LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Republicans will meet for two days starting Friday to choose delegates to the Republican National Convention.

The Republican National Committee stripped Michigan of half its national convention delegates for defying party rules by moving its presidential primary to Jan. 15. Florida suffered the same fate after moving its primary to Jan. 29.

But Michigan GOP activists will name 60 delegates rather than 30 because party leaders don't expect the punishment will stick, state GOP spokesman Bill Nowling said Thursday.

"We're still very confident that we'll seat all 60 of our delegates," he said. "We have assurances from all the leading presidential candidates that, if they're the nominee, they'll seat our delegates."

He added that the party doesn't have a plan for allocating only 30 delegates, since state party rules were drawn up before the 30 delegates were taken away.

Under normal circumstances, 45 of the state's 57 pledged delegates would go to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Michigan native who won the presidential primary.

But Romney dropped out of the presidential race earlier this month, meaning the 45 delegates he would have received will now go as uncommitted delegates to the Sept. 1-4 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Romney on Thursday endorsed John McCain for the party's presidential nomination and asked his national convention delegates to swing behind the likely nominee.

Ten delegates who back McCain will be chosen during the state GOP meeting at the Lansing Center, as will two delegates who support Mike Huckabee, based on how many votes they got Jan. 15.

The state GOP also has three unpledged delegates: state GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis and Republican National Committee members Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes. Anuzis is neutral. Yob and Hughes support McCain but are free to back anyone at the convention.

The 3,027 delegates and alternates attending the state convention will divide up by congressional district Friday night and choose 45 delegates based on how the candidates did in each of the state's 15 congressional districts. The winner in each district will get all three delegates.

A dozen at-large delegates will be chosen Saturday morning. They'll be divided among the candidates based on how each one did statewide.

The statewide GOP get-together is expected to be a rallying point for Republicans as they head into the 2008 election. Besides focusing on the presidential race, they're also are hoping to defeat longtime Democratic Sen. Carl Levin in November and re-elect U.S. Reps. Joe Knollenberg and Tim Walberg, who could face tough opponents.

Other Republican goals include holding onto their state Senate majority and regaining control of the state House, where Democrats now have a 58-52 edge.

Around 45,000 delegates, alternates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the Republican National Convention this summer at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

Michigan Democrats meet next month to select begin selecting delegates to the Aug. 25-28 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

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EDITOR's NOTE: Kathy Barks Hoffman heads the Lansing AP bureau and has covered Michigan politics since 1986.

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On the Net:

Michigan Republican Party: http://www.migop.org