George H.W. Bush to endorse Romney

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET

Former President George H.W. Bush will formally endorse Mitt Romney for president on Thursday, CBS News has confirmed.

The former president has made supportive comments in the past about Romney, and his wife Barbara Bush has recorded robocalls for the candidate.

Mr. Bush will make the endorsement in Houston, where he's meeting with Romney. Neither former President George W. Bush nor former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush -- who has already endorsed Romney -- will be at the meeting.

Romney has long been considered the "establishment" candidate, but in the past month, more high-profile Republicans have indicated it's time for the GOP to finally coalesce around one candidate. As Romney continues to rack up delegates and his opponents continue to falter, an aura of inevitability has grown around his campaign. In addition to getting stronger support from the GOP establishment, Romney has seen his level of public support improve as well.

According to CBS News estimates, Romney has 554 delegates while Rick Santorum has only 241. Newt Gingrich has 128 delegates, while Ron Paul has 42. At this point, Romney's competitors seem to have more hope of simply preventing him from accumulating the 1,144 delegates necessary to win the nomination outright rather than actually getting the delegates themselves.

As he gets closer to securing the Republican nomination, Romney is pivoting his campaign to focus more on the general election.

That doesn't mean his opponents are ready to throw in the towel, however. Even after the Gingrich campaign announced it is laying off a third of its staff, the candidate is insisting he's staying in the race. Hours before that announcement, Rick Tyler, who runs a pro-Gingrich super PAC, told CBS News' Bob Schieffer on "Face to Face" that nothing short of an "extraordinary circumstance" would prevent his candidate from taking his candidacy to Tampa.

CBS News Producer Caroline Horn contributed to this report.

31 Photos

GOP candidates on the trail

[wildemanne]

is that supposed to be a good thing coming from mr. read my lips no new taxes right before he raised taxes? vote for anyone not fanatical right wing and we might have a country with respect again vote religion out of politics

[Maerzie]

Gee, I expected him to save his endorsement for Jeb, who might have decided to pop out at the convention!

[rc00213]

Romney - The liberals' favorite GOP Candidate. Don't vote for Romney.

Please tell all your friends to vote, we need a big turnout.
These are a few reasons why Romney is considered liberal:

1) Romney created RomneyCare which ObamaCare is based on. Kennedy

helped develop RomneyCare. Romney said he would repeal ObamaCare. Why

would he if he supports RomneyCare, he is not telling the truth.

2) Most decisions Romney made as Govenor was liberal, not

conservative. So, what make you think he will be conservative all of a

sudden?

3) Romney lost to McCain by a landslide last GOP Primary, and McCain

lost to Obama by a landslide. So, how is Romney going to win this

time?

4) When Obama wishes Romney well in the election and name calls and

villianizes the other candidates, beware!

5) Have you noticed the mass press and critics have shredded apart

every GOP candidate except Romney? That is because they know Romney

fits their agenda.

Please, if you love the USA, vote for any GOP but Romney.

[joe1022joe]

I'll tell ya what sort of a guy Arlen Spector is. Ira Einhorn murdered his girlfriend in cold blood and hid her body in a trunk in his apartment for months or years. former Senator Spector is the lawyer that not only defended the first degree murderer Ira Einhorn, but he did nothing to stop him from escaping to France where he hid for many years evading extradition back to the USA. Further, it is suspected that Spector may have assisted Einhorn to escape to France. Spector did nothing to help gain his extradition from France and issued statements supporting Einhorn. That's who Spector is.

[bantamei]

Hope it is Romney who gets nomination. He has a lot of lies to explain.

[greenlantern1]

Did any Republican ever denounce Nixon?
Hoover?
President Lincoln bolted, from the Republican party, to form the Union party.
President Teddy Roosevelt bolted to form the Bull Moose party.
Who is left?

[infantryman1968]

by 88Ronin March 28, 2012 2:26 PM EDT

RIP, GOP and good riddance

LOL!

After the Obamacare and Florida Spectical? Really?

[infantryman1968]

by TimeToEvolve March 28, 2012 2:53 PM EDT

Robmee and Bushoccio, what a pair. Part of the violent, radical GOP that has gone completely off the deep end. And taken a lot of foolish Americans who don't like themselves with them into the pool.

LOL!

The GOP are in the Panthers now? Really?

[greenlantern1]

The only convicted attorney-general was Nixon's first, John Mitchell!
The forged Diem Cable landed Chuck Colson in the hoosegow.
The forged Canuck Letter landed Donald Segretti there.
The party, of fake hippies, is also the party of fake black panthers!

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

The candidates are scared to death that dubya will endorse one of them.....

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
it's obvious the Republicans stick together, but why choose Mitt Romney and not another?
George W Bush doesn't endorse Mitt Romney ideas, he supports the strong man who may be have a possibility to defeat President Obama. this is the only reason.
"au revoir"