Mitt Romney- Conservative Choice Quits Race For President!! ...Update: Crowd Boos Mention of McCain!

Damn.
The rumors were true.
Mitt Romney suspends campaign!!

Video from Pundital.
The favorite of conservatives, Mitt Romney, is addressing CPAC today.
Laura Ingraham introduces Mitt as "The Conservative's Conservative."

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney shakes hands with campaign staff after his "Super Tuesday" primary election night rally in Boston, February 5, 2008. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

FOX News has the live video running from the CPAC Conference.
CSPAN does too but it is hard to get a reception.
** There are rumors today the Mitt Romney is quitting the race.

Mitt Romney has his entire family attending the CPAC conference today. He is giving a tremendous speech. "The best ally peace has ever known and will ever know is a strong America. The threat on our society comes from within..."

TIME is reporting:

Plans to say during CPAC speech: “If I fight 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 (Barack) Obama would win...”

The crowd just booed the speaker who mentioned that Mitt's main opponent is speaking later today.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, right, and his wife Ann wave after Romney made a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference that he is dropping out of the Presidential race on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Michelle Malkin and HotAir's Bryan Preston are liveblogging from the convention.
TIME has the transcript:

...This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters… many of you right here in this room… have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country.

I will continue to stand for conservative principles; I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face evil extremism!!

It is the common task of each generation—and the burden of liberty—to preserve this country, expand its freedoms and renew its spirit so that its noble past is prologue to its glorious future.

To this task… accepting this burden… we are all dedicated, and I firmly believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed beyond our fondest hope. America must remain, as it has always been, the hope of the earth.

Mitt Romney was a class act throughout all of the attacks from the Left and especially the Right during this difficult campaign season.
God Bless Governor Romney.

All eyes on McCain-- If McCain goes on stage later and plays staunch conservative- look for a boo-fest.

UPDATE: More thoughts-- A Brilliant Speech-- Romney absolutely blasted Hillary & Obama by making his final act about the Democrat's dangerous policies and not his struggling campaign. Mitt also gets the last word in on smooth-talker Huckabee who has been attacking him (for his money) for weeks.
Mitt Romney comes out the hero to conservatives and America.

Pajamas has more on Mitt's swift and graceful exit.

UPDATE 2: The Left goes on an unhinged radio rampage over Mitt's campaign.