Paul campaign: Endorsement of Romney not 'likely,' discussion 'premature'

A top official for Ron Paul's presidential campaign said that he does “not believe that that is likely” the Texas congressman will back Mitt Romney, and said discussion of a potential endorsement was "premature."

Campaign chairman Jesse Benton said that while he was "sure [it] would help Mitt Romney to earn Dr. Paul's endorsement," the presumptive Republican nominee would have to work to win the support of Paul's fervent supporters.

“In a lot of ways, the ball is in the court of the Republican Party and in the court of Mitt Romney. If our people are treated with respect, if our ideas, their ideas, are embraced and treated seriously and treated with respect, I think the Republican Party has a very good chance of picking up a substantial number of their votes,” Benton said. “On the flip side, if they’re treated I guess largely like they were in 2008, I think a lot of people are going to stay home, a lot of people are going to sit on their hands.”

But, Benton said, the congressman was willing to keep an open mind on a potential endorsement.

"Dr. Paul is willing to listen and willing to have conversations and willing to enter anything with an open mind," Benton said.

Paul's campaign announced Monday that they would no longer spend resources on upcoming primary contests, but said they would continue vying for delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa.

Benton said Paul would insist supporters showed "respect" for the party and Romney, whom he acknowledged "has what is very likely to be an insurmountable delegate lead.”

“We’re emphasizing decorum and we’re going to do everything in our power to work with our supporters to make sure that decorum and respect are the name of the game,” Benton said. “But we’re going to respectfully show that our people are here and we’re the way of the future.”

Benton also said he had not yet discussed a speaking slot at the convention for Paul, but that delegates pledged or sympathetic to Paul would push for some of the congressman's economic proposals to be incorporated into the party platform.

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