Santorum dances around Romney endorsement
(CNN) – One-time GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum danced around the idea of endorsing the party's likely nominee, Mitt Romney, with significant and repeated prodding from CNN's Piers Morgan in a Tuesday interview.
In their first joint interview since the former senator from Pennsylvania suspended his candidacy, Santorum and his wife Karen declined to endorse the former Massachusetts governor, but the former candidate said that he hoped to meet with Romney "in the next week or two."
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Two senior advisers to Santorum's campaign told CNN that the meeting with Romney is tentatively scheduled for May 4, and the agenda would likely include the possibility of an endorsement, surrogacy activities, and the role of conservative issues on Romney's platform.
In the interview, the Santorums avoided using the word "endorsement," but acknowledged that Romney would be" the person that's going against Barack Obama."
"Unless I'm mishearing things," Morgan pressed, "you just endorsed Mitt Romney."
"You can call it whatever you want," Santorum replied.
Morgan turned his attention towards Santorum's wife.
"Karen, you know your husband: has he just endorsed Mitt Romney?" Morgan asked.
"Not at this point, no," she said. "We're working through it. We're talking about it."
But what, Morgan queried, is the difference between saying "he's the right guy for the job," and making an endorsement?
Santorum replied that Romney "is going to be the Republican nominee. I'm going to be for the Republican nominee. We're going to do what we can to beat Barack Obama."
Since leaving the race on April 10, Santorum said he has been "trying to decompress a bit, spend time with our family," as well as "get my bills paid, get my taxes filed."
Santorum is going to fall in line and support the would be nominee. If he didn't, it would end the chance he would have to do anything else in politics.
the word "sore loser" comes to mind here. Republicans seem to be good at that. Sarah Palin has been a sore loser since 2008 and shows it every chance she gets. Besides I would not doubt if a Romney loss would be on the mind of Santorum seeing it's the only way he could run again in 2016 unless a President Romney is primaried.
Everytime I see an article about this guy I cannot help but feel sorry for the GOP. This was a serious contender? Not that Gov. Romney is qualified, but at least he does not spend his days obsessed with what others are doing in their bedrooms. Time to get perverts like Santorum out of politics.
How cute! Santorum still thinks he matters.
More CNN pandering. Romney flip flopped on abortion. The true evangelicals and the Catholics won't forget it. If Santorum wants to stay true to his base he cannot endorse Romney.
And just should he have to endorse him after the way he was attacked as a candidate?
May be the communist red party is arm twisting santorum! oh we gonna help you retire your debt brah brah
Perhaps he want to retain some leverage on the VP selection process.
He said ( Santorum) he would support and endorse the nominee of the convention... now simple minded soul that I am Piers that still means he will give no endorsement of Romney unless he wins at the convention, thats still a mighty long way off and I smell a rat or rats in the Gingrich, Santorum, Paul, machinations. All of whom are totally unsatisfied with this particular "severe conservative."Romney.
Regards,
Hodgson.
Santorum's weakening of Romney both financially and politically is suspicious. If the left was going to plant someone to make Romney limp into the general election Santorum would be the perfect choice. First he made Romney spend much more money than he needed to in primaries and now how can he possibly hesitate to endorse him? I have this weird feeling he's on the dems payroll. Not saying yes, not saying no, just saying it raises an eyebrow...
Is he gonna flip-flop?
He's already endorsed Obama, very very publicly!
The Christian right and the tea party should have consolidated back in February. Now they have to endorse a guy they cant stand.
The GOP has lost 2012 months ago
Santorum will support Romney.
He knows full well we need to get rid of Obama.
Well at this point in the election I guess it doesnt make much of a differnce whos supporting who. They should be focusing on beating Obama . . . Well good luck God speed. . .
GOP lost already. No ethics, no morale.
Man how bad is your candidate when endorsements have to coerced from your fellow party members??
Sounds like Mr. Frothy is holding out for a larger payday. His endorsement should be worth big bucks from the Rmoney campaign, seeing as how Rmoney has no basis to win except for the fact his corrupt elitist crones want desperately to buy the election and make Rmoney the dancing puppet for the corporate predators lurking among the 1%. Rick knows this and wants to be paid accordingly,
I don't get this idiocy your out of the race and he' s going to to be the nominiee.
Perhaps the U.S. should do what Boxing has done – divide things up into divisions – Santorum could run as a lightweight or a flyweight.