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Subscribe to RSSRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was in Des Moines today and received an endorsement from South Dakota Senator John Thune. NBC's Alex Moe reports.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, South Dakota Senator John Thune endorsed Mitt Romney in the Hawkeye State, the second Republican senator in four days to throw their support behind Romney’s bid for the White House.
“I want to do everything I can to encourage to persuade people…that the person that can lead America back to greatness is the former governor of Massachusetts and hopefully our next president, Mitt Romney,”Sen. Thune told the few hundred employees gathered at Nationwide Insurance in Des Moines.
Thune, who endorsed John McCain last cycle and was on his short list for his vice presidential candidates, was thought to be eyeing a 2012 presidential bid himself. Romney said he was relieved Thune decided not to run this year.
“I'm so lucky that he didn't run and I'm so glad he's been willing to be with me today”because Thune would have been my “toughest competitor,”Romney said after joking at one point that Thune looks like quarterback Tom Brady from the New England Patriots.
Since South Dakota borders Iowa, Thune’s endorsement in the first-in-the-nation caucus state will only continue speculation that Romney is making a harder push here.
Romney himself urged Iowans to come out and participate in the caucuses on Jan. 3.
“Iowa has the first, and in some respects, one of the most powerful voices for who our nominee will be,” he said. “I’d like you to think about that and take the occasion to go to the caucuses. It’s a responsibility. The country counts on you.”
Last week the former Massachusetts’s governor’s campaign opened an Iowa headquarters and today were passing out cards asking if people were attending the caucus, if they were interested in becoming a precinct captain, or wanted to volunteer for the campaign.
This event, Romney’s third in the state in just over a month, came just a few hours after another GOP debate focusing on foreign policy. He was asked to clarify his stance on immigration following remarks former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made last night on illegal immigrants.
“My view is that people who come here illegally should not have a special break or a special pathway to become permanent residents or citizens of this country,” Romney told reporters. “They should be in line or at the back of the line with other people who want to come here legally.”
And in light of the Thanksgiving holiday, Romney made sure to point out what he was thankful for to the employees of one of the largest insurance companies in the U.S.
“I am grateful for many things… for my family, for my faith, for my country. I love America,” Romney said.
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Big whoop, Joe Wilson endorsed Gingrich - Ha!
Crazy is as crazy does...
Oh wait... wrong movie! lol
Looks like Romney is THE MAN.
Romney in 2012 and again in 2016....YES.
ABO 2012.
“My view is that people who come here illegally should not have a special break or a special pathway to become permanent residents or citizens of this country,” Romney told reporters. “They should be in line or at the back of the line with other people who want to come here legally.”
********************
Willard is tough on illegal immigrants, who want to work. Who grew up here. Who want a good education. Who call America home. Do you see these young people on tv? This is the only home they know. Their sadness and tears are real. They are looking for assistance. And all Mitt can say is - GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!!!!!!
These are people who actually you know - worked in his yard until he said no more, I'm running for president, I can't be hiring illegal laborers any longer. I might get caught.
Laborers, who you know - did his work for him.
Where is his outrage at Wall Street? Where is his outrage @ Corporate America? Where is his outrage at the neocons who gave us two unpaid for wars?
Where is his outrage at Karl Rove? Oh never mind. Rove is driving his campaign.
Silly me. The same Karl Rove who lies for a living.
What is amazing Pat, is with these so-called 'important' endorsements, Willard still can't get above 25% in the polls!
Anyone know what was up last night with him claiming his first name is Mitt?
Weird!
Feisty, he's not a good person. All you have to do is look at that ad from the other day. He is still lying to America. And always will. He's a Republican. He's a Wall Streeter. A perfect storm for we, the people if he were to win.
If I were in his position and this illegal immigration situation arose, I would say point blank - yes, they are here illegally, but they came here as children. They have grown up here and have made a life for themselves and we should help them stay. Show some compassion. They have worked hard - FOR ME. FOR ALL OF US.
But that's not in his character. He is a nasty nasty person. Anyone who has Karl Rove as an aide is not worth considering. Rove did enough damage as it is.
He thought he had 2 get to the Right of "BlitZ", thats why Feisty !
Occupy SoggyBottom!
That's because he's "running for office, for Pete's sake!" -- a statement he made from one of the debates about what he told a contractor as to why he couldn't have illegals mowing his lawn. If the Obama campaign doesn't plaster that comically cynical statement all over the television, they just don't know what they're doing.
They were talking on Andrea Mitchell today about Mitten's daddy, and about losing the nomination in '67. I am saying, look at the father, look at the son. Didn't we just go through this?
Pat Boston MA.
Pat, Pat, Pat,......
Mittney gets elected, you liberals will very quickly learn to love him, if you can get over your hatred of the "R" after his name.
Mittney is the epitome of RINO. Personally I would nominate him for the Democrat candidate for president because that is what he is....
Thune probably sees the invitable that ol' flip flop will likely be the Republican nominee. It seems like Romney and maybe Huntsman are the only ones with any common sense on that side. The rest of the jokers in the race for the Repub nomination will fade faster than a light being turned off.
How many electorial college votes does South Dakota have?
Not enough for him to pick Thune as VP. Four, maybe?
Thought Thune, though, was one of the new "stars" of the GOP.
I see the republican"MOB" is still at it ! Trying to strong arm the people by taxing the poor and middle class ...while the wealthy republican "MOB" members enjoy the good life !
Hey, if a Republican Senator endorses Romney, thats all the proof I need. Romney is THE MAN.
ABO 2012.
lol
You don't get what's going on here guys?
The establishment republicans are desperately trying to shut out any one else from the nomination. They think that if they make it appear that mittney is developing some inertia towards the nomination that they can then intimidate the others out of the race, at this stage this means Ron Paul because the rest have had their day in the sun and have fallen off as most polls of likely republican voters show.
Newt is another sideshow.
What is very interesting to me in the last couple of debates, a number of the candidates, namely;
Mittney, ("all foreign aid stares at zero");
the idiot governor from Texas, ("I want to completely eliminate three departments from the government", and, "I will bring all the troops home")
And the grinch used one the other day but I can't remember it right this second.
All planks of Ron Paul's plan for America.
Now there has to be a reason they are stealing Ron Paul's platform, could it be they are seeing the same polls I am showing that Paul's support is growing while mittney's is stagnant.....
Obviously, these candidates still think the american electorate is stupid.
Things are getting interesting
Well you are the proof of stupid aren't you so valid point!
John Thune is yet another career politician adding to the quagmire of the TEA-GOP-Republican primary. Remembering TEA-GOP-Republicans have and still seek TEA party support reminds me that one cannot be too careful who we vote for. TEA party-ers say one thing and do another. There has been a concerted effort to not provide any cover or good relationship with the electorate and demonizing of president Obama. The constant drumbeat of trying to tie the economy to president Obama, when it is well known the current economy belongs, lock, stock and barrel to the previously in-paid for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with the so called Bush tax cuts. Also one could look at Congress holds the purse strings, taxes and legislation. The economy is the issue and it's all about jobs, jobs, jobs! TEA-GOP-Republican representative and Senator in Washington have shown they are more responsive to the special elite like Grover Norquist, Bob Vander Plaats, Edward H Crane and David Keene instead of the people who actually voted them into office. Why is there a greater allegiance towards and for people like Bob Vander Plaats and lobbyist like Grover Norquist, than the American public or economy? Vander Plaat and Norquist are the puppet-masters of the TEA-GOP-Republican fringe!
Republican's need to remember the old saying ( watch what you wish for you might just get it ). They want deficit reduction, come January 1 2013 they will get $6.2 trillion worth of cuts. $1 trillion dollars they agreed on just to raise the debt. ceiling. The $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts the super committee couldn't agree on ($600 billion in defense cuts and $600 billion in non-discretionary spending cuts ) and the $4 trillion in Bush tax cuts that expire on that same day. That all totals to $6.2 trillion and President Obama doesn't have to do anything to get them. Obama played the Republican's like a real pro and they didn't even see it coming.