Contact: Bob Sturm, 703-396-6974; after 6 PM Eastern & on weekends, 703-307-8176

MANASSAS, Va., April 13, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following is a statement from Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, concerning the endorsements Mitt Romney has received since the withdrawal of Rick Santorum from the presidential race:

"As soon as Rick Santorum suspended his campaign, some conservatives were quick to endorse Mitt Romney. They got it exactly backwards -- conservatives should not be rushing to embrace Romney; Romney should be rushing to embrace conservatives.

"Going back to when he first entered politics in the 1990s, Mitt Romney has been no friend to the conservative movement. This has left him with, not just a hill, but a mountain to climb to gain the support of many grassroots conservative activists and leaders.

"Rick Santorum set a good example when he suspended his campaign without endorsing Mitt Romney. Like Rick, many other conservative activists and leaders are sitting on the sidelines waiting for some concrete actions from Romney to prove that he actually wants conservative support.

"So far, there's no new sign that a Romney administration will result in the kind of fiscally sound, constitutionally conservative government that conservatives saw coming from the other candidates in the race.

"In fact, during the campaign, Mitt Romney sent every signal possible he wanted to get the nomination without owing conservatives or the Tea Party anything.

"If Romney wants the support of grassroots conservatives and Tea Partiers, the next six moves are up to him.

"My advice to my fellow conservatives is, 'don't be cheap dates.' Governor Romney has said he intends to govern as a conservative. To ensure that he does so, conservatives should demand nothing less than a Romney administration and a Romney White House dominated by conservatives."