Sep 2, 2008 9:14 am US/Eastern
Romney Not Interested In Cabinet Post
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Mitt Romney appears for an interview on the floor at the Republican National Convention.
Stan Honda/Getty Images
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Tuesday he's not disappointed that he wasn't chosen as John McCain's running mate.
Romney told
WBZ Radio he was never really looking to be number two on a ticket.
"It's not a job I think anybody aspires to. I wanted to be president, that was the thing I campaigned for. John McCain chose a person who I think brings a lot of energy and vitality to his ticket."
McCain stunned most people by picking little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Romney said McCain called him personally hours before he introduced Palin as his running mate to break the news.
"I congratulated him and told him it was an honor to have been mentioned on the short list," he said.
Romney said he was not aware of Palin and thought McCain was going to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
"I think John McCain surprised a lot of folks," Romney said. "I think he's done the right thing. I think it was a smart move and I support him fully in it."
Some critics say McCain may have rushed the
vetting process with Palin, who disclosed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant. McCain said he was aware of that issue before he made his decision.
"I think this is a private matter," Romney said. "I think her daughter is doing the right thing in marrying the father and so we'll leave it at that."
Romney also said if McCain is elected, he has absolutely no interest in a cabinet post. His father
George, who lost the 1968 Republican nomination to Richard Nixon, ended up as Nixon's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
"I actually saw my dad serve as a cabinet secretary," Romney said. "One thing I know is, that's not a job I'd want. It's not a job I'd take."
"My dad found that he was being ordered around by the White House and a bureaucracy inside his own department that was hard to move. It's not for me."
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