T-Paw Endorses Mitt Romney

Ed Morrissey says he did not see this one coming. But, I did. I mean, why not? One moderate squishy Republican endorses another.

Here’s the official news via The Politico:

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty endorsed Mitt Romney for president Monday, praising his onetime rival for his “leadership ability” and the “depth and scope of [his] private-sector experience.”

“I believe he’s going to be our party’s nominee,” Pawlenty said on “Fox and Friends,” predicting Romney would be a “transformational and great president.”

Less than a month after ending his own White House bid, Pawlenty was in sync with the Romney campaign’s message on everything from jobs to health care, to Social Security and Rick Perry.

Asked how he could endorse a candidate who he once mocked as the author of “Obamneycare,” Pawlenty said he’d spoken about health care with Romney and concluded: “Mitt Romney is 100 percent dedicated and committed to repealing Obamacare.”

Here is the underlying reason, I think and no, it is not a V.P. spot either:

“Gov. Romney wants to fix Social Security. He doesn’t want to abolish it or end it,” Pawlenty said. “Gov. Perry has said in the past that he thought it was ‘failed.'”

Pawlenty, who is joining the Romney campaign as a national co-chairman, said he wasn’t angling for any other job in giving Romney an early endorsement.

“I’m not going to consider being VP. I was down that path once before with John McCain,” he said. “That won’t be part of the future for me.”

Which is all great and wonderful; except for one little thing —- Romney is a habitual liar. So much so, that former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm had to call him on it once already. That is my rub with man; plus he is Mormon and I trust those people about as far as I can throw them. If you will read that link to my blog posting regarding Jennifer Granholm, you will see why I wrote what I did. The man just cannot and will not tell the truth about what he believes. He tells what he wants the people to hear. He also changes his positions with the winds of politics. You know, like a Conservative John Kerry?

Anyhow, here is Paw’s official suck up endorsement via NRO:

Great crises often produce great leaders. Unfortunately, sometimes the timing isn’t right, and neither is the leader.

Barack Obama came into office in the midst of a great economic crisis. Although hopes were high, he did not rise to the occasion. Now that the clouds of enthusiasm and excitement have parted, we see he was obviously unsuited for the task at hand.

President Obama has failed to meet America’s economic challenges.

His three years of spending, regulating, and taxing have not restarted the economy. Unemployment remains at a shocking 9.1 percent. Economic growth is hovering on the edge of a renewed recession.

Abroad, the standing of the United States appears uncertain and adrift under the failed leadership of a president who prefers chastising allies to condemning foes.

Fortunately, America may get a second chance: Mitt Romney is running for president, and I am proud to endorse him.

So, what does this do? Well, for starters; this essentially pushes John Huntsman and possibly Michelle Bachmann out of the picture. Romney now has an endorsement behind him. This also mounts a rather large moderate challenge to Rick Parry, who did say that Social Security was a “Ponzi Scheme,” which does drive off some of the older folk within the Republican Party.

As for Michelle bachmann; I do not see her as even electable. Her lack of real legislation record, her husband and her wearing her Christianity on her sleeve — all make her undesirable to people, who just want jobs and want this Country to stop spending itself into a hole. Tea Party or no Tea Party, Bachmann is just not my…well, cup of…tea.

The American people just want to get back to work and leave the soul saving to the Church — thank you very much.

Either way, this race should be very, very interesting in the next coming weeks.

Others: Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, The Lonely Conservative, Moe Lane, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Political Insider, Slate, Outside the Beltway, New York Magazine, Mediaite, The Crawdad Hole and Hugh Hewitt’s TownHall Blog