The GOP front-runner got a big political hug Thursday from former rival Mitt Romney, who in urging his own delegates to back the Arizona senator, put him in striking distance of sealing the nomination for good.
Romney and McCain were engaged in a bitter fight before the former Massachusetts governor suspended his race last week during an address to conservatives in Washington — but at the announcement Thursday in Boston the two were like old friends.
“Things can get pretty rough in a political campaign, and in the thick of the fight it’s easy to lose sight of your opponents’ finer qualities. But the truth of the matter is that in the case of Senator McCain I could never quite do that,” Romney said, highlighting McCain’s dedication to national security. “Even when the contest was close and our disagreements were debated, the caliber of the man was apparent.”