Romney narrows focus

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

February 2, 2008

DENVER - Republican Mitt Romney is conceding the bulk of the Northeast to rival John McCain, counting instead on his home state of Massachusetts, a split in California and wins in a series of caucus states to extend his presidential campaign beyond Super Tuesday.

Missing from Romney's latest campaign schedule were winner-take-all states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which account for 180 of the 1,023 delegates at stake. The omissions were telling with voting in 21 GOP contests Tuesday.

During a news conference at a rally here Friday, he passed up three opportunities to declare he would carry on if he fails to surpass McCain on Tuesday.

"I just can't predict what will happen in February," he said.

The former Massachusetts governor has scheduled campaign events in Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and West Virginia before returning home Tuesday to vote and await returns.

Romney has also deployed four of his five sons to Maine, Montana and Idaho, which hold caucuses Saturday and Tuesday, and Alaska, which has a party convention Tuesday.

If he fails to capture enough delegates to offset McCain's likely wins in other states and strong showing in California, where the Arizona senator has the backing of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Romney could end his campaign in Boston on Wednesday.

This week the multimillionaire former venture capitalist authorized only a modest $3 million advertising buy, after committing $35 million of his own money last year in an unsuccessful effort to lock up the nomination early with back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire.

In Oklahoma, Mike Huckabee on Friday defended his remark on MSNBC Thursday that Romney "didn't hit political puberty in the conservative ranks until 60 years old."

Huckabee, who came in fourth in this week's Florida GOP primary, said he was referring to his rival's changes of heart on issues key to conservatives such as abortion, gun control and gay rights.

Romney told reporters in Denver, "While there's occasionally a time of natural humor, I think the presidency is more serious than that comment suggests."

In another piece of bad news for Romney, the Los Angeles Times endorsed McCain in the Republican primaries and Barack Obama for the Democrats.