Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a stop on his book tour for a somewhat awkward chat with a mustachioed gent and a flaxen-haired She-publican from the right-leaning Newsmax.com, during which he signaled his disapproval of big government, his firm support of free-market principles and his concerns about a potential tea party spinoff from the GOP.

“I’m frankly very pleased that the silent majority is silent no longer,” Romney said about the tea party movement before issuing the warning that, if said movement were to cause voter rifts within Republican ranks, it would “hand the country to Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and that would be very sad indeed.” –KA

Newsmax.com via USA Today:

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