Mitch Daniels done with politics?

"The Blade" might be taking himself out of the kitchen.

Rumors are spreading that popular Republican two-term Indiana Governor and former Bush Administration OMB head, Mitch Daniels, will step away from politics and take a job as president of Purdue University. The Indianapolis Star reports that the official announcement will be made tomorrow, but Daniels excepting the position at Purdue is "the worst-kept secret in Indiana."

But in every sentence, in every smile, he never refuted what has become the worst-kept secret in Indiana: He will be named Purdue’s next president tomorrow.

Daniels, talking to reporters after an economic development announcement at Roche this morning on the Far-Northside of Indianapolis, said it is “just not appropriate” for him to directly answer questions on Purdue.

He did, however, say he would stay governor until his term ends in January, and he didn’t shy away from questions about higher education and his ever-evolving career which has included politics at the local, state and federal level, a private sector position as a top executive at Eli Lilly & Co. and now, by every indication, academics.

Daniels is a graduate of Princeton and Georgetown Law. The Wall Street Journal notes that the move will effectively take Daniels out of consideration to be Mitt Romney's running mate, where it is rumored he was on the short list of possible candidates. Daniels delivered the well-received Republican response to the president's State of the Union address this year. The Indiana governor himself was considered a serious possible candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 before announcing last summer that he did not intend to run.