Rick Santorum has not released delegates

By JUANA SUMMERS | 6/8/12 11:57 AM EDT

CHICAGO — He’s abandoned his presidential bid and endorsed Mitt Romney, but Rick Santorum has yet to release his delegates to this summer’s convention.

“I haven’t done anything as far as releasing anybody,” Santorum told reporters Friday ahead of his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Chicago. “I want to make sure that our delegates have an opportunity to come. A lot of, many of these folks were great volunteers and workers for us and I want to make sure they have the opportunity to experience that convention.”

Santorum also announced the formation of a political group called “Patriot Voices” that will not only back Romney in the 2012 presidential race, but support conservative candidate for House and Senate.

“What do I call winning eleven states? Just the beginning,” Santorum said in a video message on the Patriot Voices Web site. “Because by staying together you and I can amplify our voices and change America. The top of that list, of course, is defeating Barack Obama and taking back the White House. But it’s also critical that we help elect conservatives all across this country and monitor everyday to make sure they stick to our conservative principles.”

At CPAC Friday morning, Santorum said he’s not interested in any sort of power-play regarding the party’s nomination, but wants to have an influence on the GOP platform at the Tampa convention in August. Santorum currently has 267 delegates, compared to 1,480 for Romney, 138 for Newt Gingrich and 137 for Ron Paul, according to POLITICO’s Delegate Tracker.

“We have other candidates who have delegates coming who — let’s just put it this way — may have a different approach, particularly to the platform and some of the other issues that are going to be discussed at the convention,” Santorum said. “I want to make sure that the folks who represent the values that I did during this campaign are also able to come to that convention and have their voices heard. I certainly have encouraged everyone to support Governor Romney as I have, there are a lot of other issues at the convention other than just voting for the nominee.”

A number of delegates affiliated with Paul are hoping to get on the platform committee, setting up an ideological clash between his supporters and the Republican establishment. But Paul recently admitted he wouldn’t win the GOP nod, and his son, Sen. Rand Paul, announced his backing of Romney.

“We want to make sure that we have folks who stand by the principles that are the basis, the basic principles of our party and our platform, that we have articulate voices there at the convention to make sure if there is a fight that we’re armed and ready to engage the fight,” the former Pennsylvania senator said on Friday.

Santorum said the participation of his supporters at this summer’s convention isn’t an issue he raised with the Republican National Committee when he recently met with chairman Reince Priebus. He also said he isn’t jockeying for a speaking slot in Tampa.

“That’s for the RNC and Governor Romney to decide who’s going to speak and when they’re going to speak. If I’m on the speaking list that’s great. If not, that’s fine too,” he said.

Rick Santorum has not released delegates - Juana Summers - POLITICO.com