Loser Romney drops out with parting shot at Putin

Mitt Romney has abandoned his campaign to be the Republican Presidential candidate, leaving the road to the nomination wide open for John McCain. As he pulled out of the race Romney said the U.S. should end its dependence on foreign energy. He also named

There were signs that if he had won power, Russia would have been one of a list of countries on his hit-list.

“It is time for us to invest in energy technology, nuclear power, clean coal, liquid coal, renewable sources and energy efficiency. America must never be held hostage by the likes of Putin, Chavez and Ahmadinejad,” he said.

Romney says he was guided by a higher cause but cynics call it a move to save face, after a less than stellar performance on Super Tuesday.

“If I fought on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. If this were only about me, I would go on,” Romney said.

Romney is not the first Republican to call it quits. Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani have also left, leaving John McCain as the clear frontrunner.

However, on the Democrat side the picture is far from clear. So far, Obama's message of hope and change has proved just as loud and powerful as Hillary's drum beating about her experience.

Polls indicate the competition will remain tight until the end.