The following is a portion of the text from the Senator’s remarks earlier today.

I know I have a responsibility, if I am, as I hope to be, the Republican nominee for President, to unite the party and prepare for the great contest in November. And I am acutely aware that I cannot succeed in that endeavor, nor can our party prevail over the challenge we will face from either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, without the support of dedicated conservatives, whose convictions, creativity and energy have been indispensible to the success our party has had over the last quarter century. Many of you have disagreed strongly with some positions I have taken in recent years. I understand that. I might not agree with it, but I respect it for the principled position it is. And it is my sincere hope that even if you believe I have occasionally erred in my reasoning as a fellow conservative, you will still allow that I have, in many ways important to all of us, maintained the record of a conservative. Further, I hope you will grant that I have defended many positions we share just as ardently as I have made my case for positions that have provoked your opposition. If not, thank you for this opportunity to make my case today.

This video picks up at roughly the half way point of the speech:

I watched this speech live today and thought the Senator did a respectable job of presenting his case at CPAC.

While he has broad support among moderate Republicans and Independents, we will need to see if this speech and his presumptive nomination begin to sway the base to rally behind him.

One would hope so given the alternatives.

*Update: This from Mark Noonan who was in attendance at CPAC today:

Romney’s speech was excellent - a clear, concise explanation of what America faces and why it is time for all to unite behind the man who is our chance to keep Obama/Hillary - and their destructive and divisive policies - out of the White House. Romney has shown himself a good patriot, and made himself the most logical pick for McCain’s Vice President.

McCain’s speech was well-received except by a few, scattered Paul supporters. The McCain supporters were, naturally, on fire for their man, while the Romney supporters were in a “we’ve got to win” mood, and thus seemed willing to give McCain his chance. In the substance of McCain’s speech was two main things: a litany of conservative principles he’ll adhere to (low taxes, spending reform, winning the war, etc) as well as a re-affirmation that he does, indeed, have people who disagree with him and with whom he disagrees, but that disagreements should not lead us to shoot ourselves in the foot in November. To these sentiments I offer my heartfelt agreement.

Read the rest here.