Rivalry over, Romney endorses John McCain

WASHINGTON — In the climactic Florida clash of their yearlong rivalry, Mitt Romney called John McCain a dishonest and liberal Washington insider unworthy of the Republican presidential nomination. McCain portrayed Romney as a failed former governor who had “changed positions on literally every major issue.”

But Thursday, a week after abandoning his quest for the White House, Romney made a switch that McCain could only welcome: He endorsed the Arizona senator.

“Things can get pretty rough in a political campaign, and in the thick of a fight, it’s easy to lose sight of your opponent’s finer qualities,” Romney said during a tense appearance with McCain in Boston.

“This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour,” he continued. “Senator McCain understands the war we’re in, the necessity of victory and the consequences of surrender.”

The former Massachusetts governor yielded the lectern, then watched with a tight smile and clasped hands as McCain thanked him for running “a hard, intensive, fine, honorable campaign.”