Lloyd Bentsen

"Palin who?"

If either U.S. Senators Joe Biden or John Kerry is Barack Obama's choice for a running mate, it will be the first time in history that a party's vice presidential candidate was also running in a primary for an unrelated office.

Former Gov. Michael Dukakis was spotted in Philadelphia at the National Governor's Association conference Saturday, which was twenty years ago to the day when he announced his vice presidential nominee, Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

Bentsen was chosen over Ohio Sen. John Glenn and -- oddly enough -- several others whose names have been bandied about in the 2008 cycle: Sam Nunn, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham and Al Gore.

In another strange comparison to today, Bentsen was said to be influential in squashing the public feuding between Dukakis and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has again found himself in the back-and-forth of presidential politics although in a much, much weaker position. At the time, Jackson still thought of himself as a real contender for 1992 if Dukakis were to fail.

The pick came only a few days before the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Barack Obama will likely hold his announcement to a few days before his own convention.

On Fox News, The Duke Weighs In On '08

Former Gov. Michael Dukakis: Getty ImagesFormer Gov. Mike Dukakis has a few pieces of advice to offer to Barack Obama.

The 1988 Democratic presidential nominee appeared on Fox News' 'Hannity and Colmes' this evening and had a very general discussion about the 2008 presidential contest with Democrat Alan Colmes and his Republican guest host, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.

Steele pressed Dukakis on what he perceived to be Obama's greatest weakness: the 'most liberal senator' label from the National Journal's 2007 rankings. An identical rating of 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry was a constant bother throughout his campaign.

But Dukakis brushed aside such concerns, replying, "I don't think [the label] really means anything," as the "fiscal irresponsibility" and other policies of George W. Bush's administration leave the Republicans with no claim to the 'conservative' mantle.