Mitt Romney for President 2012

Raise your hand if you're surprised by this news.  Me, I'd have though Romney would endorse sooner, as his commitment to a GOP victory this November appears to be genuine.

This is unequivocal good news for Romney supporters though (at least those who, like Mitt, want to see McCain be the strongest candidate he can be).  Huckabee, while still without a shred of hope of winning the nomination, has turned out to be a thornier and more self-serving obstacle than previously judged.

Given that much if not most of Romney's ballot support seems to have gone to Huckabee, this endorsement should help finish him off.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to endorse U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who was Romney's rival in the Republican race for the White House, two sources familiar with the decision told CNN Thursday.

They said Romney wants the 286 delegates he won to go to McCain, who now has 827 delegates, and is the Republican front-runner.

To clinch the Republican nomination 1,191 are needed.

An announcement is expected at 3:30 p.m. ET in Boston.

Romney dropped out of the race Feb. 7, after a poor showing on Super Tuesday. He said he pulled the plug on his Republican presidential campaign "for our party and for our country."

Continuing his campaign would have delayed the Republicans from shifting attention to the general election campaign against whichever Democrat wins the nomination of their party, he said at the time.