Once Bitter Rivals, Romney and McCain Unite on Fundraising Trail
SALT LAKE CITY — In a show of Republican unity, one-time bitter foes John McCain and Mitt Romney raised money and campaigned together Thursday for a single goal — getting McCain elected president.
“We are united. Now our job is to energize our party,” the Arizona senator said in an airport hangar, flanked by Romney and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., an early McCain supporter. Both have been mentioned as potential vice presidential picks, and McCain praised each.
Romney lauded McCain and promised to do all he can to help, saying: “He is a man who is proven and tested” and without question the right man to be president.
In February, Romney won 90 percent of the vote in Utah to McCain’s 5 percent. Romney’s ties to the state run deep, from his Mormon faith to his work overseeing the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
“Look, that wasn’t the only state I lost to Governor Romney in — it was just the largest loss,’ McCain said chuckling. He joked that it was abject humiliation but understandable given Romney’s Utah links. “I was at least hoping to break into double digits though!”
“I think he did just fine in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, California …,” Romney said, laughing about states McCain won.
The two then headed to Denver for another fundraiser accompanied by Meg Whitman, the outgoing chief executive of eBay Inc. and a former Romney backer who now supports McCain.
On the flight, there seemed to be little residual acrimony between the former rivals.
They sat next to each other and ate turkey sandwiches. They laughed and talked during the hourlong flight, and were complimentary of each other when talking to reporters traveling with McCain.
A tanned and rested Romney said it was fun to be campaigning again and nice not to feel any pressure. “I don’t have to worry about goofing up,” he said. He brushed aside questions about a No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket.
At one point, McCain answered a question by lamenting an accelerated GOP primary process that he said doesn’t allow voters to scrutinize the candidates as much.
“Mitt just went through the process,” McCain said and turned to the former governor.
“The process was very good to you …,” Romney responded. McCain laughed, and Romney added that the process was good to him, too.
McCain, who has struggled to raise money compared to Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, is on a weeklong Western fundraising swing. Romney is popular in Utah and Colorado, states with large numbers of Mormons.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, dropped out of the race last month after it became apparent it would be near impossible to topple McCain in the convention delegate race. He endorsed the Arizona senator a week later and pledged to help him win the nomination.
Since then, McCain has praised Romney repeatedly as someone who is certain to continue playing a large role in the GOP. Romney, for his part, has suggested that he’d accept a vice presidential slot, though some Republicans privately speculate that he’s looking ahead to a possible repeat run in 2012.
Neither man appeared especially fond of the other during the campaign. Romney cast McCain as outside of the GOP’s conservative mainstream and a Washington insider who contributed to the problems there. McCain, in turn, argued that Romney’s equivocations and reversals on issues indicated a willingness to change his positions to fit his political goals.
And I remember well the Reagan - Ford and Reagan - Bush 41 primaries. One thing is sure, the Democratic Party has been taken over by the extreme far-left, the likes of which we have never seen before. I cannot imagine our men and women in service saluting Obama. That would be like saluting Wright or Farrakhan. The Dems are owned lock, stock and barrel by Geroge Soros, and we know what an evil agenda he has for America. Obama’s redistribution of wealth, and more regulation is not in America’s best interest. His beliefs and goals are based on his twenty year relationship to Black Liberation Theology. Everyone needs to research what that means. It certainly does not support American ideals. Obama’s speech in Philly was not brave. Lincoln’s speech in Gettysburg was brave. Martin Luther King’s words - “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only Light can do that; Hate cannot drive out hate, only Love can do that”. These were brave. Obama’s words, based on his belief’s, do not transcend anything. His words would hold us (white, and conservative -white and black) in bondage to the sins of past generations. Obama’s theology keeps a whole race of people in a state of victimhood, and therefore perpetual entitlement. His words and beliefs do serve a vision for the future, they keep us ‘chained’ to the hatreds of the past. Here is a Presidential Candidate, who says he is not afraid to meet with the leaders of our enemies, yet he is afraid to talk with Bill in the “No Spin Zone”. Some fearless leader, he would make.
I think Romney would be a big benefit to McCain’s ticket, since he certainly understands economics and our capitalist system, which is what made our country great.
I’d rather see a Romney/McCain ticket….but a McCain/Romney Ticket would be ok, I would vote for them.
Political competition is not beanbags, but rough and tumble. Romney and McCain would make a formidable team. McCain and Crist (Florida Gov.) would be better because Crist would insure a republican vote in Nov.
McCain can kiss the whitehouse good bye if he choose Romney for VP. He’ll lose millions of votes from people who cannot stand ROMNEY. Go to http://www.evercor.com/trueromney
He’s a flip flopper. A flip flopper is a nice way of calling someone a liar. The true conservatives don’t trust Mitt Romney.
Exactly what the Republicans need to do, join hands and work towards a victory!!!
You had to admire Mitt Romney for his willingness to sacrifice for the greater good for this country at least for the least worst choice among the current Presidential candidates. I would certainly vote for Mitt Romney as President or Vice President (preferably President but there is 2012!) but will take what I can get he certainly will add something even as Vice President. If only the voters had realized this earlier before the primaries! Oh well, at least we must move on from here. I only wish what is best for this country in the long-term. God bless what is still good about America and God bless the U.S.A! Go Mitt 2012!
Hey, they are both politicians after all. And, unlike the Democratic forerunners, at least both McCain and Romney want to see their party united. Has everyone forgotten the phrase “United we stand, divided we fall”?
I would love to see John McCain select Mike Huckabee as running mate on the GOP ticket.
As evidenced by the large popular vote Mike Huckabee received, this choice would seal the question of McCain’s conservative values. It is indeed why Huckabee got such a large vote total. We conservatives were trying to send a message and have our voice heard. Don’t let us down.
Politics makes for strange bedfellows!