Report: Chris Christie to keynote GOP convention

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(CBS News) Chris Christie is poised to deliver the Republican convention's keynote address in Tampa next month, some GOP leaders leaked Wednesday morning - a report which, if true, would effectively wipe the New Jersey governor from shortlists speculating Mitt Romney's VP pick.

One top party activist told the New York Post that Christie will speak Tuesday night of the convention, Aug. 28. "They're saying he's the keynoter," the source said.

But Christie himself, in Washington, D.C. for a fundraiser on Wednesday, told an NBC reporter he's "gotten no invitation to do anything like that." Convention press secretary Kyle Downey told CBS News that no decisions on the program have been finalized.

The report comes just as rumors had begun to resurrect about the famously candid Christie as a viable contender to be Romney's running mate. Historically, though, the convention's keynote speaker almost always appears on a separate night from the vice presidential nominee.

Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul, echoing a comment she made to CBS News on Monday about whether Sarah Palin would be granted podium time at the convention, said of the Christie buzz Wednesday on MSNBC: "You'll have to stay tuned."

[hhandyman]

Christie your ice is on its way south for your drink.. via the seaway from Iceland that berg is the size of Manhattan should be about right by the time it makes it to Miami

[B_Ha]

all the stupid remarks about his weight just go to show what shallow hipocrites all you dem libs are. grown up or shut up.

[MaryMcQuire]

I thought the GOP was trying to play down their "Fat Cat" image?

[Jaylah54200]

What? Not Airhead Palin? Oh man, she's gonna be piiiiiiiiiissed.

[john satterfield]

Hmm, fat, ugly and obnoxious...excellent choice for the face of the GOP!

[82ndairbornediv]

He'll turn down the VP nomination for a dozen chili dogs.

[bagberry]

The news media doesn't understand that you have to get two or more sources. They are so lazy that they just report rumors. The old main streamers are truly out to lunch and that is why no one believes anything they say. Like trying to explain away Obama's moment of truth yesterday when he wasn't on a teleprompter and showed us how far left the guy really is. My gosh!!! He is really out there. No wonder Chavez likes him so much.

[winemaster2]

Chris Christie the baby elephant, a bull in a china shop is what these malignant narcissists, chronic scape-goating, incorrigible grab bagging, conservative republicans, with their perversity of inequality, bigotry, racism, institutional discrimination, rights only of their kind, their perpetual lies, needs for world at large to see. Their ultimate stupidity, downright lunacy.

Along with this overfed, buffoon, the ugly AZ hag Brewer, the nit wit Palin mata hari, Limbaugh, Hannity, Ann Coulter, and the thin lipped uptight, control freak, with a cork up his rear end,the high priest of the Mormon Church Willard Mitt, with his Bain albatross around his neck will do the trick to bury them once for all.

That ought to do the trick to rid them for this nation to move on, get its right bearing, curb the ideological divide, control the polarization, and put a halt to the fast track self destruction from within.

High time the people to wake up and realize what this indoctrinated conservative republican greed creed menace is all about.

[Eugene2012]

Is Weight Watchers going to sponsor the time allocated for Gov. Christie's speech?

[RollotheNorman]

Hey that's great news for the Dems. What's Christie gonna say? Gonna threaten to send some guys around if you don't vote RepubliCON?