Absence of Praise

By Jay Carney | February 7, 2008 | +

Based on Romney’s prepared remarks, he won’t come anywhere near endorsing McCain during the red-meat speech he’s giving to CPAC right now. He’ll offer only tepid praise for McCain’s hawkishness on national security. Here’s the passage:

I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating Al Qaeda and terror. If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

That’s it, unless he ad-libs something.

UPDATE: No ad-libs, nothing more said about the now-certain GOP nominee. Romney did nothing to make McCain’s task at CPAC this afternoon any easier.

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