By Chas Sisk, The Tennessean
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney appears to have taken
down an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in the wake of
reports that he discussed an abortion with a pregnant patient with whom
he'd had an affair.
Access has been blocked to a May 29 post on
Romney's campaign website that quotes Romney as saying he's "very proud
to have the support of such a principled and independent conservative as
Scott DesJarlais." But a link to the statement remained on DesJarlais' campaign website this morning, and a cached version of the statement can still be found online.
A spokesman for Romney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the posting's removal.
Romney
goes on to say that DesJarlais "has been a real leader for balancing
the budget, lowering taxes, and scaling back the size of government."
"I
look forward to working with Scott to spread that kind of conservative
message across the Volunteer State as we work to restore America's
promise," Romney's statement concludes.
DesJarlais also offers his endorsement of Romney.
"I
have said on numerous occasions that this election will be one of the
most important in our nation's history. We face substantial economic
obstacles that require the bold leadership and credible solutions that
President Obama simply has not provided," said Congressman DesJarlais.
"Mitt Romney has the proven experience of creating jobs and balancing
budgets. His commitment to lowering taxes, reducing spending, and
reforming runaway entitlements is exactly the type of vision needed in
the White House."
The statement does not mention either
candidate's stance on abortion. Both describe themselves as "pro-life"
but DesJarlais has avoided answering specific questions about his
beliefs. Romney ran as a "pro-choice" candidate in Massachusetts before
changing his stance.