Mittmentum sputters... Romney out

by: Clem Guttata

Thu Feb 07, 2008 at 14:09:01 PM EST

A classless act until the end, Romney excuses his departure because we're at war:

``In this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror,'' Romney said in a speech to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. ``I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and our country.''

So it looks like once again the earliest insider party-annoited Republican candidate--despite all indications along the way to the contrary--will get the nomination. John McCain now faces an incredibly difficult task of rallying a Republican base that has a visceral dislike for him.