KRGV.com

BOSTON (AP) Mitt Romney is stepping back onto the national stage if only briefly.

The former Republican presidential candidate has emerged from nearly four months in seclusion for an interview with Fox News. He's also scheduled to deliver his first postelection speech this month at Washington's Conservative Political Action Conference.

But Romney's re-emergence may be short-lived.

Former aides describe the return as a thank-you tour of sorts designed to close out a political career that spanned a decade. Aides say he may help elevate issues from time to time, but they add that he is more likely to play a background role focused on fundraising, if anything

Conservative leaders say they're ready for a new era in Republican politics that doesn't include the former Massachusetts governor.