Mitt Romney is best suited to run as John McCain's vice president in the general election, former presidential strategist Karl Rove said Sunday.

"Romney is already vetted by the media, strong executive experience both in business and in government, has an interesting story to tell with saving the U.S. Olympics, and also helps McCain deal with the economy, because he can speak with the economy with a fluency that McCain doesn't have," Rove told "Fox News Sunday."

But Rove, a FOX News analyst, added that Romney is not without flaws.

"He's been a little uneven in his performance," Rove said. "This is the guy who talked about environments and marching with Martin Luther King and so forth. And there's also the Mormon problem, which was really sort of astonishing to me."

Now that the general election race has arrived, both presumptive major party candidates -- McCain for the Republicans and Barack Obama for the Democrats -- are vetting potential running mates. An announcement for both candidates may not happen until August, but the D.C. parlor game has drawn much attention.

Susan Estrich, campaign manager for Michael Dukakis in 1988, said many names will go on and off the lists of potential running mates, but only those with the cleanest records and the most fortitude will make the short list.

"You never know the details of someone's life until they get on the vice presidential list and then you know more than you want to know," said Estrich, a FOX News contributor.

Estrich added that selecting the best vice presidential pick is based not on who is the best pal but who can help the ticket.

"Bill Clinton's best friend was not Al Gore. They came from very different backgrounds ... Clinton made a calculation in 1992. The challenge for him was not to balance the ticket but to underscore its strengths. ... And they weren't friends going in, they were sort of friends for a while, they didn't leave office as friends, but (it) worked because they got elected twice," she said.

Asked about other possible contenders for the Republican ticket -- like Govs. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Charlie Crist of Florida -- Rove said all the choices have potential.

"Each one of these has their strengths and weaknesses, but each one of them ought to be thought of as an archetype rather than just an individual, because we are months away from them getting down to a short list."

Among those rumored to be near the top of McCain's list is Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. In an appearance Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation," Jindal declined to say if he would accept that offer--stressing that he remains focused on his work as governor.

"I've got the job I want. It's a historic time in my state. We got the chance to make a once in a lifetime change. I want to be part of turning Louisiana around. I'm focused on Louisiana," he said.

On the Democratic side, Rove singled out former Obama rival and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as a strong vice presidential pick.

"He's got foreign policy experience, which is turning out to be a weakness for Senator Obama, and has gravitas in Washington," Rove said.

Estrich ruled out former Obama rival New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as a Democratic vice presidential candidate and suggested another former Obama rival and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd had been floated but may not be the right pick. She added that at the top of everyone's short list is Hillary Clinton, but it's too soon to say whether she would be Obama's fit.

"Hillary Clinton will stay on the list until the end and others will come on and off," she said.

Asked if he'd take a vice presidential spot if offered, John Edwards, who also ran against Obama this year and was the 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate did not rule it out altogether.

"Well, I'd take anything he asked me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something I've done and it's not a job that I'm seeking," he said.

Click here to read the transcript of Karl Rove on "FOX News Sunday."