The flirtations with Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman appear to be over:

Senator John McCain has narrowed his list of potential running mates to a handful of candidates and appears unlikely to select anyone who supports abortion rights, several advisers close to his campaign said on Thursday.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota are the top candidates as Mr. McCain and his advisers gather over the next several days at Mr. McCain�s cabin near Sedona, they said.

There are many theories of what Maverick was up to, floating the names of pro-choicers last week. Perhaps it was serious, perhaps just an effort to “soften up” Christian conservatives who might have had reservations about Romney. A big question, in my mind, is whether Romney would actually help McCain win Michigan.