Romney gets backing of top GOP leaders

WASHINGTON -- The two top Republicans in Congress endorsed Mitt Romney yesterday to be their party's presidential nominee, as party leaders continued consolidating around their all-but-inevitable candidate in hopes of focusing attention on ousting Barack Obama in this fall's election.

The public embraces offered by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell came the same day that several House conservatives expressed support for the former Massachusetts governor, though some seemed more enthusiastic than others.

"If you're not sure about wanting to support Mitt Romney, whether you're liberal, whether you're very conservative, you ought to be excited because he's been on your side at one time or another," Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said at a forum of conservative lawmakers.

The statements of support by Boehner (R-Ohio) and McConnell (R-Ky.) came a week after former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania ended his bid for the GOP nomination, in effect ceding the field to Romney.

Both leaders' remarks came in response to reporters' questions. Aides for each said there was no coordination between the two and that the timing simply reflected their return to Washington after Congress' two-week spring recess.

"I think Mitt Romney has a set of economic policies that can put Americans back to work and, frankly, contrast sharply with the failed economic policies of President Obama," Boehner told reporters.

Hours later, it was McConnell's turn. "Yeah, I support Gov. Romney for president of the United States, and he is going to be the nominee," he said.

Romney, meanwhile, sought to inoculate himself Tuesday against Democratic charges that he favors the rich, saying his yet-to-be disclosed tax plans will not benefit the well-to-do at the expense of others.

"I'm going to keep the burden on the upper-income people the same as it is today," he said as he campaigned across Pennsylvania on Tax Day. "I know Democrats will say it day in and day out, 'They are for tax cuts for the rich,' " he said, mimicking his rivals. "No," he added firmly.