[West Palm Beach, FL] With the grueling Republican primary finally over – Rick Santorum dropped out yesterday, if you haven’t heard – the jockeying for position has begun for potential running mates for Mitt Romney. So far, much of the hype-buzz surrounds South Florida Congressman Allen West (R-22/Fort Lauderdale).

First, as reported by Sunshine Slate, Sarah Palin was the first major Republican talking head to “nominate” West.

“You know who I’d like to see … Colonel Allen West,” Palin said during the interview. “Colonel Allen West, who’s been to the school of hard knocks, he should be the one who should be considered seriously for VP.”

“In this very tumultuous time across our world, someone who has served in our military or at least has intimate knowledge of the way the military works and should work, perhaps by having a close family member serve, someone like that,” said Palin, emphasizing West’s military background.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley also spoke out in favor of West as the VP nod, telling FOX News that, “You have heard Governor Palin talk about West, and he’s good.”

But Haley also said there were some other good options (including another from Florida).

“Of course, Marco Rubio is great and Chris Christie. We know he can be the fighter, and I think there are so many really great ones out there,” said Haley. “I think Romney is going to have a hard time picking.”

Photo: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

Herman Cain suggested South Florida Congressman Allen West for the VP slot

Now another major player on the GOP scene has come forward with an endorsement for West for the 2012 ticket as VP: Herman Cain. During an interview on Monday on a radio show hosted by Steve Gill as reported by Talking Points Memo, Cain was asked his thoughts on who should get the VP nod.

“Colonel Allen West out of Florida,” Cain said without hesitation. “Here’s why. He is well-spoken, he is direct, people in Florida love him, he has a huge following. He is from Florida. Florida is going to be one of those key states.”

“But more importantly, Colonel Allen West is a dedicated patriot,” said Cain. “He served in the military, and he is willing to serve his country some more.”

Cain didn’t stop there – he offered West a helping hand in the inner dialogue he might have on the matter.

“Now I know that there might be some push back on his part, because he’s just in his first term as a United States Congressman,” Cain said. “But my advice to him, if he were to ask me, is, you’ve served your country well and now you have a higher calling.”

“I would strongly recommend that he consider it, depending on any personal considerations he might have,” the former campaigner-for-president said.

In other Allen West news – there’s always something – the outspoken Republican actually said that supports about “10 to 15 pages” of the embattled Affordable Care Act, which probably didn’t sit well with his Tea Party base. But it was his comment on a certain provision that caught a lot of attention.

“You want to talk about something that’s really racist? They have a tanning tax,” West said, referring to a tax on tanning salons in the Affordable Care Act’s language, as reported by the The Palm Beach Post.

“I’m not tanning.”

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Lead image: from Allen West’s official Flickr photostream

Allen West