Thune to attend Romney event Saturday

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Sen. John Thune is attending an event Saturday in Utah that is being billed by some as a vice-presidential showcase.

Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is hosting the “Romney Victory Founding Members Retreat” at the Chateaux in Park City, Utah. Park City is a ski resort city and the Chateau is one of the finest hotels there.

Among the “special guests” at the retreat, in addition to Thune, are Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“I was invited to come and appear on a panel,” Thune said Thursday. “It’s a lot of his close supporters. They wanted to give us, who have supported him and appeared as surrogates, an opportunity to meet and thank them. I’ve been invited and my wife and I are going to go.”

He will take part in discussions on the presidential campaign and will serve on a panel. “I don’t view it as any kind of an audition,” Thune said.

He said he and Romney, whom he campaigned with in Iowa, still talk from time to time.

“Not on that subject,” Thune said.

He feels there are other VP candidates who are far more likely to get the nod from Romney.

“Most of the names of the people who have been mentioned are people I have high regard for,” Thune said. “I’m a big fan of a lot of people on that list.”

He said he expects to be working in the Senate, “hopefully with President Romney,” in 2013.

But Thune, who said he doesn’t aspire to be vice president, said he isn’t removing himself from consideration.

“I’m not closing the door on anything,” he said. “If you want to make a difference in public life, you don’t close doors.”

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