McCain boosts Romney's campaign war chest

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is getting support from his former Republican rival for the presidential nomination Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Romney, with an eye to a possible 2012 presidential run, is touring the country on fundraising junkets and got an $80,000 boost Wednesday night in Phoenix, partly because of McCain's name on the invitations, The Boston Globe reported from Washington.

McCain was in Washington and didn't attend the $300-per-plate event, but his name on the invitation was instrumental in drawing more people to Romney's event, the newspaper said.

The two men exchanged acrimonious barbs during the 2008 primary battles that saw McCain go on to unsuccessfully challenge Barack Obama for the U.S. presidency.

In an interview, McCain told the newspaper his support this week was "certainly not a preference for the nominee."

When Romney showed poorly in the Super Tuesday nominations, he threw his support behind McCain, which the senator said wasn't forgotten.

"Every time our campaign asked him to go someplace or do something, he was always ready and willing to do it for us,'' McCain told the Globe.