That didn’t take long. In the wake of Rick Santorum’s departure from the presidential contest, Sen. Pat Toomey threw his support behind Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee.
“I am proud to endorse Governor Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for president. I am confident Gov. Romney will be a great president and will return our country to the conservative principles that make our nation great,” Toomey said.
“I also congratulate Senator Santorum on a hard fought primary race. He put up a valiant fight and deserves to be commended for his spirited effort.”
His relationship with Santorum was complicated. The former Senator endorsed Arlen Specter against him in 2004.
Recently, Toomey had praised Romney’s policy positions effusively but stopped short of officially backing him. Here’s Toomey’s full statement:
Philadelphia, PA – Today, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey endorsed Governor Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for president and has issued the following statement:
“I am proud to endorse Governor Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for president. I am confident Gov. Romney will be a great president and will return our country to the conservative principles that make our nation great.
“I also congratulate Senator Santorum on a hard fought primary race. He put up a valiant fight and deserves to be commended for his spirited effort.
“Now is the time for conservatives to rally around Gov. Romney and help deliver a victory in Pennsylvania and America this November.
“Our country stands at a crossroads. In the U.S. Senate, I work with my colleagues every day on trying to solve our fiscal problems, but President Obama has insisted on job-destroying tax increases and regulations. With our national debt ballooning and our economy struggling to recover, we need to elect a conservative president who is ready to tackle our nation’s challenges on day one. With his extensive private sector experience, his knowledge of economic issues, and his gubernatorial track record, Gov. Romney is exactly the kind of leader our country needs to solve our fiscal crisis and restore American prosperity.”
4 Responses
Obama-Romney-no big difference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyftC27vNp0&feature=player_embedded#!.
Oh my! That must have been hard to do. Did you have that endorsement ready and waiting? Why not endorse Steve Welch as well? Nothing would shock me now.
~Sam Rohrer~ 2012
Yet Welch still begs Toomey for a mention?
5 folks on the ballot Christian, Scaringi, Smith, & Rohrer all four solid conservatives – and then Obama Welch for those Republicans that want to bring back Arlen Specter as a younger model
Gutsy move there, Pat.