Rick Santorum Endorses Mitt Romney — by Email
Former Pennsylvania Senator and former GOP Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has finally endorsed his bitter rival for the Republican nomination — by email. So in the end Santorum did indeed endorse Romney but in a seemingly offhanded, low-key-as-possible way. The endorsement seems as joyous as trip to the dentist.
A reader forwards this email Rick Santorum is sending to his supporters in which he announces he’s endorsing Mitt Romney.
Santorum makes clear that he felt Romney had answered questions about his commitment to principles the former senator cares about at their one-hour meeting in Pittsburgh. And his backing, while expected, comes at a time when Romney is trying to solidify his standing in the party, whose social conservative base remains uncertain about him.
“Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated,” Santorum writes in the email. :The task will not be easy. It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime.”
This part of the email is reportedly down towards the end of the email and there are several paragraphs elaborating on the endorsement. But they mostly down to this suggestion: Mitt Romney is the lesser of two evils.
Santorum’s email will do two things: (1) spare Santorum accusations that he wasn’t a team player (2)set Santorum up for a big, fat “I told you so” about his party nominating Romney if Romney loses and maintain his political purity in the eyes of his most fervent supporters in 2016 since his endorsement is not (yet) an effusive one praising Romney as a candidate for what Romney actually believes (probably because that it remains under dispute).
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough says this endorsement is not going to cut it with camp Romney and urges Santorum to “be a man.” Watch:
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Santorum’s non-endorsement endorsement is so much in character with his entire bitter and “gaffy” campaign. I’d be very surprised if he gets any kind of prominent speaking role at the GOP convention — perhaps in the late night hours, “under the cover as darkness” as his “endorsement” e-mail was.
I’d come this close to forgetting about the little varmint. Thanks a lot!
Romney is a dirty politician and his opponents don’t have much nice to say about Mittens.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/12/did_mccain_call.html
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/05/romney-huckabee-feud/37749/
Mittens leaves bloodied bodies in the wake of his campaigns. I doubt if anyone will give him a ringing endorsement…