I got this announcement from the McCain campaign in my inbox:
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will deliver remarks on John McCain's behalf at an event hosted by the Lancaster County GOP on Thursday, April 10th, 2008.
I doubt Romney's doing this out of any deep affection he feels for McCain. He just wants to be McCain's runningmate, and, if appearing on McCain's behalf in Lancaster helps him with that, then he'll appear in Lancaster!
The intriguing question, though, is just how much the McCain people can get Romney to grovel. As surrogate work goes, speaking in Pennsylvania Dutch Country doesn't seem that bad, especially for a wholesome guy like Romney: He can give his speech and then maybe make a day of it by taking a ride in an Amish buggy and having a slice of shoofly pie.
No, the McCain campaign can make things so much more unpleasant for Romney. Just off the top of my head, I can think of several miserable surrogate situations for Romney that the upcoming primaries afford: riverboat casinos in Indiana; a Lakota sweat lodge in South Dakota; these guys' basement in Nebraska. C'mon McCain campaign! I thought you didn't like this guy. Here's your chance to prove it.
--Jason Zengerle