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By Anthony York

June 30, 2000 | Matt Drudge gave a definite maybe Thursday to Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating's chances of ending up on the GOP ticket alongside Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Drudge, and then the New York Post, reported Keating may just have the proper mix of affability and diminutiveness to stand alongside the Texas governor, giving new meaning to the term "short list."

"One factor has apparently knocked Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge out of the running: His physical presence!" Drudge reported. "Ridge is too physically large. Standing next to Bush, he may appear overbearing, says a source."

Is Ridge too hulky to be vice president? That remains to be seen. But the choice of Keating could potentially present some problems for the Bush campaign in the online world. The Bush campaign, which has been diligent about purchasing domain names like bushsucks.com, apparently wasn't considering Keating when it went on its online shopping spree last year.

As a result, one potentially prime piece of virtual real estate -- bushkeating2000.com -- has been purchased by a cybersquatter of some renown -- Balitmore resident Scott Loughrey. Loughrey has made mischief in political races before by purchasing candidate domain names in U.S. Senate races and gubernatorial races in Vermont and West Virginia.

Loughrey has been known to ask for money in exchange for control of the domain names, or even create parody sites of candidates whom he either doesn't like or won't bite.

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