Hunt begins for ‘exciting’ Romney running mate

With Mitt Romney now all but assured of winning the Republican nomination, he embarks on one of his critical quests of the campaign: finding a running mate who can help him defeat President Barack Obama.

Romney took a huge step toward securing the role of flagbearer when rival Rick Santorum bowed out of the race Tuesday, and the chatter about who gets the nod from the former governor of Massachusetts has taken flight.

He quickly sought to dispel the notion that he might rush to find a partner for the ticket — not after the controversy over Sarah Palin, who was John McCain’s surprise running mate in their 2008 loss to Obama.