Christie Was This Close to Being VP Pick

It's no secret that Chris Christie was a serious contender to be Mitt Romney's VP candidate, but Politico today sheds some light on just how close he came. In fact, Christie was Romney's "first choice," and the candidate nearly pulled the trigger in late July, write Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei. But Romney apparently cooled on the idea while at the Olympics in London and decided on Paul Ryan instead.

Romney admired Christie as a "street fighter," but advisers worried those same qualities would make him a lousy No. 2. Christie also showed up late for joint events, which rankled the efficient Romney operation. After the Ryan pick, relations didn't improve with Christie's me-centric convention speech, and now, of course, he's grown tighter with President Obama over Sandy response. "If Romney wins, it won't be forgotten,” says a Romney adviser. Cue ominous music, and read the full story here. (More Election 2012 stories.)