Developing: Romney Backing Down on Straw Poll

From the Full Story at the Boston Globe via Associated Press:

"...He said he hopes to do well, but "we're not trying to overshoot dramatically." That means reducing the budget for the straw poll Aug. 11 in Ames and the number of supporters his campaign plans to bus in to the event.

In June, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain bowed out of the decades-old nonbinding contest. Romney has put great resources into preparing for the event, which now shapes up as a contest involving several lesser-known contenders."

If this isn't a feint, Romney has some big problems. It will be hard to back down on the Straw Poll after it was a focal point for his campaign. If he does decide to scale back, will he then be conceding defeat as Giuliani and McCain before him? This could become a big early story out of Iowa.