Tampa, Florida (CNN) – A stand off between Ron Paul supporters and the Republican National Committee over convention delegates appears to be easing, and both sides are close to announcing a deal that could help avoid a potentially embarrassing moment for Mitt Romney on the day he receives the GOP presidential nomination.
The deal, which is expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon, will seat more Paul delegates at next week's Republican National Convention, an act that could help prevent an organized effort by Paul supporters to try and bring Monday's opening session to a grinding halt.
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"This is a major step towards peace and good will on the convention floor," said a Paul source familiar with the negotiations. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been made public.
The RNC has agreed to seat 17 Ron Paul delegates from Louisiana, which has been a major point of contention between the Paul campaign and the Romney campaign. In addition, the RNC will also seat additional Paul delegates from Massachusetts, ending the controversy in that state.
There are still ongoing discussions over disputed delegates from Maine, which is being negotiated by Paul advisors, RNC officials and senior Romney staff. But the compromise over Louisiana and Massachusetts was a major break through on this thorny issue less than a week before the Republican National Convention.
The good will between Paul and Romney was helped by the willingness of the Romney campaign to help integrate key policy issues into the Republican Party platform, which has been debated here in Tampa for the past two days. Discussions between Paul and Romney over the platform have been going on for months.
"We are extremely pleased with how this platform is going," said the source close to Paul. "It is a very constitutionally conservative, little 'l' libertarian document. They have really gone out of their way to address issues that we care about, the tea party cares about and the independent minded folks coming into the party the party care about."
Specifically, the Paul campaign was pleased with the tough language in the platform regarding the Federal Reserve and a willingness to at least allow a public discussion on other issues even if they were not adopted.
In another olive branch to Paul and his supporters, the Romney campaign has asked his son, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, to speak in prime time Monday night at the convention.
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I wanted to do a write in vote for Ron Paul in the November election, but Nevada doesn't allow write in votes.
Paul needs to be actively supporting Rommney or he will be eating Obama socialism like everyone else.. He seems bent on making his point and losing the War for the republican party.
this is very good news..
The GOP is absolutely unbelievable. They can't get along with anyone, even themselves!
Still like Ron Paul after he sells out to the theocratic wing of the Republican Party? Mitt and Paul, leading the American Taliban...
@ "Justice": Why support Romney at all? As the governor (aka premier) of the Massachussetts commonwealth (aka People's Rebulic of Massachussetts) he helped penned the basis for Obamacare. The GOP has seemed to forgotten that.
Aren't we fighting against the equivalent of the Republican Party in Afghanistan?
And just what have they, to bargain with. Oh that's right, a few supporters that are so low in numbers that they're chosen candidate couldn't make it to the finish line. Sounds like real strength to me.
Paul should shun the GOP and the Demo's and run Independent.
i will be writing in ron paul. i will not do as others and vote for the lesser of 2 evils. evil is evil, period.
What a laugh. This deal means nothing. Ron Paul knows exactly how many delegates he will have if Romney doesn't win the nomination with the first ballot. Now, with even more seated delegates, his tactic is more likely to pay off. And, if it does, that convention is going to go postal.
RP, all talk no spine
And what CNN isn't telling you: In that picture above, Ron Paul thought he was acsting a magic spell back at the audience.
Ron Paul is by far the best option for America this election – the convention will be very interesting. There could be some surprises; with the amount of the delegates that Ron Paul will be bringing, and with all the issues and baggage that Romney carries, we could see a different nominee than what the media has been touting for months.
Only to be STABBED in the back once the convention is over, when will you ever learn.... the Republicans are just like "Mike Boogy" on a much bigger scale, they are going to play you FOOLS!
The status quo Preibus pick and his backers have cheated multiple elected delegates out of representing the very republicans that elected them. The RNC is trying to refute that change that the party membership has already embraced by dastardly cheating, bullying, breaking it's own election rules. Look it up, it is all on video how the Romney campaign has cheated.
It's called politics...all about compromise....no one gets everything they want....
Vote for Gary Johnson then. Pretty similar views to Ron Paul, and he will be on the ballot in all 50 states.
Not a fan of RP but have to give him credit for trying to find a good way to settle this.
This way the lynch mob of The Tea Party can go back to focusing on using "auto-correct" on their protest signs
Go Goldwater, Go!
The GOP solution for the American People: Turn all the Old, Sick, Poor, Female, Non-white, Non-christian, Unemployed, and Gay people into slaves. Then whip them until they are Young, Healthy, Rich, Male, White, Christian, Employed, and Straight. Or until they are dead. Then turn them into Soylent Green to feed the military.
Too bad Mittens didn't have enough sense to chose Ron Paul as his VP candidate. To pick a younger, harder stance version of himself is making the GOP look like the Taliban. THIS moderate republican will not be voting for the GOP in Nov. Hello, Gary Johnson!
It really won't matter. Romney cannot beat Obama. Only Ron Paul had any chance of beating Obama. Too bad the GOP ignored the polls.
Never a fan, but he does have a following, but romney also has a secret weapon Its called Bozo Biden & Oblunder without a teleprompter good news for romney now lets get Oblameo out of thier
If Ron Paul would be an independent on the ballot for the November election, I have no doubt he would win. Ron Paul is the only voice right now of the people who know what really needs to change in this country and who the government, big business, and the media are trying to silence. The choice between Romney and Obama for president based on the corrupt, outdated, two party system is like making the choice between whether we want cancer or aids for our country.