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Mitt Romney seems to be moving inexorably toward his party鈥檚 presidential nomination.

Polls favor him going into Tuesday鈥檚 primary elections in Wisconsin, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Most primary elections through April are likely to continue Romney鈥檚 momentum toward winning the required number of convention delegates. And Republican leaders in Congress (and elsewhere) say it鈥檚 time for the party to get behind the front-runner.

鈥淚 think he is an excellent candidate and the chances are overwhelming that he will be our nominee,鈥� Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky said Sunday on CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union.鈥� 鈥淚t seems to me we are in the final phases of wrapping up this nomination鈥�. It is in the best interest of our party to get behind the person who is obviously going to be our nominee and make the case against the president of the United States.鈥�

Over the weekend, the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, Wisconsin鈥檚 largest newspaper, endorsed Romney as 鈥渂y far the best choice for Republicans on Tuesday.鈥�

But the newspaper endorsement was far from enthusiastic, describing the dwindling Republican field as 鈥渦ninspired鈥� 鈥� an opinion apparently held by many Republican voters along the trail of 2012 primary and caucus elections.

鈥淲e do wonder which Romney we'll see in the fall,鈥� the editorial said. 鈥淚s it the Romney who favors a reasonable solution to the nation's broken health insurance system? Or 鈥� shake that Etch A Sketch 鈥� is it the Romney who blasts 鈥極bamacare鈥�? Is it the Romney who has a long history of working across the aisle with Democrats on a range of issues 鈥� the consummate, even-keeled manager who is good at running things? Or is it the Romney who can't help looking over his shoulder before making any decision to see if the tea party is brewing up a fight?鈥�

In a way, such questions echo Rick Santorum鈥檚 main point about Romney: That he鈥檚 not a true conservative 鈥� 鈥渢he same old, tired, establishment person鈥� that GOP leaders聽are trying to 鈥渟hove down our throat,鈥� as he said Sunday

鈥淭his race isn鈥檛 even at half time yet, we haven鈥檛 even selected half of the delegates,鈥� Santorum said on 鈥淔ox News Sunday.鈥�

鈥淭he map in May looks good聽for us 鈥� Texas and Arkansas and West聽Virginia and North Carolina and聽Indiana, Kentucky,鈥� Santorum insisted.聽鈥淲e have great states, where we聽are ahead in every poll in all聽of those states and if you聽listen to the folk in the聽country, stay in there, we need聽a conservative.鈥�

But there are many miles to go until May, and they mainly wind through Romney-friendly territory: Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia.

(Pennsylvania, the state Santorum represented in Congress, may be an exception 鈥� although who knows? 鈥� Pennsylvanians tossed him out of the US Senate. Santorum鈥檚 wide margin in the polls there has become a virtual tie, reports the Washington Post, and 鈥淩omney supporters already are working just below the radar to tarnish Santorum in the Keystone State.鈥�)

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (a young conservative who chairs the House Budget Committee and frequently is mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate), points out Santorum鈥檚 problem if he loses Tuesday in the Badger State.

鈥淚 think Rick would need something like 82 percent of the rest of the delegates, and that鈥檚 just not going to happen," Ryan said聽on CNN's "State of the Union." 聽

"So if Mitt wins Wisconsin 鈥� and they also have Maryland and D.C. the same day 鈥� if he gets a big delegate count, which I think he鈥檒l get, then we believe as conservatives we should coalesce around the nominee and focus at the task at hand, which is the fall election, and not drag this thing out which I think becomes counter-productive,鈥� Ryan said.

In primary campaign politics, there鈥檚 always the chance of a major stumble or election surprise, and Romney鈥檚 optimism is cautious at this point.

"I have to tell you this. It feels better and better,鈥� he told supporters in Madison Friday. 鈥淭he support for my campaign is growing stronger and stronger. This was an uphill battle for me if you look back three or four weeks ago, and now we're looking like we're going to win this thing on Tuesday."