House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa’s has really raised his profile with conservatives for taking on issues like Operation Fast and Furious and Solyndra. So his endorsement of Mitt Romney is a great pickup for the candidate, and it can certainly help boost Romney’s credibility with conservative voters:
Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will endorse Mitt Romney ahead of tonight’s debate in Florida. Issa’s battles with the White House have made him a hero to conservatives. The endorsement is doubly significant because Issa backed John McCain last time, and his rags-to-riches story gives him credibility with the GOP donor class. Romney sees him as an important asset in California. From Chairman Issa’s forthcoming statement: “The country would be well served to have someone who knows how the economy works and has worked in the private sector. President Obama never worked in the real economy – we can’t afford to have another president who has spent his career outside the real economy.”
Meanwhile, favorite of the religious right Sam Brownback will reportedly endorse Perry. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, and because the religious right already supports Perry, the endorsement probably won’t give him a bump there. But it could potentially ease some of the lingering concerns value voters have, like the Gardasil issue:
Brownback, who also ran for president in 2008 and served in the U.S. Senate, now becomes the third governor to endorse Perry — joining Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.
The endorsement is not a complete surprise. Brownback attended Perry’s prayer rally, “The Response,” at Reliant Stadium in Houston in August.
In the U.S. Senate, Brownback, who is a Catholic convert, championed social conservative causes, including working to end human trafficking and defending the right to life. He is considered a hero of the social conservative movement.
Interestingly, both Issa and Brownback endorsed McCain in 2008, so they both have a record of backing the winning candidate.
