Michigan Governor Backs Romney [VIDEO]

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is backing Mitt Romney's bid for the Republican presidential nomination, calling the former Massachusetts governor "the man for the job."

Snyder announced his support for the Michigan native in an op-ed column published Thursday by The Detroit News. Snyder says Romney "has what it takes to build a foundation for America's success in this global economy."

• NJ Decides: Presidential Election 2012
• GOP Campaign

Romney is fighting rival Rick Santorum to win the Feb. 28 Republican primary in Michigan. Losing the contest would be a significant embarrassment for Romney, whose father, George, served as Michigan's governor before losing his presidential bid in 1968.

Snyder, who like Romney is a former venture capitalist, was elected in 2010 after campaigning as an outsider with business experience.

Romney and Santorum both have campaign events Thursday in Michigan.

Santorum's tax returns show rise in wealth

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is releasing four years' worth of federal income tax returns showing a steady rise in his personal wealth between 2007 and 2010.

Santorum's returns show his federal income taxes rose from 2007, when he paid $167,000, to $310,000 in 2009, then dropped to $263,000 in 2010. During that same period, his annual income surged from nearly $660,000 in 2007 to $1.1 million in 2009 before slipping to $923,000 in 2010.

Santorum has sold himself as a Washington outsider and social conservative. After he lost a bid for re-election as a senator from Pennsylvania in 2006, he became a millionaire by capitalizing on his D.C. political connections, working as a corporate consultant and media commentator.

The returns were first made available Wednesday night by Politico.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)