Romney ends bid,
eyeing 2012 By: Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin
Feb 7, 2008 01:37 PM EST
The presidential race Mitt Romney planned for years crashed to a halt Thursday, stopped in its tracks by the surprisingly durable John McCain campaign and by Romney's inability to quell concerns about his shifts on key issues and his Mormon religion.
Making the dramatic announcement at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference at a Washington hotel, Romney clearly hoped to preserve the goodwill of his party for another possible bid in 2012. He intends to run again in four years, according to a senior member of his inner circle.
"He should be president. 2012," the confidant e-mailed after talking to Romney.
“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 Sen. Clinton or Obama would win,†he said.
“And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.â€
Josh Romney, one of the governor’s five sons, said his dad sounded upbeat and strong when he called family members last night to tell them of the decision.
“He felt that he still had a shot at winning the nomination,†Josh Romney said. “But for the good of the party and the nation, he didn’t want to have a long, drawn-out battle.â€
more at the link..
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8386.htmlso... he's eyeing 2012 without finishing this campaign out??
