Lest you think that all Tea Party types are joining the bandwagon that’s growing for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich for the 2012 Republican nomination, here’s a bit of news: Christine “I’m Not a Witch” O’Donnell is endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney:
Former tea party candidate and U.S. Senate hopeful Christine O’Donnell has cast a, er, endorsement Mitt Romney’s way.
O’Donnell, who had indicated she was leaning Romney’s way over the last few months, has cred and a voter list of tea partiers – but she also lost her general election in Delaware by a big margin.
Mostly, O’Donnell is best remembered for the “I’m not a witch, I’m you” ad that she produced, through admaker Fred Davis (now with the Jon Huntsman super PAC), which was met with much derision.
And Romney has responded:
“Christine has been a leader in the conservative movement for many years,” said Mitt Romney. “Christine recognizes that excessive government threatens us now and threatens future generations, and I am pleased to have her on my team.”
Announcing her support, Christine O’Donnell said, “For me, this endorsement comes down to trust. I am endorsing Governor Romney because I trust him to do the right thing. He has the strength of conviction to do the right thing regardless of opposition. America needs a president who is not a Washington Insider. America needs a president who hasn’t been playing the game for the last three decades. America needs a president who can turn our economy around, put Americans back to work, and will lead with stability, integrity and the values that we hold dear. I am confident Mitt Romney will be that president.”
The endorsement press release simply describes her as a “a leader in the conservative movement for many years.”
So Romney welcomes the endorsement. He might sing this song if he could do a few changes in the lyrics:
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.