Romney's loss creates GOP leadership vacuum

BOSTON — Mitt Romney’s shadow looms over a Republican Party in disarray. The face of the GOP for much of the last year, the failed presidential candidate has been a virtual ghost since his defeat Nov. 6. He has quietly weathered the fallout of the campaign from the seclusion of his Southern California home, emerging only momentarily for a private lunch at the White House with President Barack Obama on Thursday.

By: Steve Peoples, The Associated Press