Eastwood to make Romney's day

TAMPA, Fla. — Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood will grace the stage of the Tampa Bay Times Forum Thursday night before Mitt Romney’s prime-time speech, promising an exciting finale to the Republican National Convention.

Multiple networks confirmed that Eastwood would be speaking at the convention, putting an end to the mysterious “To Be Announced” slot listed before Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the official RNC schedule.


( PHOTOS: Clint Eastwood gets political)

The Romney campaign kept Eastwood’s planned appearance under wraps all week, brushing off questions from reporters who have been poking at various spokespeople in the hopes of getting a clue.

With campaign officials keeping their lips tightly sealed, the speculation game was on full force this week. Other names floated included NFL superstar Tim Tebow (but as the New York Daily News pointed out, the quarterback planned to be at a Jets-Eagles game Thursday) and Colin Powell.

Asked what an Eastwood appearance would mean for the final night of the convention, Republicans gathered here in Tampa gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

( Also on POLITICO: 10 essential facts about Eastwood)

“Obama does it all the time, so what’s wrong with that?” Herman Cain told POLITICO. “The whole Hollywood thing. I think it would be great if they have a big-name Hollywood star to come in an add some excitement. Remember, one of the objectives of the convention is to inspire people and excite people. And I think if it’s him, it’ll excite people.”

Conservative media star Ann Coulter also expressed her approval. “That would be a blast, just because he’s so cool,” she said, before adding about Romney, “He’s a square, and I love him for being a square.”

( Ten Clint Eastwood campaign slogans)

One Republican member of Congress also responded with enthusiasm. “I’m a huge Clint Eastwood fan. Are you kidding me?” said Sen. Scott Brown. “‘Gran Torino’ is a great movie and he’s a legend. I’d like to meet him.”

No stranger to politics, Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, Calif., in 1986 and held the office for one term. He was even considered — briefly — as a potential running mate for George H.W. Bush in 1988.

Eastwood officially endorsed Romney earlier this month, appearing at a fundraiser for the candidate in Idaho. At that event, Eastwood said he got to know the politician in the “early 2000’s” when Romney was running for governor.

The actor, who was filming “Mystic River” in Massachusetts at the time, said he thought to himself, “God, this guy, he’s too handsome to be governor, but he does look like he could be president.”

Eastwood supported Sen. John McCain in 2008 and was expected to back the GOP ticket again in 2012. But when he starred in a Super Bowl ad that many saw as pro-Obama in February, it wasn’t clear where he stood.

In the commercial for Chrysler, Eastwood spoke optimistically about America making “a comeback.”

“Detroit’s showing us it can be done,” he said “… This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do, the world is going to hear the roar of our engines.”

Though the spot sounded like an endorsement of the auto bailout and possibly the president, Eastwood later said it was just a message “about job growth and the spirit of America.”