WASHINGTON and WOLFEBORO, N.H. -- The veepstakes speculation just got more fuel.

The Romney campaign today officially announced its swing-state bus tour beginning Saturday. It will start in Virginia; then head to North Carolina Sunday, the day the Olympics conclude; Florida Monday, Aug. 13; and end in Ohio Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Potential vice-presidential picks will be making appearances.

NBC's Alex Moe reports that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) will join Romney on the first leg of the tour in Virginia. 

NBC's Andrew Rafferty reports that Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), a veep front runner, will join Romney in Ohio.

*** UPDATE *** Marco Rubio will join Romney on part of the Florida leg of the bus tour.

Today, Romney huddled with top aides, including chief strategist Stu Stevens, and Beth Myers, head of the VP search process, for more than two hours at his lakeside home on Monday. Also present -- senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom and Policy Director Lanhee Chen.

One aide described the meeting as a strategy session, and denied that the vice-presidential selection was discussed.

It's possible a Romney vice-presidential pick is made on the bus tour, but it's also possible that it is designed to create buzz and excitement around the campaign and a VP selection is announced after it.

The Tampa Bay Times gets some of the names of speakers at the Republican convention, including some thought-to-be veep possibles. Does this cross them off? Among the names: Condoleezza Rice, Nikki Haley, Mike Huckabee, Susana Martinez. (Also announced: Rick Scott, John McCain, and John Kasich.)

AP: “Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin are both big names in the party believed to be among those Romney is weighing for the vice presidential slot or for the keynote address. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio also were noticeably absent from the slate of announced speakers and may be contenders for running mate. If passed over for the vice presidential pick, there is a very good chance they would earn speaking slots — if not the keynote. The speakers already announced suggest where Romney is looking to make progress as voters start to pay attention to the fall campaign. The all-important female vote clearly is a priority….”

The New York Times’ Shear looks at possible timing – why and why not.

AYOTTE: NPR looks at the benefits of picking her: “[I]f any senator could be said to possess a refreshing charm, it might be Ayotte, 44, a mother of two young children, who still lives in her hometown of Nashua and is married to a former combat pilot. Factor in her staunch right-of-center views and her landslide win in 2010 and you can see why Ayotte is now a draw at national conservative events.”

JINDAL: He likes Paul Ryan for veep.

RYAN: Byron York pushes back against the idea that Ryan would be a good pick for Romney: “In the last few days, there’s been new talk about Paul Ryan in the who’s-in-who’s-out game of speculation over Mitt Romney’s vice presidential pick.  The speculation is striking, because of the four candidates mentioned most often — Ryan, Rob Portman, Marco Rubio, and Tim Pawlenty — Ryan is the choice that would fundamentally change the direction of the Romney campaign.  How?  By instantly elevating the Ryan budget plan to the top of the Romney agenda.  Whether that change would be to Romney’s liking is very much an open question.”

He closes this way: “Of course, Democrats are going to bash Romney on spending cuts and Medicare reform regardless of what he does.  Since that is inevitable, say Ryan supporters, why not put the plan’s most articulate defender, Paul Ryan himself, on the ticket?  One reason would be that Mitt Romney has shown no inclination to make the Ryan plan the centerpiece of his campaign.  Perhaps that’s what he’s planning — perhaps he planned all along to run on jobs until mid-August, only to pivot to entitlement reform for the rest of the campaign.  But that’s not likely.”

NBC's Alex Moe contributed to this report.

Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images file

Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio has been mentioned as a possible vice preisdential pick for Mitt Romney.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, on Friday said he was not trying to distance himself from former President George W. Bush when he said he was "frustrated" during his time as budget director.

Portman, who served as Bush's director of management and budget for a little over a year, told The Hill newspaper, “I was frustrated when I was there about some spending issues — specifically, as you know, I wanted to offer a balanced budget over five years, and a lot of people didn’t." The comments pointed to an attempt by the Ohio senator, thought of as a top prospect to be chosen as Mitt Romney's running mate, to distance himself from his association with the younger Bush.

But speaking to reporters after touring the Ohio State Fair on Friday, Portman dismissed the notion.

"I've said that for years, ever since I was at OMB," said Portman. "It's a frustrating job, it's probably the toughest job in Washington. And by the way, my frustration continues. Im extremely frustrated. In the Senate, we're not doing what we ought to be doing."

One of the most frequently cited reasons why the Buckeye State senator may not be asked to join the national ticket is his connection to the Bush administration, which Democrats have continued to point to as a reason behind the sluggish economic recovery. When addressing new jobs numbers released Friday, President Barack Obama said, "We’re not going to get to where we need to be if we go back to the policies that helped to create this mess in the first place."

Asked if it was fair to draw a link between him and the Bush years, Portman would only say that is "proud" of his time as U.S. trade representative and budget director.

The possible GOP vice presidential nominee remains busy this weekend stumping for Romney throughout his home state. And at the state fair, the Ohioans he spoke to were just as interested as the media about his political future. Some hoped he could work to represent the country on a national level, others telling him that Ohio needs him to stay.

Portman maintains that no one from the Romney campaign has tipped him off as to when a VP announcement could come. "They keep that very close hold," he told reporters. When asked what role he might play in the Romney campaign, he said, "I don't know" and talked about how focused he is on the state of Ohio.

And while the freshman senator has been criticized for being relatively unknown, even in his own state, the VP buzz may be helping out a bit. A steady stream of people were interested in meeting Portman, others doing double takes as he walked by.

"They're probably wondering why I'm walking around with a donut hamburger," he said.

Portman sampled the donut hamburger before the deep fried buckeyes but after the pork loin sandwich.

CHRISTIE: The closer… “Surrounded by the biggest names in Republican politics last night, Mitt Romney knew which one could hit it out of the park for him. ‘Here’s Chris Christie,’” the Star Ledger writes. “Romney told a crowd packed into a high school gym 20 minutes outside of Aspen. ‘Normally I’d start with him. But he’s a big closer. He knows how to just nail any topic.’ After nine other GOP governors spoke, Christie stood up to the most raucous cheers and — despite his famed outspokenness — began to calmly explain what he sees as the fundamental problem with Barack Obama’s presidency.”

The Asbury Park Press editorial page, (a paper in a pretty conservative area): “Gov. Chris Christie has made a whole lot of noise in the past about the evils of patronage in government jobs. Of course, most any new leader beats similar drums when inheriting layers of other-party personnel, most of whom by definition are viewed as unqualified bums. But Christie seemed for a time to be almost genuine in that belief, among other things calling for widespread reforms and consolidations to streamline piles of semi-autonomous agencies and authorities littering the New Jersey landscape with unnecessary payroll burdens. That, however, was before he started establishing for himself his own patronage pit — the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.”

PORTMAN: Portman trying to distance himself from Bush is being picked up in a lot of places, starting in an interview with The Hill. Here’s USA Today, the New York Daily News, the Cincinnati Enquirer (where he also says he hasn’t downloaded the veep app), and Politico.

RYAN: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that “if Ryan is on the Republican ticket, it would make ‘the southeastern part of the state probably more competitive,’ but that Obama retains great strength throughout Wisconsin.” And: “Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, added: ‘If Romney puts Ryan on the ticket, it puts the Ryan budget on the ticket, which means this will be a referendum on radical cuts to all those things that have helped people through tough economic times.’”

Battle of the nerds: Peter Orzsag is challenging Paul Ryan to show how his budget would lower health care costs.

ASPEN, CO -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has some advice for Mitt Romney: choose a running mate who is anti-abortion.

“If you're voting for somebody at the top of the ticket who's pro-life, and vice presidents often – not always, but often – wind up succeeding to leadership of the party, if not leadership of the country," Christie said, "You know, people want some consistency in that regard."

Romney, whose views on abortion have become more conservative since he first expressed them during his 1994 Senate run, is opposed to abortion -- except, he has said, in cases of rape and incest and when the life of the mother is in danger.

Christie delivered his remarks during a Q & A with several Republican governors Wednesday evening. The event, held beneath a large tent and hosted by the Aspen Institute, followed meetings earlier Wednesday of the Republican Governors Association here in this upscale resort city.

“Do I think it’s possible? I think it’s possible,” Christie said of the possibility of Romney picking a running mate who supports abortion rights. “Do I think it’s likely? No. And do I think it’s advisable? No. I wouldn’t do it.”

That standard would not seem to eliminate many top-tier names from the list of Romney’s potential running mates – aside from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has described her views as “mildly pro-choice.”

Christie did not name Rice, though he praised Republicans for what he said are more permissive attitudes toward divergent views inside the party.

“The Democratic Party won’t even let someone who’s pro-life speak at their convention,” Christie said, referring to former Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey, who said in 1992 he was denied a speaking slot because of his views on abortion rights.

He also said Romney hadn't called on him for advice on the closely-watched decision.

“You know, again, this is going to be Governor Romney's choice,” he continued, adding, "he can choose whoever he wants. If he asks for my advice, I'd give him my advice on it. He hasn't asked for my advice on who he's going to pick for vice president yet.”

Wednesday’s panel included four other high-profile governors: Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Bob McDonnell of Virginia, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.

“With Mitt Romney back in the U.S., the chattering classes are turning their attention to the next milestone in the general election race: the unveiling of the Republican candidate’s running mate,” the New York Daily News. “Politicos are circling August 10 on their calendars, when CNN reports Romney will roll out on a four-day bus tour of key swing states. The tentative schedule includes stops in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. The campaign is also looking at possible stops in Ohio, CNN said.”

Politico: “Veepstakes: What if Romney rolled the dice?” “When it comes to the veepstakes, the conventional wisdom is pretty well set: Rob Portman, Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal. Those in the know, or who pretend to be in the know, generally agree that Mitt Romney — a cautious politician running a risk-averse campaign — will probably choose his running mate from that group of oft-discussed, fairly widely accepted short-listers. But why not a surprise pick — a wild-card choice that could help Romney in battleground states or with particular demographics that some of the current favorites couldn’t?”

It notes that other Republicans have bucked the traditional-pick trend – not just McCain – Dole picked Jack Kemp, H.W. Bush picked Dan Quayle. The wildcards Politico lists: Michael Bloomberg, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Meg Whitman, Chris Christie, Susana Martinez, David Petraeus.

AYOTTE: “Earlier this week, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte hit up Nashua, New Hampshire to stump against sequestration, but as the Boston Herald notes, some Republicans thought the pairing was a bad, political move,” GOP 12 writes. “‘I’m not sure if you’re Kelly Ayotte you want John McCain mentioning you on the short list. If it weren’t for Sarah Palin, I believe there would be much more interest in Kelly Ayotte,’ said Patrick Griffin, a Republican consultant who worked for both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns.”

PAWLENTY: Did Tim Pawlenty steal his foam/beer analogy from another Minnesota politico on the other side of the aisle?  MN Public Radio has a striking discovery.

PORTMAN: He’s trying to re-write history a bit and distance himself from Bush: “Alexander Bolton reports on The Hill's exclusive interview with Rob Portman, in which the top Veep prospect talks about being "frustrated" during his time as George W. Bush's budget director,” GOP 12 writes. From The Hill: “Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who served as former President George W. Bush’s budget director, sought this week to distance himself from his former boss by saying he was ‘frustrated’ in the high-profile post. .... ‘I was frustrated when I was there about some spending issues — specifically, as you know, I wanted to offer a balanced budget over five years, and a lot of people didn’t,’ he said in the interview, noting the decision to submit a balanced budget was ultimately the president’s. ‘I prevailed. The president sent his budget — not my budget, his budget — a five-year balanced budget. But it was a fight, internally.’”

Let’s just remember here: Portman owes his political career to the Bushes more than anyone or anything else.

RUBIO: He’ll be in Orlando, FL, today for a Romney rally.

The Miami Herald reports that Rubio's PAC will be very active in supporting candidates this fall. And he also had this to say about the new Romney VP app: "I think it's pretty cool. I think it's a good way to announce it," said Rubio, who will be campaigning on Romney's behalf tomorrow in Orlando. Rubio was mum on any other questions surrounding the pick, though. And as for the question whether he has enough experience to be vice president? "I get more experience every day," he said.

He will also throw a Tampa fundraiser the first night of the RNC convention, Politico reports, dubbed “Paint the Senate Red Fundraising Bash.”

Buzzfeed lists off five republicans still pushing for Rubio, but The Hill reports on one GOP senator who thinks his time has not yet come.

And press release: Rubio wants to eliminate taxes for the compensation US Olympic athletes earn for medaling. “Our tax code is a complicated and burdensome mess that too often punishes success, and the tax imposed on Olympic medal winners is a classic example of this madness,” said Rubio. “Athletes representing our nation overseas in the Olympics shouldn’t have to worry about an extra tax bill waiting for them back home.

RYAN: S.E. Cupp likes Paul Ryan.

His name has certainly continued to gain attention for VP lately and today he got the backing of fmr. George W. Bush’s speechwriter who notes: “There are certainly other outstanding picks Romney could make. But if Romney decides to pick someone in the mold of Dick Cheney – someone that combines Cheney’s gravitas with Cheney’s conservative credibility – he could not go wrong with Paul Ryan.”

“Vice President Buzz Around Paul Ryan Swells To Crescendo,” Mediaite writes in a wrap up.

NBC’s Alex Moe and Andrew Rafferty contributed to this report.

“Mitt Romney will embark on a multi-state bus tour on Aug. 10, a campaign aide confirmed Tuesday, setting off a new round of speculation over the presumptive GOP nominee’s choice of a running mate,” the Washington Post writes. “A campaign aide could not immediately confirm what states Romney is expected to visit on the trip. According to CNN, the bus tour will take Romney to the Washington area as well as Richmond and Norfolk, Va., on Aug. 11. The next day, Romney is expected to hit the swing state of North Carolina, with the final leg of the tour expected to bring him to Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami, Fla., on the last day of the London Olympics.”

Romney will announce his veep pick on a new app. The campaign has set up a web site for it here. On it, it says, “There’s no telling when Mitt will choose his VP. But when he does, be the first to find out with Mitt’s VP app. Share with friends and earn exclusive campaign gear.”

CHRISTIE: From The Star Ledger: “Gov. Chris Christie today applauded the state Legislature's passage of a measure that lets voters decide whether judges have to contribute more to their pensions.”

MCDONNELL: The Virginia governor of Obama: “That hope and change message is now division and fear and recession. It's blaming other people."

Per The Washington Times: McDonnell “said the rise of the tea party and Rep. Ron Paul’s supporters within the Republican Party will push the GOP platform this year to focus more on matters such as the deficit and constitutional liberties.”

PORTMAN: Politico’s Martin writes that Portman is a Bush man -- a HW Bush man, that is.

RUBIO: “Bill O'Reilly broke down the leading Veep contenders last night and concluded that Marco Rubio would help Mitt Romney the most,” GOP 12 writes. “BUT... Bill-O warned that Democrats would attack him like they did Sarah Palin.”

RYAN: A must-read profile in the New Yorker of Paul Ryan by Ryan Lizza.

NBC’s Alex Moe and Andrew Rafferty contributed to this report.

TAMPA, Fla. -- South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) called on government contractors to put employees on layoff notice before November's election as a way to pressure Congress to address the so-called "fiscal cliff."

Graham, joined by Republican Sens. John McCain (AZ) and Kelly Ayotte (NH), were in Florida for their first stop on a  two-day, four-state tour by these three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee designed to bring attention to the $500 billion in automatic cuts scheduled to begin in January if Congress does not find other ways to cut spending.

“Politicians, you know, quite frankly respond to pressure,” Graham said about the  cuts set to begin in 2013 under the so-called sequestration budget.

“I’m urging every defense industry that could be affected by sequestration to put your employees on notice before November,” he continued. “The more it becomes real to us as to what comes the nation’s way, the more likely we are to solve the problem.”

Graham delivered the remarks inside a University of South Florida auditorium here in Tampa this morning to an audience of military veterans, academics, and defense contractors.

Some in the audience were linked to nearby MacDill Air Force base, a sprawling installation housing the U.S. Central Command, the organization that oversees America’s military activity in the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

“There is gridlock in Washington,” McCain said as he warmed the crowd shortly after taking the podium. “I don’t need to tell you that.  It’s hard these days, trying to do the Lord’s work in the city of Satan.”

The line won laughs, but much of the humor today was strictly of the gallows variety.

Before the event began, audience members mingled and expressed satisfaction that South Florida’s defense industry was being recognized.

“I think they’re playing politics with peoples’ lives,” Donna S. Huneycutt, the executive vice president of a small government consulting firm, said of Congress in an interview. 

Huneycutt said she has a staff of 62 people, and nearly had to lay people off last year as a result of earlier budget cuts.

“I’d like to see both sides come to the table and compromise,” she said.

McCain, Graham, and Ayotte called for a bipartisan solution to the crisis.

They signaled they would break with other Republicans and would accept closing loopholes in the tax code in return for concessions from Democrats, including cuts to entitlement programs.

“We shouldn’t put our troops in this position,” Ayotte said. “We shouldn’t put our military feeling like they have the sword of Damocles hanging over their head.”

Ayotte, the wife of a retired Air National Guard pilot who flew combat missions over Iraq, is a buzzed-about prospect for the number-two slot on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s ticket and is rumored to be on his short list.

The town hall tour was scheduled to make stops later today in Fayetteville, NC and Norfolk, VA – also home to key military communities.

The tour will wrap Tuesday morning in Merrimack, NH at a facility for the defense contractor BAE Systems.