Not A Single Member Of Congress Has Endorsed Either Bachmann Or Santorum

Most Republicans in Congress are staying out of the GOP "presidential" primary endorsement race, although with Romney clearly headed for the nomination, he's got the bulk of the endorsements (32). A few radical right-wingers like Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Sam Graves (R-MO) and a gaggle of reactionary Texans have thrown their lot in with the buffoonish Rick Perry, though all previous to him going off the rails in such a public way. His son and two libertarians have endorsed Ron Paul and Gingrich has managed to round up a tiny handful of his old cronies from when he was censured by the House and forced to resign as Speaker.

It makes sense that no one endorsed Herman Cain; no one knows who he is and no serious politician ever considered him anything more than a semi-competent sparring partner for Romney-- and a sometimes amusing minstrel show. But it is noteworthy that after all the years Michele Bachmann, head of the House Tea Party caucus, and Rick Santorum, once the Senate's most hysterical and fanatic homophobe, served in Congress neither has managed to corral even one friend or colleague to stand up for them. It's kind of sad, actually.

Romney starts off, of course, with an advantage-- all the Republican Mormons are united in their fervour for getting one of their own into the White House. He's been endorsed by Mormon congressmen Rob Bishop (R-UT), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Wally Herger (R-CA), Buck McKeon (R-CA), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). His other big pool of endorsees comes from Members who are from moderate districts and don't want to be seen to be associated with right-wing extremists and sociopaths like... well, like the rest of the Republican field. Congressmembers facing tough reelection races in suburban swing districts-- Judy Biggert (R-IL), John Campbell (R-CA), Michael Grimm (R-NY), Nan Hayworth (R-NY), Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), and Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)-- are desperate to tell their constituents that they're not "with" the Rick Perrys, Newt Gingrichs and Michele Bachmanns of the GOP.

Some of these non-Mormon Romney-endorsers are the same people who are going wobbly on the Grover Norquist pledge, which is proving to be a major embarrassment among independent swing voters this cycle. Norquist is bragging all over DC that GOP hints of overturning his crippling pledge are just a negotiating ploy and that the hard-right Republican leadership will never let it happen. Why else would Boehner have installed Michigan plutocrat-- and heir to the Whirlpool fortune-- Fred Upton to the SuperCommittee?

Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative anti-tax group, said the GOP proposal is merely a negotiating position and that Republican leaders have assured him they won’t raise taxes.

“It’s not written down. It’s a negotiating position. It won’t pass the House or the Senate. I’ve talked to the House leadership and the Senate leadership. They’re not going to be passing any tax increases,” Norquist told The Hill on Monday.