Romney Pulling Out? Yes
Byron York on the beat at CPAC:
Normally in that time period, I would have received lots of emails telling me, among other things, that John McCain's Straight Talk Express had taken a detour. For example, I would have expected to receive one about McCain's "calm down" remark. But nothing from the Romney camp. I wondered whether the campaign is dialing back its aggressiveness in preparation for a Romney withdrawal. A few moments ago, I spoke to someone in the Romney camp. Would I be crazy to read that into the email traffic? "You would not be crazy to read that into it," he said. "There have been a lot of discussions going on about whether there is a path to victory, and not wanting to look destructive at what might be the end. You are reading the right thing into it."We will know soon enough -- Romney speaks at CPAC in less than an hour. UPDATE: Confirmed:
George Romney did not have to battle the sort of open religious bigotry that erupted again and again on the internet and often even in the comments on this blog and in major publications. The leading GOP figures, including Senator McCain, have quite rightly denounced such unAmerican and repulsive expressions, but they have plagued American politics in a way that still stuns and shames its elites and its defenders here and abroad. Mitt Romney's refusal to either abandon or distance himself from his faith or to succumb to anger in response to these attacks has added to the esteem with which he is held by those who value religious freedom and hope to see its spread in the world, especially in those regions now dominated by our fanatical enemies. Romney's address at the Bush Library in late 2007 was a sad necessity, but its execution a bright moment for religious liberty, and a moment that defined Mitt Romney as very much a leader of people who value the spirit of the Constitution as it was intended to be understood and practiced by the Framers. There is one great similarity between the Romneys' campaign then and today though, which is far more significant than the differences including the sad ones: Those who know, endorsed, contributed to and worked on behalf of George and Mitt Romney are extraordinarily proud to have done so, as I am, and will remain.I too am proud to have contributed to Mitt Romney's compaign. We need more good people like Mitt running for office at every level. UPDATE II Why I love Mitt:
And he may have saved some of his best campaign moments for last. “[Dependency] is a drug, we have to fight it like the poison it is.” That got him a Standing O.As well it should -- I would have been on my feet, and wish I were in DC right 'bout now. . . .