RNC chair holds back on Romney endorsement 'out of respect'

Current Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus appeared on CNN's "John King USA" on Friday night, but withheld his endorsement of presumptive Republican 2012 nominee Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA).

CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin asked Priebus whether he shouldn't, as party chair, endorse the obvious front-runner and stave off any potential damage that could still be done by the long, bruising primary process. Priebus said that he would wait to endorse until after the primaries are over, "out of respect" for the remaining two candidates, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX).

Priebus made headlines recently when he dismissed what many call the Republicans' "War on Women" as being as ridiculous as saying that the GOP is conducting a "war on caterpillars." Before ascending to the position of national party chairman, Priebus was chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party.

Watch the clip, embedded via CNN, below: