Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush backs Romney as president: report

WASHINGTON. December 23. KAZINFORM Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush has voiced his support for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as the next president, media reported Thursday; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

"I think Romney is the best choice for us," Bush said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. "I like (Texas Governor Rick) Perry, but he doesn't seem to be going anywhere; he's not surging forward."

While the former president fell short of making an official endorsement, the words of support would be an encouragement for Romney's campaign.

Bush said he supported Romney because of his "stability, experience, principles." "He's a fine person," he said. "I just think he's mature and reasonable -- not a bomb-thrower."

With a much longer list of endorsement than his Republican rivals, Romney is so far the favorite candidate among Republican establishment. However, he is not so popular among rank-and-file Republicans as his national poll numbers have largely been capped at 30s since he entered the race; Kazinform cites Xinhua.

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