Ann Romney's introduction for her husband, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and the once and likely future candidate's own remarks about his wife at the beginning of his address at CPAC Friday underscored her importance as the Republican presidential primary campaign begins in earnest.

Romney's team has aggressively pushed Mrs. Romney's eagerness to see her husband run when many of the other potential spouses, save largely Todd Palin, have not been in the spotlight.

In fact, several potential candidates' wives have expressed reluctance at a potential campaign: notably Kimberley Thune, wife of South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Cheri Daniels, wife of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. Daniels and Thune, if they both ran, would both compete for some of the same voters in the Republican primary, and Ann Romney's eagerness to see her husband run is another concealed but aggressive play in Romney's run in the "invisible primary" going on before any candidates are actually in the race.

The potential candidate stressed his wife's commitment to the race in a conference call with donors on Friday, and she said in her remarks today, "I know Mitt as a person, a very good person. I have also seen him as a leader. And I, for one, would like to see him lead the country as president of the United States."

Romney did not take questions from the press after his own address, but he held a reception in Washington's Marriott Wardman Park afterward with supporters.

Asked by a reporter there what his wife's push to get him to run means, he said, "She speaks for herself." And pressed on whether they're arguing over it, he joked, "Happens all the time."

As the Romneys and their staff exited, the overflow crowd from the reception chanted, "Romney," urging him to run.

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