DeMint, Many Wallets Endorse Romney

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) is announcing his endorsement of Mitt Romney for President in 2008 in a letter being sent to South Carolina Republicans.

The endorsement letter, obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, marks a split between the two Republican senators representing South Carolina, which holds the first southern presidential primary.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona is favored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina's senior senator.

DeMint's split is seen by some as a move to find a conservative alternative to McCain, but it's not that much of a surprise.

DeMint was elected in 2004.

McCain and Romney have both set up exploratory committees and started raising money for presidential bids but haven't formally declared they're running.

The endorsement gives Romney a well-timed extra shot in the arm, following his monster haul from yesterday's kick-off fundraising phone-a-thon.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney flashed a $6.5 million smile yesterday after a highly touted daylong fund-raising event piled cash into his presidential war chest and put his GOP rivals on notice.

Referring to 400 supporters who hit the phones at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Romney said, “They’ve come together and blown us away today, and humbled us at the same time.”
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The figure dwarfed the money raised so far by two GOP stars leading the 2008 speculation, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

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