Romney defends McCain, parries VP talk

In his latest TV appearance on John McCain's behalf, Mitt Romney this afternoon gave full defenses of McCain on healthcare and a gaffe by a top adviser, but shied from any vice presidential talk.

Pressed during an interview on MSNBC on whether he might be on the Republican ticket, Romney refused to speculate on what he called the VP "sweepstakes."

"He's got terrific people to choose from," the former Massachusetts governor said, adding later. "I'm just going to stay away from that."

He had no such reticence in promoting McCain's healthcare plan and disputing Elizabeth Edwards, wife of 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards, who said on MSNBC just before Romney appeared that McCain's proposal would wreck the current employer-based system.

Romney said McCain only wants to give people the option to buy their own coverage, with a $5,000 tax credit, and take it with them from job to job. Now, employers get a tax break to help them offer insurance to workers.

Romney also said while he supports the healthcare plan he pushed through in Massachusetts, McCain wants to let each state craft their own plan to meet their needs.

"I like what we did in Massachusetts for Massachusetts," he said, though during the Republican primaries, he distanced himself from some elements of the plan that rubbed conservatives the wrong way.

Romney, who has been one of McCain's most active surrogates on the campaign trail, also downplayed adviser Charlie Black's comments that another terrorist strike in the United States would boost McCain's election chances.

Romney said strategy talk has "very little" to do with McCain's stout anti-terror policies, which he said voters want.

UPDATE: On CNN, Romney disavowed "that kind of political punditry," referring to Black's comments.

"It's an unthinkable scenario," he said.

He repeated that candidates should not be characterized by punditry, but by their policies.