Bird house and all, Romney doesn't get endorsement

STRATHAM, N.H. -- Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney got his perfect picture today, but he didn't get the story to accompany it. He emerged out of a garden shop on a sun-filled day and to the small crowd he held up his newly purchased white bird house ($29.99 and perfect for the White-breasted Nuthatch).

As he put down the bird house -- which he says will be a Mother's Day gift to his wife, Ann -- he made a few lighthearted remarks before calling over the store's owner to thank him for his hospitality. But this this isn't your average garden shop owner. This is Doug Scamman, the former two-time New Hampshire Speaker of the House and friend of President Bush.

About at the same time that Romney had his arm around Scamman, a message was hitting reporters' Blackberries saying Scamman was just named a statewide co-chair for Rudy Giuliani's campaign.

Besides the appearance at his store, Romney also headlined a fund-raiser at the Scamman farm last year for the New Hampshire House Republicans and personally gave significant money to the cause. At that fund-raiser, rain and high winds drenched Romney and nearly blew the tent he was speaking in out of the ground. (And ruined this reporter's notes.)

But this is not to suggest that all was lost for Romney's wooing. Doug's wife, Stella, a former state representative herself, told the Globe she hasn't made up her mind and that Romney just might be her guy.