WASHINGTON: Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney met on Thursday with several influential lawmakers in Congress, eager for the party to coalesce around his presidential bid after he snagged a top endorsement.
Following Wednesday's announcement that former Florida governor Jeb Bush -- son and brother of two presidents -- gave Romney his backing, the candidate met with the number three House Republican, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, as well as Senator Jim DeMint, their offices confirmed.
The former Massachusetts governor also met with Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House Budget Committee chairman who this week released a contentious new budget proposal aimed at slashing federal spending, cutting debt and reforming entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
"I can confirm congressman Ryan along with members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation met earlier today with the governor," Ryan spokesman Kevin Seifert told AFP.
Romney was riding high after a convincing win Tuesday in the state of Illinois.
Bush's endorsement followed by Thursday's meetings suggest the Republican establishment is eager to close ranks around the frontrunner to prevent the divisive nominations battle from damaging Republicans' chances to take the White House from President Barack Obama in November.
But much of the momentum has been smothered by the latest stumble in the gaffe-prone campaign, one in which a senior aide described Romney strategy as being like an Etch A Sketch toy that can be drawn on and erased at will.
Asked if Romney tacked too far to the right for non-Republican voters, long-standing advisor Eric Fehrnstrom said the general election campaign would be "almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."
That reinforced core Republican doubts about Romney's conservative credentials, and provided abundant fodder for Republican rivals as well as Democrats who mocked the gaffe relentlessly.
Romney held a rally in Maryland on Wednesday, and attended a fund-raiser Thursday in Washington before he campaigns Friday in the southern state of Louisiana.
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