BREAKING: Top Republicans close to the Romney campaign tell@ABC Mitt Romney has chosen Paul Ryan to be his VP.http://abcn.ws/RHxeBD
ABC News 
2:20 AM - 11 Aug 12 via web · Details
Top Republicans Say Romney Has Picked Ryan for VP
NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 11, 2012
Top Republicans close to Mitt Romney's campaign tell ABC News Romney has chosen Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate.
The Romney campaign would not comment on Romney's decision but said it will be announced Saturday morning in Norfolk, Va.
Watch the latest on a special edition of "Nightline" at 2:35 a.m. ET.
Romney, who has several events planned Saturday in Virginia, a crucial swing state, will announce his running mate during a stop at the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Va., starting at 8:45 a.m.
The name of the ship raised speculation that Romney's pick could beRyan, 42, a seven-term Republican from Janesville, Wis., known as a fiscal conservative.
In fact, multiple top Republican operatives close to the Romney campaign told ABC News they believed Romney had chosen Ryan to be his running mate.
Meanwhile, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, called ABC News late Friday to say he is in Columbus, Ohio, and will be doing a 100-mile bike ride on Saturday in his home state, not attending a vice presidential announcement in Norfolk, Va.
AP Photo/Steven Senne, File
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ABC News has learned that at least two other possible vice presidential candidates have been called by Mitt Romney and told they have not been chosen. Romney did not tell either of them who he had picked.
Other names on Romney's short list also appeared to be out of contention.
ABC News saw Tim Pawlenty in downtown Manchester, N.H., and not heading to the airport. He told ABC News that he will not be in Virginia today and is not Romney's vice presidential pick. He said he knew the identity of the pick but would not reveal it.
"I didn't enter this thinking I would be the VP candidate so I'm not disappointed," Pawlenty said. "I'm excited about [Romney's] candidacy and I'm excited about having him as president."
Incidentally, Tagg Romney, Mitt Romney's son, was with both Ryan and Pawlenty on Friday, ABC News has learned.
ABC News also has learned Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is not going to be the vice presidential candidate.
The location of the event in Virginia raised the possibility that the pick could be Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, another name that has surfaced as Romney's vice presidential selection process has proceeded. McDonnell has been slated to appear at campaign events today alongside Romney.
Late Friday, McDonnell would not tell ABC News whether or not he was Romney's pick.
"I guess we'll have to stay tuned and see tomorrow," he said. "You know, there's only a couple people that know and that's Mitt Romney, so we'll find out tomorrow."
The news of Romney's impending announcement first broke via Twitter, when Romney's communications director, Gail Gitcho, tweeted, "@MittRomney will announce his VP pick tomorrow in Norfolk. Download the VP app to be the first to know. mi.tt/Mitt-VP."
