DeMint will back Romney

As reported by the Hotline's Marc Ambinder last night, former governor Mitt Romney has picked up a key backer in South Carolina: Senator Jim DeMint. DeMint, who will serve as a senior adviser, will help Romney establish some conservative bona fides in a conservative state. The state's other senator, Lindsey Graham, is a longtime pal of Arizona Senator John McCain.

Read DeMint's letter to South Carolina Republicans here. The release from the Romney campaign follows.

Boston, MA – Governor Mitt Romney announced today that Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) will serve as a senior adviser to the Romney for President Exploratory Committee. Senator DeMint is a conservative leader in the U.S. Senate and the chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, a caucus of conservative senators that includes the majority of the Republican Conference.

"Senator DeMint believes, as I do, that we must find new solutions to help ensure the American Dream for every citizen. That is why I am so honored that he will serve as a senior adviser to my Exploratory Committee," said Governor Romney. "As we move forward, Senator DeMint will be a powerful spokesman for our vision for the future not only in South Carolina but nationally."

In a letter released today to fellow Republicans in South Carolina, Senator DeMint wrote, "We must elect a President in 2008 who is up to the task, and I need you to encourage Mitt to run. ... As a leader who has spent most of his life in the private sector, Governor Romney will call on America's strength and character to solve problems and secure our future."