The Secret Service has dispatched agents to Joe Biden's house in Delaware, ABC News reported late Friday night. If that's true, we're just 160 characters away from the official word that Biden will be Barack Obama's running mate.

The possible contenders were slowly being eliminated as the night wore on. CNN reported that Obama's campaign formally notified Hillary Clinton that she wasn't the pick, though an advance schedule of her convention week activities that put her in California Sunday certainly made it seem like she already realized that. CNN, MSNBC and the Associated Press had already sent word that Obama had told Tim Kaine and Evan Bayh that they didn't make the cut, either. (And those Obama-Bayh bumper stickers may be heading to Sierra Leone to join all the "New England Patriots Super Bowl XLII Champions" merchandise).

Look for a text message from Chicago sometime mid-morning, a few hours before Obama and -- unless this is all an elaborate ruse -- Biden appear in Springfield, Ill., to debut the ticket. So far, aides to Biden and Obama have maintained pretty strict radio silence in response to any questions dealing with the pick; the campaign seems set on keeping the promise that supporters would be the first to get an official notification.

(And if he is on the stage with Obama Saturday, presumably Biden will be looking clean and sounding articulate.)