The list of potential partners is long. It starts with Obama's lingering rival for the nomination, Hillary Clinton, and includes a few other heavyweights in the Democratic Party.One long shot said to be on the list is Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.Of course, there's one problem with that idea: Hagel is a Republican and might not even be eligible under Democratic Party guidelines for the national ticket.

The party's guidelines dictate that the requirements for vice president follow those used for the nominee.The presidential nominee must be "a bona fide Democrat whose record of public service, accomplishment, public writings and/or public statements affirmatively demonstrates that he or she is faithful to the interests, welfare and success of the Democratic Party of the United States and will participate in the convention in good faith."Caroline Ciccone, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, declined to comment on whether Hagel would meet those requirements.

Hagel, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, last year flirted with running for the Republican presidential nomination. He decided not to seek re-election and will leave the Senate in 2009.Hagel's generally conservative voting record doesn't show a faithful devotion to the "welfare and success of the Democratic Party."However, Steffen Schmidt, a professor of political science at Iowa State University in Ames, said that if Obama becomes the nominee and convinces others in the party that Hagel shares their goals, they could find a way to make it work."I have a feeling either the party would say, 'Well, OK, here's a little form, fill this out and say you're a Democrat,' or maybe he wouldn't even have to do that," Schmidt said.As to the likelihood that Obama, an Illinois senator, would choose Hagel, Schmidt said the Nebraskan wouldn't be at the top of the list.Hagel does have a maverick reputation that might help put conservative Democrats and independents at ease with Obama, Schmidt said. He also would bring national security and foreign policy credentials to the table.

But he would provide little regional balance to the ticket, Schmidt said, and even if Hagel delivered Nebraska, that would mean only five electoral votes.It's also an open question as to whether rank-and-file Democrats would accept a crossover candidate on the ticket.Whether Hagel has any interest was unclear. He has at times criticized the presumed Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and has said complimentary things about Obama.Mike Buttry, Hagel's chief of staff, issued a statement Friday that didn't rule out anything. The statement said Hagel would not comment on the vice presidential speculation."Sen. Hagel is going to do what he's always done: continue focusing on his job and working hard for the people of Nebraska," Buttry said.Among the others whom Obama is said to be considering for vice president are Gov. Tim Kaine and Sen. James Webb, both Virginia Democrats; Gov. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio; Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.; and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent last June.

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