George W. Bush Offers Quiet Endorsement of Romney

George W. Bush offered a quiet endorsement of his party's presumptive nominee on Monday, telling a Washington reporter that "I'm for Mitt Romney."

The former president's decision to back Romney is far from a political shocker, but the way he broke the news was at least somewhat unusual.

ABC News reports that Bush offered the informal endorsement as the doors of an elevator he was standing in were closing. (The former president had made a rare return trip to the nation's capital to give a speech on human rights.)

Given Bush's popularity ratings when he left office during the economic recession, it's unlikely that the Romney camp will want to provide a photo op of Bush and Romney standing side by side, particularly as the former Massachusetts governor continues to use the economy as a key pillar in his campaign. Still, as the Hill notes, Bush's support may still spur some additional fundraising among the Republican base.

Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, and his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, have already publicly backed Romney.