Want an endorsement?
Just slide the unmarked bills under the door ...
Oh, so
that's how Rick Santorum
earned the coveted endorsement of The Family Leader president:
One of the most influential Christian leaders in Iowa told Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum "he needed money to promote the endorsement" of the candidate, Santorum told CNN on Wednesday.
The conversation between Santorum and Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Iowa-based The Family Leader, happened before Vander Plaats personally endorsed Santorum on Tuesday.
"What he talked about was he needed money to promote the endorsement and that that would be important to do that," Santorum said, referring to Vander Plaats.
Um, yeah. So Rick Santorum wants the endorsement, but he's going to have to pay "to promote" it? Because it costs an awful lot of money to say, "Vote for this guy"? Gosh, that sounds a lot like ... what's the word? Oh yeah. Bribery.
Yet the candidate added: "There was never a direct ask for me to go out and raise money for it."
Oh, sure. Vander Plaats never said, "I will endorse you if you give me money." Not directly. He just suggested that if he were to endorse Santorum, well, Santorum would need to cough up a few bucks. Which sounds a lot like ... what's the word? Oh yeah. Bribery.
So when Vander Plaats said that Santorum "is the best one to launch out of Iowa right now," and "praised the candidate's worldview and family values," I guess Santorum had already agreed to pay the price. But apparently, he did not opt for the premium package:
On Tuesday, Vander Plaats personally endorsed Santorum. The Family Leader did not endorse a candidate as an organization.