Santorum, Jeb, Rand Paul get convention speaking slots

Via Reuters, the latest news on convention slots for the RNC:

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 Gov. Jeb Bush will also speak, along with Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and tea party hero and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Paul spent much of the year campaigning against Romney on behalf of his father, Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Some Romney advisers, per the story, had argued against giving Santorum the stage, given his harsh criticisms of the presumptive nominee in the primaries and the fears he would go off-script. It's hard to see how Santorum or his backers would have stood for that.

(PHOTOS: 2008 RNC & DNC speakers)

Jeb Bush getting a slot is no surprise. Neither is Rand Paul. To that end, all three men are likely 2016 contenders.

Yet while the inclusion of Paul was expected, given the national ambitions he's believed to hold and his dad's interest in preserving them, the selection underscores the following Ron Paul has developed, how important it is to Romney this cycle, and how important it could be to the Kentucky senator in the future.