Romney Ties One On

ABC New’ John Berman, Ursula Fahy and Matt Stuart Report:  Trying to make the case that he is the one true Republican in the race, Mitt Romney’s tie says it all:  it has elephants on it.  In Nashville, TN, Romney claimed this morning that "conservative are coming together" and saying they "don’t want John McCain."

Tapping into the conservative backlash against John McCain is part of the Romney teams strategy to steal McCain momentum on Super Tuesday.  Romney regularly points to support on talk radio and conservative journals.  And new supporter Rick Santorum criticized the elected officials he said were, "lining up like lemmings" behind McCain.  Santorum tried to rally the grassroots, shouting "let’s show them who is in charge of this party."

The Romney team is also hoping to pick up delegates in caucus and convention states.  They expect a strong showing in Colorado, West Virginia, Minnesota and Montana.

Finally, Romney is making a huge bet on California.  With some polls showing him actually leading there, Romney is embarking on a last-minute cross-country flight to hold a rally in Long Beach, CA Monday night.  Romney says, "If I win California, that means you’re gonna have a conservative in the White House."

In the wake of the Patriots Superbowl defeat, Romney has also incorporated some sports metaphors into his rhetoric. He claims Washington has repeatedly "whiffed" in it’s efforts for forge reform.  He also accused Washington leaders of "fiddling and diddling," a term used by longtime Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most.