WASHINGTON — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal endorsed Rick Perry for president Monday, calling the Texas governor “the candidate who can lead our party to victory in 2012.”
Jindal and Perry announced the endorsement just hours after former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty endorsed Mitt Romney, Perry’s most significant rival for the Republican nomination.
Jindal praised Perry’s job-creation record as Texas governor, the central message of Perry’s campaign.
“The 1 million jobs he’s helped create as governor is a stark contrast to the 2.4 million jobs lost on President Obama’s watch,” Jindal said in a statement.
Pawlenty announced his endorsement of Romney on a Fox News show, and the Romney campaign rushed out a letter from Pawlenty explaining the decision.
In it, Pawlenty said Romney’s business background makes him the ideal candidate to right the nation’s flagging economy.
“I believe he can turn it around,” Pawlenty said. The Associated Press
