Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s PAC (can we start putting quotes around PAC?) announced three additions from the Sunshine State today. While none of them is Gov. Jeb Bush, each brings Romney a bit closer to the popular outgoing gov’s inner circle. Topping the list is Bush’s LG, Toni Jennings. The first woman to serve in that position, Jennings was who Bush wanted to suceed him as governor. (Alas, she didn’t run and two Republicans who Bush had his differences with did. One of them, Charlie Crist, will take over for Bush next month and is seen as sympathetic to Sen. John McCain).
The other two Florida “gets” for Romney are Al Cardenas and Allan Bense. Cardenas, from south Florida, is a GOP heavyweight who served twice as chair of the state party. Bense, from the Panhandle, was until recently speaker of the state house. Thanks in part to the urging of Gov. Bush, Bense gave serious consideration to challenging Katherine Harris for the right to take on Sen. Bill Nelson earlier this year, but eventually decided to leave politics.
In addition to these three, Romney already had two other Jeb veterans, Sally Bradshaw and Ann Woods Herberger, on board. But how about the man himself? He said at the RGA that he couldn’t “envision” an endorsement, but that leaves a bit of wiggle room, doesn’t it?