Free Republic

"Excited" after a meeting Thursday with Mitt Romney, tea party favorite Sen. Jim DeMint urged fellow Republicans to be realistic and rally around the party's eventual nominee, making his plea the same day the ex-governor's chief rival suggested voters would be as well off with President Barack Obama as they would Romney. In addition to fundraising events, Romney was in Washington to hold talks with DeMint as well as legislators from Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which hold primaries next month. The legislators included House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, according to GOP aides. "I'm not only comfortable with Romney, I'm excited...

WASHINGTON -- Jim DeMint, among the nation's conservative leaders, stopped just short Thursday of endorsing Mitt Romney for president as the South Carolina senator called on the former Massachusetts governor's foes to re-evaluate their campaigns. DeMint's appeal for Republicans to focus on defeating President Barack Obama came a day after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, another influential conservative, endorsed Romney and urged party unity. "What 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 becoming our nominee," DeMint told reporters on Capitol Hill. At a time...

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) "would never consider" endorsing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president again in 2012 unless Romney repudiates the health reforms he sought as governor, a source close to DeMint said Thursday. A source close to the conservative icon emphasized that, despite comments to The Hill indicating that Romney shouldn't shoulder all the political blame for the Massachusetts healthcare plan, DeMint wouldn't endorse Romney again unless he admits the plan was mistaken. "It's obvious Jim was just trying to be nice to the guy he backed over McCain, as many conservatives did in 2008," the source said. "But...