Morton Blackwell, the conservative icon who founded the Leadership Institute in 1979 and is a longtime Republican National Committeeman representing Virginia, has endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for president. The announcement came in the form of a letter from Blackwell, addressed to fellow conservatives, in an email sent out Friday by the Cuccinelli Compass, a regular grassroots update provided by former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and paid for by the Liberty Now PAC. "In the past several weeks, the presidential contest has clarified. I have decided to endorse Ted Cruz and to urge other serious conservatives to join me...