Former Sen. Bob Dole Endorses Romney

Mitt Romney has snagged the endorsement of former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, who announced his support for the former Massachusetts governor today in an ad in today's Des Moines Register.

Dole’s endorsement comes one day after Iowa’s, largest, and liberal-leaning, newspaper endorsed Romney in the run-up to the Jan. 3 caucuses in the Hawkeye State.

Dole, the 1996 GOP nominee for president, says in his ad: "I've known Mitt and his family for decades. His parents instilled in him a strong work ethic, rock-solid conservative values, and a deep sense of service to others. These traits — which have shone through in both the debates and in my own visits with him — will serve him well in the White House."

Romney "rescued a flailing Winter Olympics when it was mired in financial scandal," Dole’s ad says, adding that, as Massachusetts governor, Romney "managed to both balance the state's budget and cut taxes while dealing with an overwhelmingly Democratic state legislature."

On Friday, Romney gained the endorsement of South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley. South Carolina's Jan. 21 primary is the first presidential contest in the South and the third in the early voting season.