msnbc contributor Meghan McCain stuck around after the show last night to chat with me in the green room about her dad's endorsement of Willard M. Romney.
In spite of Lawrence's insistence that Mitt Romney is, in fact, a "robot," she re-iterated the family "endorsement is real." She assured us, she's come "full circle" in her view on Romney (even though she used to steal yard signs bearing his name during the last election).
"We really hope and pray [Romney] becomes the nominee of the Republican Party in this election cycle," she told me, referring to Rick Santorum's recent surge to the top of in Iowa.
On the show, she suggested she would be more than just embarrassed by her dad if he came out in support of the über conservative. "If he had endorsed Santorum I mean I would be, like, slitting my wrists at this table right now," said the self-described "dirty moderate Republican." As she herself admitted, "no one will ever accuse me of being subtle."
Backstage she elaborated, saying she "can't stand Santorum" for his "extreme" views on social issues and the economy.
She may not have much to worry about. A New Hampshire tracking poll out today shows only a slight bump for Santorum among likely voters in New Hampshire.