Endorsements Galore!

1. Rep. Steve King, (R-IA), endorses Fred Dalton Thompson (pace Bob Kerrey, we're using middle names today). King is one of those conservative politicians who drives the more established media crazy with his gut-generated utterances. He is very well respected in Western Iowa, however, and his endorsement provides critical validation of Thompson's conservativism.

WTF? Mitt Romney's team gathered at the back of the room, expecting his endorsement. But at the last moment, King said he had chosen Thompson.

Good for Thompson, who is well on his way to a third place finish in Iowa, and horrible, horrible news for Mitt Romney, who needed a dose of good news in Iowa, and who apparently assumed he would get this nomination.

2. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) endorses Barack Obama. This one wasn't a surprise, given Loebsack's politics and his congressional district's affinity for Mr. Obama. "Obama is energizing, organizing, and mobilizing ordinary Americans to get involved in their democracy in a way I haven't seen in a long time," Loebsack says.

Comments

Where are the Romney trolls on this one? Waiting for the campaign talking points?

One more example of the practiced hubris of the Romney camp.

Posted by Sure it's yours | December 17, 2007 11:14 AM

Boy, how did the Romney team screw that up? Embarrassing, to say the least. Bizarre.

Posted by cms | December 17, 2007 11:23 AM

"practiced hubris"

Sounds more like good manners to me.

Posted by jimrob | December 17, 2007 11:30 AM

Hey, Romney Hack here. I don't know Mr. King, but any endorsement for anyone other than Huckabee totally helps Romney, especially this endorsement of Thompson (my second choice) as any defecters to Thompson's cause will come from Hucakabee, not Romney. Thank you, Congressman King.

Posted by MR Hack | December 17, 2007 11:40 AM

From the comments section on Ben Smith's blog, a gem:
She was asked yesterday at an IA event how she could defeat the Republicans. Her response, courtesy of the NY Times blog: "I'm running against three other senators and one former senator; none of them have more than one other senator supporting them, and some have none,'" she said. "I have nine, from states as diverse as California and Hawaii. Why? Why would experienced and knowledgeable Democrats support me if they thought that was true? They are not on a suicide mission. They want to win, and so do I."

Posted by JC | December 17, 2007 12:15 PM

Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani tumbles down in the GOP primary of New York, in the state that is supposed to be "momentum-proof!"

Posted by Daniel | December 17, 2007 12:48 PM

These local Iowa pols probably carry more power than most in the MSM realize. These are major gets...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Posted by matt | December 17, 2007 2:24 PM

I am what the media calls 'an evangelical,' Christian, living in Iowa. Like many Iowans, I'm familiar with Steve King. I support Huckabee, but I'd happier with Thompson then Romney. I don't like some of King's public statements. This hurts efforts to make romney the 'establishment' candidate. But the race in Iowa is really Huckabee vs Romney, and I'd take Huckabee over Romney anyday. Huckabee is seriously against abortion, he's a real social conservative. I think Thompson supporters should vote for Huckabee.

Posted by iowan | December 17, 2007 2:37 PM

I'm an evangelical, I am completely behind Thompson, and I will NEVER vote for Huckabee. He is deceitful, sneaky, and very greedy.

He is NOT a conservative.

Posted by Cindy | December 17, 2007 4:00 PM

I don't see how Christians could vote for anyone besides Ron Paul. He's the only one in the race who actually takes Christian principles, like not lying, seriously.

Posted by Libertarian Girl | December 17, 2007 5:15 PM