Bush 41 to back Mitt Romney

By REID J. EPSTEIN | 3/28/12 12:03 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES — On Thursday, former President George H.W. Bush will formalize his support of Mitt Romney in the GOP presidential at an event in Houston, Romney officials said Wednesday.

Bush, who in December told the Houston Chronicle that “I think Romney is the best choice for us” met with Romney shortly before Christmas, but has not made any public campaign appearances with the former Massachusetts governor.
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The 87-year-old former president joins his son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in offering Romney formal support, though Jeb Bush has not campaigned with Romney.

Former President George W. Bush has yet to make an endorsement or speak publicly about the field of GOP presidential candidates.

Neither Jeb nor George W. Bush will appear at the Thursday event, a Romney official said.

The endorsement comes as Romney is engaging in a two-day string of Texas fundraisers in which the appearance with Bush is the lone public event.

A fundraiser scheduled after the appearance with Bush at Houston’s St. Regis hotel is expected to net Romney $500,000, one Romney fundraiser said.

Word of the formal endorsement was first reported by The Associated Press.

Campaign officials this week have been particularly coy about the Houston event, allowing only pool reporters to be present for the endorsement ceremony and, with 30 hours to go before the event is scheduled to begin, still had not released its location.

Bush 41 to back Mitt Romney - Reid J. Epstein - POLITICO.com