DeMint calls for GOP assessment of race, praises Romney (Sell-Out Alert)

CNN Political Ticker ^ | 03/22/2012 | CNN Political Unit

[Josh Painter]

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Jim DeMint, the South Carolina Republican and tea party favorite, said Thursday he was 'excited' about the possibility of Mitt Romney becoming the GOP presidential nominee.

While not an outright endorsement, it is the closest the Republican kingmaker has come to making his preference known in the race for the White House.

"I can tell conservatives from my perspective is that, I'm not only comfortable with Romney, I'm excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee," DeMint said. "Again, this is not a formal endorsement and I do not intend to do that right now but I just think we just need to look at where we are."

DeMint's comments came the same day Romney met with influential Republicans on Capitol Hill, including House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan. Like DeMint, Ryan has not publicly backed a candidate in the GOP race, but is considered a prized endorsement for the White House hopefuls.

DeMint said Thursday he was "impressed" after his meeting with Romney.

"His leadership skills, the fact that he hasn't lived his life in Washington. There's a lot to like there," DeMint said.

The other candidates in the race – including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum – need to make an honest assessment of where the race currently stands, DeMint said.

"I don't have any immediate plans to do an endorsement but I think we all need to look at this presidential primary and encourage the candidates to do a little self-reflection here - what's good for our country," he said. "The sooner we can make a decision, I think the sooner we can focus on the real problem which is Obama."

DeMint said taking the race to the GOP convention in August would be a mistake...

[Josh Painter]

/facepalm

[brownsfan]

Holy cow, there won’t be anyone left soon.

[SECURE AMERICA]

(”I can tell conservatives from my perspective is that, I’m not only comfortable with Romney, I’m excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee,” DeMint said.)

You can tell us whatever you want. We can tell you that as conservatives we are not voting for Romney. Not falling for that crap anymore. Doesn’t matter who he would pick as a VP either. You all tried that before and it did not work....

[Diogenesis]

DeMint is a moron.
Romney RAN Mass into the ground."

MITT ROMNEY - THE PROVEN BAD GOVERNOR

"As U.S. real output grew 13 percent between 2002 and 2006, Massachusetts trailed at 9 percent.
* Manufacturing employment fell 7 percent nationwide those years, but sank 14 percent under Romney, placing Massachusetts 48th among the states.
* Between fall 2003 and autumn 2006, U.S. job growth averaged 5.4 percent, nearly three times Massachusetts' anemic 1.9 percent pace.
* While 8 million Americans over age 16 found work between 2002 and 2006, the number of employed Massachusetts residents actually declined by 8,500 during those years.
"Massachusetts was the only state to have failed to post any gain in its pool of employed residents," professors Sum and McLaughlin concluded.
In an April 2003 meeting with the Massachusetts congressional delegation in Washington, Romney failed to endorse President Bush's $726 billion tax-cut proposal."
[Cato Institute annual Fiscal Policy Report Card - America's Governors, 2004.]

FLASHBACK:

The McCain/Palin ticket was up ++4 to 10 pts
in some polls, days prior to Election 2008.
So rather than helping the GOP, Romney and
TeamROMNEY and the RNME (Republican National Media Establishment)
decided …to attack Gov. Palin to throw Election2008.

Romney, and the Van der Sloot RNME RINOs for Obama in 2008

Late in October, The American Spectator's The Prowler revealed:
"Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers…
have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election.
'Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,'
says one former Romney aide…
'The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney.
"Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a 'diva' and was going off message intentionally."

---

The Palmetto Scoop reported: "One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was
the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"I’m told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palin’s people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney’s former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
… aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.

---

"These staffers are now out trying to finish her off ….hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."

---

"Who's the Palin Leaker from the McCain Campaign?
National Review Online The publication of a Vanity Fair profile of Sarah Palin
appears to have opened old wounds in the McCain campaign.
... the source of the “Diva” leak was Nicolle Wallace’s husband."

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

---

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!

[GeronL]

wow.

I give up.

[magritte]

DeMint was a supporter in 2008. I’d say even odds he’s on the VP short list as well.

[Politics4US]

The Tea Party movement is dead. I agree with them, but it’s not alive like it was in 2009-2010.

[Kenny]

wow. I give up.

Don't give up. This is more political maneuvering. They figure they have to pick someone and get started on the general but they're WRONG!

The people know best and the people haven't crowned Romney in spite of the complete onslaught from the ruling class and media.

[Vigilanteman]

Santorum still has the chance to kick a 45 yard field goal and send the game into overtime.

But the window of opportunity is closing. Politics is the art of the possible.

[presently no screen name]

"I don't have any immediate plans to do an endorsement but I think we all need to look at this presidential primary and encourage the candidates to do a little self-reflection here - what's good for our country,"

Hey Demint - shove it! Who cares about your immediate plans, you lazy @**. It's not rocket science!! Conservatives already spoke and LIAR mitt is NO GOOD FOR OUR COUNTRY - just like Barry isn't. Two birds with different feathers. You guys will be taken down our country on your own but NOT ON MY VOTE. And the blood of those who gave our life for this country and it's freedom is on YOUR HANDS! And all those aborted babies with you pro stance for romney! Filthy pigs that you are!!

The GOP E has them all in a noose. PATRIOTS THEY AREN'T. They care about their career NOT our country! Taking 'one for the (evil) team' is alive and well.

[norton]

If the GOP elite had simply issued a notice in 2008 stating that McPain was the 2008 guy, Mittens was the 2012 guy and (if the GOP was still necessary), Bush III was the 2016 guy;
adding that resistance was futile:
they'd have saved us a lot of trouble.

[moehoward]

"I give up."

Then their mission is accomplished.

[GeronL]

I thought DeMint wouldn’t surrender to liberal used car salesman Romney

[The Cajun]

Jim DeMint, another out of touch Republican leader.

They have no idea how pi**ed off and unforgiving some of us are.

If it wouldn't be for me to vote in Republican primaries for tea party backed candidates, I would not be a stinking Republican.
The party doesn't mean crap to me right now and I don't see it changing easily or quickly.

Get the commie Kenyan out of office is priority for the country, afterward serious thinking needs to be done about the future of the party.

[SatinDoll]

Bookmark

[vmivol00]

“Bush III was the 2016 guy”

I think thats what they have been saying the past couple of weeks. Cancel the 2016 primaries and coronate Jeb now.

[vmivol00]

“I can tell conservatives from my perspective is that, I’m not only comfortable with Romney, I’m excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee,”

Jim...what are you excited most about?

His support of gun control?, support for Planned Parenthood, socialized medicine, support of global warming and cap and trade, nomination of Democrats and liberal judges, his nasty class warfare rhetoric, the fact that his tax plan defines the “rich” at $200k vs. $250k in Zero’s plan, his support of bailouts, his liberal tendencies? What makes you the most excited?

I’m guessing watching your colleagues in the House shut down the Fast & Furious investigations also got you excited. Maybe when you and your Senate buddy’s completely folded on the debt ceiling negotiations. What really makes you the most excited? Please let us know.

[nurse-rn]

Agree with you 100%. Go NEWT.

[PGalt]

Well-stated. Thanks. Hey, DeMint!