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Rove: Romney "close to a decision" on VP

Karl Rove at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, April 12, 2011. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

(CBS News) Former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove said he thinks Mitt Romney is "close to a decision" on his running mate and suggested the announcement "could come as early as Friday", though he added "it's more likely to come next week."

"We could get one on Friday because they've got a bus tour announced for four days in key battleground states that starts on Saturday," Rove said during an interview with Fox News Tuesday.

"My gut tells me though that it's more likely to come next week. I think Romney is going to spend this bus tour laying out ... the grassroots plan that he laid out last week, called the 'Plan for the Middle Class.' I think he's going to try to give that some depth and substance."

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"But who knows? I think he's close to a decision. He is clearly being very serious in his approach to this. My gut tells me that it's going to come a little bit later than this week, but it could come as early as Friday," Rove added.

When asked who he thought Romney would choose, he said he wouldn't hazard a guess, especially given his unsuccessful track record of not being able to predict past nominees Sarah Palin, Joe Biden, Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman.

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