McCain: Romney 'Improving Dramatically as a Candidate

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain said Sunday Mitt Romney is "improving dramatically" as a GOP candidate for president, despite several recent primary losses.

McCain, who has endorsed his former 2008 rival, was asked how Romney can expect to do well in the general election when he's still struggling to knock his primary opponents out of the race.

"Obviously, Mitt Romney will tell you, first of all, he's got to do a better job," McCain said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "He's working on doing a better job. He's got to focus more on the economy. He’s been giving major speeches on the economy and jobs. And I think he is improving dramatically as a candidate."

He blamed the rise of super PACs, as well as the proportional delegate apportionment system, for prolonging the race, which he called the "nastiest I have ever seen."

"Any campaign before we had winner-take-all," he said. "If it was winner-take-all, you would have seen those numbers significantly different."

Blasting the Supreme Court for the influence of super PACs -- which proliferated under the decision of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission -- McCain called the ruling the "worst decision the United States Supreme Court has made in many years," and said it came from "naivete and sheer ignorance."

Despite his wish for the primary season to come to an end, McCain stopped short of calling on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to drop out -- whom he said would probably stay in "as long as he has bus fare."

He also dismissed the possibility of a brokered GOP convention this summer, saying "I just don't think it's going to happen."

"I think Mitt is going to win in Illinois on Tuesday," McCain said. "It's going to be OK, in my view it's gone on way too long....and again, who is going to benefit from it? President Obama."

Watch below, via NBC: