Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) described Republican nominee Mitt Romney as a "people pleaser" who will need continued guidance to follow conservative principles if he is elected president.
Speaking in Texas earlier this week, Gohmert said the work of Republicans to reform the federal government will not end if Romney replaces President Obama in the White House.
"If Romney gets elected, as we're hoping and praying and working for — well, keep in mind, it doesn't stop then," Gohmert said Tuesday in comments that were posted Wednesday.
"The good news is, Mitt Romney is a people pleaser. The bad news is, Mitt Romney is a people pleaser," Gohmert said. "And so that means come January, everybody across the country is going to have to make sure that we let him know: this is what America believes in, this is what you said you would do, and we expect you to do it."
Gohmert's comments are a reminder that many Republicans, while now united in pushing for a Romney victory over President Obama, had preferred other GOP candidates earlier in the year that were perceived to be more conservative.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won the popular vote in 11 states during the Republican primaries, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) won two and Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) won one state.
Gohmert told his audience that his experience, after eight years in Congress, has taught him that conservative ideas need to be pressed constantly to get them passed.
He recounted his eight-year fight for legislation to end automatic discretionary spending increases during his entire time in Congress, which finally resulted in House passage of a bill to stop these increases.
He said support for the bill from House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) made it possible to pass the Baseline Reform Act in February.
Gohmert also said he tried to sell Ryan, now Romney's running mate, on the idea of making the bill something to highlight during the presidential campaign. But he said that idea was rejected, even though Ryan liked the plan.
"People didn't listen to me. Paul [Ryan] liked the idea but he's taking orders from somebody else now," Gohmert said, an apparent reference to the Romney campaign.
Still, Gohmert said Ryan has promised him that this issue would be considered as a priority in the Romney administration.
"[Ryan] told me two weeks ago, he says, 'Louie, it doesn't look like they're going to make it a campaign issue, but I promise you, as president of the Senate, we're going to get it through the Senate too.' "
