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Pawlenty says he is ‘not disappointed’ over Romney VP selection
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who was rumored to be on the short-list for Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, said late Friday that he was "not disappointed" after media reports confirming that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) would be selected.
"I didn't enter this thinking I was going to be the vice presidential candidate, so I'm not disappointed," Pawlenty said to reporters late Friday in Manchester, New Hampshire, NBC News reported.
He said he would still be a forceful surrogate for the Romney campaign. "I'm excited about his candidacy, and I'm excited about having him be the next president."
"I am keeping my schedule in New Hampshire tomorrow, won't be at the announcement," said Pawlenty. "So you can deduce from there that since I'm keeping my schedule in New Hampshire, I can't also be in Virginia at the same time."
A GOP source told The Hill late Friday that Ryan would be announced as Romney's running mate on Saturday. The fiscally conservative House Budget Committee chairman would be a popular selection with conservatives, who spoke loudly in favor of him.
The Wall Street Journal and conservative magazine The Weekly Standard have both urged Romney to name Ryan to the ticket.
Pawlenty would not confirm that Ryan would be the choice. "I can't say any more," he said. ""We got to now wait for Gov. Romney to make the announcement as to who his VP pick is and I'm sure it will be a great pick."Pawlenty said he had not spoken to Romney on Friday.
The former Minnesota governor has been a prominent surrogate for Romney, appearing frequently on the stump.
He was initially seen as a serious challenger to Romney, but dropped out of the race after a poor finish in the Ames Straw Poll last August. He endorsed Romney in September 2011.
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