USA ELECTIONS

Straight Talk, Romney Style
In an interview this afternoon, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the one-time McCain rival for the Republican nomination, said he still stands by his assessment of how he and McCain stack up against each other in terms of their conservative credentials.

"I still think my views on those issues are more consistent with the mainstream of my party, but you know what? He won. And I didn't," Romney told editors and reporters at the Washington Post.

The comments came in a wide-ranging discussion in which Romney repeatedly blasted Barack Obama for failing to have enough experience to be president.

But his assessment of McCain's conservative credentials were the most interesting part of the conversation, because they were so off-message.

"Those comments pointed out differences between he and I on issues," Romney said. "I continue to have those differences with John McCain on those issues."