New Wisconsin poll shows Romney up by 7 points as Paul Ryan endorses the front-runner

Wisconsin congressman and deficit hawk Paul Ryan endorsed Mitt Romney today, as an NBC/Marist poll showed that the former Massachusetts governor is leading Rick Santorum 40 percent to 33 percent in the state.

The House Budget Committee Chairman and rising GOP star said on "Fox and Friends" Friday morning that the long primary could become "counterproductive."

"We need to coalesce as conservatives around Mitt Romney," Ryan said. "The longer we drag it out, the harder it is to win in November."

"I am convinced that Mitt Romney has the skills, the tenacity, the principles, the courage and the integrity to do what it takes to get America back on track," he said.

Romney said he was "grateful" for the endorsement.

Ryan's nod for Romney follows high-profile endorsements from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former President George H.W. Bush earlier this week. The Wisconsin primary is Tuesday.

Nearly 75 percent of Wisconsin Republicans said they approved of Ryan in a November poll, compared to 40 percent of the state's voters overall.

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