With discussion of a potential Democratic Vice Presidential candidate somewhat muted with Hillary still in the race Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas is being talked about with some frequency as a potential V.P. for Barack Obama. Sebelius was the subject of a huge hit piece by conservative columnist Robert Novak, and the political blog of the Washington Post featured Sebelius and the Novak piece prominently. Read “The Fix” here. Sebelius is a “centrist” Democratic governor of a red state, and the Novak piece hits her hard on her connection to a major abortion provider in Kansas, and her accepting funds from pro-choice groups. Novak goes as far as to accuse her of “laundering” political money donated by pro-choice groups. As the Fix points out Sebelius may be helped in some quarters by the Novak hit. She responded to Novak in a statement: From “The Fix”

Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran condemned the Novak piece as forwarding his “personal agendas and hyperbole.” She pointed out that Novak’s column failed to mention the 8.5 percent decline in the Kansas abortion rate since Sebeliushas been in office and added: “Clearly, the people of Kansas don’t share Mr. Novak’s narrow view of Governor Sebelius, having overwhelmingly voted to re-elect her in 2006 in an endorsement of Governor Sebelius’s centrist, mainstream approach.”

Should be some great political jockeying for that spot on the ticket, and it is already heating up. Read the Novak piece here.