Schwarzenegger to endorse McCain today

? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will endorse John McCain today, giving a boost to the Republican presidential front-runner six days before California’s high-prize primary.

Schwarzenegger’s endorsement of McCain is yet another setback for Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who saw Florida slip from his grasp Tuesday after McCain rolled up the support of that state’s two top elected Republicans, Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez.

His strategy in tatters, Romney plans to offer himself as the conservative alternative to McCain as he pushes ahead in hopes of winning enough delegates to topple the Arizona senator when 21 states vote in the Republican contest on Tuesday.

Schwarzenegger’s move comes as McCain plows toward the nomination, the only Republican candidate to have won three hotly contested primaries – New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida – since voting began earlier this month.

“Governor Schwarzenegger is an exceptional governor and we are honored that he has decided to endorse Senator McCain, and look forward to the event tomorrow,” said Steve Schmidt, a senior McCain adviser who managed Schwarzenegger’s 2006 campaign.