Wolfeboro, New Hampshire Aug 6 (Reuters) - Republican
presidential candidate Mitt Romney's most bitter rival for his
party's nomination has agreed to speak at the nominating
convention in Tampa, Florida, later this month.
Rick Santorum, the former presidential candidate who lobbed
harsh criticism at Romney during some bitter primary contests,
will join a host of other big-name Republicans as headline
speakers, according to Republican sources.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will also speak at the
convention, along with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and Tea
Party hero and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Paul spent much of the year campaigning against Romney on
behalf of his father, Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
Details about when the speakers will take the stage have not
been released.
After winning the Iowa caucuses, Santorum emerged as an
unlikely but persistent burr in Romney's side, warning that the
Republican Party would make a mistake by picking the former
Massachusetts governor.
Because of that, some senior Romney advisers argued against
giving Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, a speaking
slot at the convention, fearing he might go off-message and
reprise some of his criticisms from the primaries.
Santorum announced he was suspending his campaign on April
10, clearing the way for Romney to begin campaigning in earnest
against President Barack Obama.
Jeb Bush will not be joined by his brother, former President
George W. Bush, who announced recently he will not attend the
convention.
Romney will likely address the convention on Thursday, Aug.
30 in a primetime address where he will formally accept the
Republican nomination.
Speculation remains rampant over who Romney will choose to
join him on the ticket as his running mate.
On Monday, the Republican candidate laughed off a question
about whether he was meeting with potential candidates Tim
Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, or Senator Rob
Portman of Ohio while spending some time off at his lake house
in Wolfeboro, N.H.