Romney denies talks on deal with Paul

WASHINGTON, March 15 (UPI) -- Mitt Romney Thursday denied he and U.S. GOP presidential rival Ron Paul have discussed a deal for Romney to get support from Paul convention delegates.

Amid reports that the two campaigns have talked about Paul releasing his delegates to Romney in exchange for considerations -- possibly including a spot for Paul's son on the Republican ticket as vice presidential nominee -- Romney said Thursday no such talks have been held, The Hill reported.

Ron Paul, a member of Congress from Texas, is a libertarian Republican. His son, Rand Paul, is a freshman U.S. senator from Kentucky.

"Ron Paul is a very independent sort as you know," Romney told a Fox News Radio interviewer. "We have only seen each other briefly in halls; we have never had a sit-down discussion."

The former Massachusetts governor said he will support the Republican presidential nominee, no matter who the party chooses at its convention in August in Tampa, Fla.

"There are four of us on the stage, I will support whoever our nominee is, I will go to work and help whether it is Newt Gingrich, or Rick Santorum or Ron Paul," he said. "I want one of these people to replace Barack Obama; I think I am the best person to do that."

Romney -- who has been generally regarded as the front-runner for the GOP nomination -- has been amassing convention delegates during the primary season but runs the risk of heading into the convention without having first secured the 1,144 delegates required to clinch the nomination.