Rush Limbaugh: Mitt Romney 'Is Not A Conservative' (AUDIO)

Rush Limbaugh, on his Thursday radio broadcast, spoke bluntly about GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

"Romney is not a conservative," said Limbaugh (as pointed out by RealClearPolitics). He continued, "he's not, folks. But you can argue with me all day long on that, but he isn't." Limbaugh went on to explain that "what [Romney] has going for him is that he's not Obama," and that the former Massachusetts governor is a "seasoned" debater.

Despite the conservative radio host's harsh words, Limbaugh told his audience that he likes Romney "very much" and that Romney is "a fine guy. He's a very nice gentleman. He is a gentleman. But he's not a conservative."

Limbaugh's comments highlight a problem for Mitt Romney -- the challenge of impressing the conservative Tea Party movement. HuffPost's Jon Ward examines the possibility that a Romney nomination might "kill the Tea Party." More from Ward's report:

In other words, will the conservative grassroots turn out in force for a Romney ticket -- not only to vote, but also to organize and recruit supporters -- like they did in the 2010 midterm elections? Romney's critics argue they won't.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe raised the prospect of a third party candidate if the former Massachusetts governor is the nominee, telling The New York Times this week that at the very least, a Romney candidacy would discourage conservative activism in the 2012 election.

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll shows Romney trailing fellow GOP contender Herman Cain. The poll shows Cain in first place with 27 percent support and Romney in second place with 23 percent support. Another poll, this one by Ipsos/Reuters, shows Romney in the lead with 23 percent support and Cain trailing with 19 percent support.

LISTEN TO LIMBAUGH'S COMMENTS IN THE VIDEO ABOVE (via YouTube/thePajamaPundit)