Mitt Romney

Another tell-tale sign of the inevitable veep choice: Mitt Romney has not yet made any plans to speak at the Republican Natonal Convention later this summer.

Via The Fix, following in the footsteps of the state Democrats' RomneyFacts.com, the Michigan Democratic Party is taking to YouTube to attack Mitt Romney -- pre-nomination.

Unlike the sense of duty to tell the country what Romney said to Massachusetts to get elected in 2002, this web-video focuses on the economy. Could have something to do with Romney's repeated knocks on Michigan's Democratic Gov. Jen Granholm.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.)As speculation continues to mount over whether U.S. Sen. and presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain (Ariz.) will announce his choice for vice president this week, a new poll shows that over a third of likely voters think McCain will pick former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney (R) to join him on the ticket.

The poll, conducted last Friday by Rasmussen, found that 36 percent of the 1,000 respondents thought Romney would be number two on the GOP ticket. Most notably, 50 percent of Republican respondents thought Romney was the best pick for McCain, and 47 percent of said they believe McCain will pick him.

Among McCain supporters, Romney again gathered more that 40 percent. Forty-four percent of those respondents said Romney was McCain's best option and 45 percent said they were sure he would be on the ticket in November.

The suspense is killing us. The Atlantic's (and Crimson alum) Marc Ambinder is picking this up.

Some allies of Mitt Romney have suggested, in meetings with  [John McCain's] campaign advisers, that McCain make his pick -- Romney -- sooner, rather than later. They're floating this scenario: McCain picks Romney in early August, and Romney spends three days holding closed-door fundraisers. Then, Romney cloisters himself, bones up on everything that needs boning up, and gets reintroduced at the convention with a major speech. And then McCain and Romney embark on a Midwestern bus tour a la Clinton and Gore in 1992.

Today, Dick Morris asks, "Would Romney help McCain?"

Jeff Beatty, the Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston), said Tuesday that he believes if U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) picked former Gov. Mitt Romney (R) to be his running mate, the GOP would carry Massachusetts in November for the first time since President Ronald Reagan carried it in 1980 and 1984.Jeff Beatty (R)

Responding to recent speculation that McCain may announce his choice for vice president this week while U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is overseas, Beatty wrote a letter to McCain on Monday urging him to select Romney as his vice presidential candidate.

If McCain did pick Romney, "I believe that we'd be able to deliver Massachusetts and its 12 electoral votes to him," Beatty told PolitickerMA.com. "I think that voters in Massachusetts have had a couple years of [Gov.] Deval Patrick (D-Milton) that have failed to meet expectations."

Sixth Congressional District Republican candidate Wil Armstrong picked up his most high-profile supporter to date on Tuesday, winning the endorsement of former Massachusetts Gov. and possible VP candidate Mitt Romney.

"Washington is broken and Wil Armstrong is the best man to fix it," Romney said in a statement.

Buzz that John McCain will announce his running mate in just days has the chattering classes looking for clues in his schedule.

He's got a stop in Louisiana next week. Gov. Bobby Jindal anyone?

But McCain came to New England yesterday. A chance to talk things over with Mitt Romney, no?

Apparently not. Romney is apparently in Canada at the moment.

National Review contributor and Romney-backing blogger
Kathryn Jean Lopez has changed her mind on 'flip-flopping' -- changing one's positions -- in light of the toxic tag hurting Mitt's chances for John McCain's vice presidential nod, even though she heavily criticized John Kerry for it in 2004 and still today.

Don't you get it? Mitt was reevaluating. Kerry had two positions at once! Why can't you see the difference?

Back in Michigan, John McCain explains Monday's joke and is just dripping with praise for Mitt Romney, who appeared on the 'Today' show this morning.