AUG 26 -- Romney Says Biden's Clips Are Worse Than His: Reacting to old chatter that his sparring with McCain could hurt his VP chances, Mitt Romney says it's nothing to worry about:
Mitt Romney suggested Tuesday that criticisms he leveled at John McCain during the GOP primaries would not block him from becoming the Republican nominee for vice president, arguing that he never questioned his one-time rival's readiness to be president the way the Democratic nominee for vice president questioned Barack Obama.
"The clips that they have of Joe Biden," said Romney, referring to a McCain attack ad, "are ones in which he questioned Obama's readiness to be president."
"I didn't say that he was not qualified to become president," said Romney, referring to his criticism of McCain. "Republicans in our debates pointed out differences on issues and relative capacity. That's very different from saying that he is not qualified to be president."
AUG 21 -- Halperin: McCain Settles On Romney: TIME's Mark Halperin cites two unnamed Republican sources saying that McCain has settled on Romney as his VP nominee:
Two Republicans who know say McCain has settled on Mitt Romney as his running mate.
Developing...
Meanwhile: If you are the wagering type, bet on Obama announcing Joe Biden as his running mate on Saturday.
Late update - Halperin has added to his post on Romney:
Two additional GOP sources say McCain had not offered the slot to anyone as of Thursday night, and that he could still change his mind.
And/but:
NY Times: "People close to the [McCain] campaign also floated a wild-card choice, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq."
Read all about Mitt Romney at HuffPost's Romney Big News Page.
AUG 14 -- Huckabee Knocks Romney As VP: Mike Huckabee himself goes on Fox News to disparage Romney.
"I think there are better choices for Sen. McCain that have the approval of value voters," he tells Fox News.
"The issue is that in many ways, Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of position. Not just on one or two things, but on many of the issues."
JULY 29 -- Evangelicals Warn Against Romney For VP: Huckabee supporters in particular balk at the idea.
Prominent evangelical leaders are warning Sen. John McCain against picking former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as his running mate, saying their troops will abandon the Republican ticket on Election Day if that happens.
They say Mr. Romney lacks trust on issues such as outlawing abortion and opposing same-sex marriage and because he is a Mormon. Opposition is particularly powerful among those who supported former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year.
JULY 22 -- Graham Says Romney "Very Much A Contender": One of McCain's closest allies says Romney is on the list.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who earlier this year told The Hill that McCain's vice presidential pick should be someone the Arizona senator "feels comfortable with," said Romney fits that description.
"I think he's very much a contender for the job," Graham said. "They have a good relationship. That's all I'll say."
JULY 16 -- Can Romney Overcome Disdain In McCain's Inner Circle?: Insiders want Romney, but McCain's camp doesn't trust him.
Now, with the general election in full-swing, Romney is being hailed as a rising star in McCainLand - a foe turned friend whose surrogacy has elevated him into the Arizona Republican's V.P. shortlist. According to a recent National Journal Poll, the majority of "insiders" (25 percent) believe the former governor will end up getting the nod.
But how serious an evolution of the McCain-Romney relationship is the political world witnessing? Several insiders for the two GOP politicos offered disparate takes; with one suggesting that a partnership was a political necessity and another insisting that it was an electoral (if not psychological) nightmare. They and a third all agreed on one point: members of the McCain camp generally distrust if not dislike their former rival. How much these contentions matter is another story.