George H.W. Bush "unofficially" endorses Romney

Former President George H.W. Bush gives a smile to crowd after he was on the video screen during a baseball game between the Milwauakee Brewers and Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on April 30, 2011 in Houston, Texas.

/ Bob Levey/Getty Images

Former President George H.W. Bush has given an "unofficial" endorsement to Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

"I think Romney is the best choice for us," Mr. Bush told the Houston Chronicle. He then addressed a fellow Texan in the presidential race, Gov. Rick Perry. "I like Perry, but he doesn't seem to be going anywhere; he's not surging forward."

A spokesman for Mr. Bush tells CBS News his expression of support for Mitt Romney should be viewed as an "unofficial" endorsement. The spokesman says Mr. Obama "expressed his preference" when asked by a reporter.

The spokesman says there will be no press release or press conference for the 87-year-old former president to announce an official endorsement.

Jim Appleby, an aide to the former president, told CBS News of the comments: "It is not an endorsement. It is a personal feeling toward Governor Romney."

Appleby said the former president was at lunch yesterday with "a couple of friends from the Chronicle" and agreed to answer their questions on the record. He also said Mr. Bush is not ramping up for a formal endorsement.

"The article kind of speaks for itself," he said.

At least some are taking the comments as an endorsement, however - even if it is unofficial. Riding on the Romney bus, former New Hampshire governor and George H.W. Bush White House chief of staff John Sununu told CBS News and the National Journal, "an endorsement from former President Bush is about as good as you can get."

As an elder statesman in the party, Mr. Bush's support symbolizes Romney's appeal among many establishment Republicans when much of the primary fight so far has focused on the conservative base.

Mr. Bush told the Chronicle that he is drawn to Romney's "stability, experience, principles," adding, "He's a fine person."

"I just think he's mature and reasonable - not a bomb-thrower," he added. Mr. Bush has long known Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and also knew Romney's father George Romney, the former Michigan governor.

Mr. Bush was critical of Newt Gingrich, telling the newspaper that "I'm not his biggest advocate." He said he had a conflict with Gingrich over Gingrich electing not to back him after he reneged on his "no new taxes" pledge as president.

"He was there, right outside the Oval Office. I met with all the Republican leaders, all the Democratic leaders," Mr. Bush told the Chronicle. "The plan was, we were all going to walk out into the Rose Garden and announce this deal. Newt was right there. Got ready to go out in the Rose Garden, and I said, 'Where's Gingrich?' Went up to Capitol Hill. He was here a minute ago. Went up there and started lobbying against the thing."

On the trail in New Hampshire, Romney said he talked to Mr. Bush and "thanked him for his support, his leadership, his heroic life, and his friendship."

"As you can tell there's growing momentum for this effort here in New Hampshire and across the country," Romney said. "This is much more important to me personally than even politically."

A spokesman for the other former President Bush - George W. Bush - is ruling out any endorsement during the primaries. Spokesman Freddy Ford told CBS News that Mr. Bush "will support the Republican nominee but he's not going to wade into the swamp during the primaries."

Sarah Boxer and Brian Montopoli contributed to this report.

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Mitt Romney on the trail

[Rick_Parry]

NWO succession planning.

[SciverBryan]

I thought George H.W. Bush had more sense than this? Great people like him get old and lose their way to the john. Usually being found the next week naked on a turn pike overpass.

********************************************************************

1. The GOP in Congress + Republicans running for the Presidency = Senile leading the senile.

2. Tea Party Movement members running for the Presidency + Tea Party Movement members in Congress = Anarchists leading anarchists.

3. The Dems. They are the 99 per cent. Just trying not go broke because of the ridiculous, stupid actions of items 1 and 2.

[Thomas_Paine_II]

George H. W. Bush is a fascist war criminal just like his son............so why should I even entertain what he thinks at all?

[calif7]

Money taking care of money.

[jbush21]

My thoughts exactly

[thebob-bob]

So the Godfather of the Bush Crime Family gives his benediction to another son of an Oligarch. GW may have screwed up the country but "The Families" all made out pretty well. They're richer than ever, they control more of America than any other time since before the Great Depression and the SCOTUS (many put in place be GHW and GW Bush) have made it even easier to fund campaigns by granting free speech rights to soulless, immortal Corporations.

Newt really didn't know who he was messing with.

[Ben37221]

Who is going to vote for a man that tells you something everyone knows you can't count on an hour from now. He is better off being a magician-now you see it, now you don't. That my friend is Romney-a perfect Chameleon.

[TimeIsNowfor99]

Who cares? Bush was a complete fgailure as a President and will be seen so in historical terms. Invading Irag for WMD? How many people died asa result of that decision? And his Tax Cut drove the inequality in our country back to the days of the Grerat Depression. Today, thanks to Bush Tax cuts, IRAN, our mortal enemy, has a better score on the Gini coefficient than what we do. Many people see the Gini coefficiecnt as the best measure to gage equality in a country and IRAN is better than us with our trend soon approaching Congo and North Korea with the slope it is on now. Thanks george.

[billyc555]

You have the wrong Bushwacher dude!

[tiredofeverything]

The entire Bush family is the personification of evil

[solllutions]

dosen't mean anything Because Obama will win.

[xila654]

Obama will loose, trust me

[tiredofeverything]

by xila654 December 22, 2011 8:54 PM EST
Obama will loose, trust me
-------------
Well, if the people voting have your kind of brains, I suppose it's always a possibility.
It's lose.

[gep1955]

Just one big RINO trying to help another.