When is a political endorsement not a political endorsement?

Oakland County Senate GOP leader Mike Bishop was chatting with reporters the other day when the John McCain flap came up.

Unless you've been on another planet recently, you've heard that the Rush Limbaugh wing of the national GOP is making noises that Mr. McCain is not a true conservative. One McCain critic even went so far as to announce she was voting for Hillary Clinton because McCain didn't pass the conservative muster.

Mr. Bishop has been watching all this and was asked if the ultra right-wingers were wrong?

"It's not about being wrong. They've got reservations."

But Bishop has none.

"He is an American hero and easy to rally behind. I don't think it will be hard for the conservative base to rally behind John McCain" especially when they weight the alternative, Bishop noted.

Bishop added he had "no reservations" about McCain.

Does that sound like an endorsement to you?

True, he didn't say he was voting for McCain, but his straight talk observations left the impression he was in McCain's camp.

Not so fast writes a member of the Bishop inner circle.

"Endorsements usually come in a formal fashion…The problem here is that people don't want to hear this stuff from reporters, they want to hear it directly. Mike and Sen. McCain have not spoken on this issue lately."

Those who get paid to protect Bishop's image think it "would be nice to have a formal conversation with Sen. McCain before we do any kind of an endorsement."

McCain was probably worried night and day about nailing down the Bishop endorsement and will undoubtedly be on the horn post haste to have that formal talk.

A Bishop aide thinks the two may actually meet soon. Believe it when you see it.