(Image Source: Wikipedia/Senate.gov)

BY GARY GRIGSBY

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

When they ran against each other four years ago -- John McCain and Mitt Romney weren’t exactly the best of political friends.

But fast forward one presidential election cycle -- and -- well let’s just say -- times have changed. Here’s the video from CNN.

MCCAIN: “I am really here for one reason only, and that is to make sure that we make Mitt Romney the next president of the United States of America.  And New Hampshire, New Hampshire,  is the state that will catapult him on to victory in a very short period of time.”

Few in the media were surprised by the McCain-Romney lovefest in New Hampshire.  But on Fox News’ Happening Now, Tea Partiers say McCain and Romney are too similar.

MATT KIBBE: “Well, I think we’re in a transition.  We’re still fighting with the old Republican establishment who thinks it’s good enough to nominate people like John McCain.”   

Although McCain made it seem as if he and Romney are long-time buddies in his endorsement speech -- Politico notes in 2007, it was a different story.

“When he ran for office in Massachusetts being a Republican wasn't much of a priority for him. In fact, when he ran against Ted Kennedy, he said he didn't want to return to the days of Reagan-Bush.”

At that time, he called Romney a “creature of Washington” and accused him of being a flip-flopper and of holding views...

“‘...out of the mainstream, at least in my view, of conservative Republican thought’...”

Conservative magazine The Weekly Standard notes -- fellow candidate Jon Huntsman called McCain’s endorsement, the “establishment piling on”. He told reporters...

“You can get all the Doles and all the McCains in the world, as Romney probably will. But in the end, nobody cares.”

The New Hampshire primary is set for Tuesday.