Breaking: Romney To Endorse McCain

Mitt Romney will endorse John McCain in a press conference at Romney’s Boston headquarters, according to an ABC report. He will release his delegates and ask them to support McCain at the convention. That would put McCain within reach of the nomination now, and almost certainly clinch it for him in March:

Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., is planning on endorsing his former Republican rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
A source familiar with the decision said the endorsement will take place this afternoon at Romney for President Headquarters in Boston at 3:30pmET.
Romney will ask his delegates to support Senator McCain. The former governor made his decision to endorse today in the interest of helping McCain gain the 1,191 delegates he needs to secure the party nomination and unite the party for the general election against the Democrats in November.

Yesterday, I asked Senator McCain when he and Romney would meet. He replied that their staffs had contact already and that he wanted to meet Mitt when the appropriate time arrived. That apparently is today, as the report also notes that the two former competitors would have a tete-a-tete before the press conference.
Romney had strongly hinted at this when he withdrew from the race a week ago. He told the CPAC conference that he wanted a united Republican Party behind the nominee, specifying McCain as the man who could win the war on terror. Out of respect for Mike Huckabee, he stopped short of an endorsement, perhaps expecting Huckabee to follow suit. After Huckabee’s insistence on continuing the campaign, it appears that Romney wants to finish what he started at CPAC.
It’s good news for McCain. The people who wanted to rally around Romney as the alternative to McCain may feel more than a little betrayed, however. After the speech, there was a little rumbling about Mitt’s decision to clear the way for McCain, especially after Laura Ingraham gave him such a rousing introduction. Those will be few, though, especially if Romney winds up working with McCain on his general-election campaign as a voice for conservative policies.
It will help the GOP heal its fractures after a bruising but fortunately short primary campaign. After this, McCain and the Republicans can focus on the ultimate task ahead.