John Thune to endorse Romney today

Mitt Romney will pick up a national-level endorsement in Des Moines this morning when U.S. Sen. John Thune accompanies him on a presidential campaign visit, Romney aides told The Des Moines Register…

Thune’s accompanying statement stressed Romney’s ability to deal with economic troubles. “Mitt Romney has shown throughout his life in the private sector, as leader of the Olympics, as governor, and in this campaign that he will not back down from difficult challenges. His plans to revitalize the private sector and restore our country’s fiscal health are drawn from his 25 year career as a conservative businessman.”

Christopher Rants, a former Iowa House speaker from Sioux City, said Thune is widely respected as an articulate conservative. “I think that’s a great endorsement whether it’s here or elsewhere,” he said. “Thune may be a little bit better known in northwest Iowa than, say, Dubuque or Muscatine, but the reality is that Thune’s an up-and-comer, rising star in the party, period.” Rants worked for Romney in the 2008 cycle but is unaligned at this point.