Dave Mustaine clairfies his Santorum "endorsement"

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine clarified his purported endorsement of Rick Santorum for president, which was widely reported yesterday after the rocker made positive remarks about the politician in an interview.

"Contrary to how some people have interpreted my words, I have not endorsed any presidential candidate," the rocker said in a press release. "What I did say was that I hope to see a Republican in the White House. I've seen good qualities in all the candidates but by no means have made my choice yet. I respect the fact that Santorum took time off from his campaign to be with his sick daughter, but I never used the word 'endorse.'"

Mustaine's interview with MusicRadar.com set fans buzzing when several news outlets reported Mustaine as coming out and endorsing the Republican candidate and former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.

Many fans were probably surprised that the heavy metal icon is a conservative. However, Mustaine, now 50, has talked openly in interviews in recent years about his changing political views since becoming a born-again Christian.

"I'm just hoping that whatever is in the White House next year is a Republican," Mustaine told MusicRadar.com. "I can't bear to watch what's happened to our great country. Everybody's got their head in the sand. Everybody in the industry is like, 'Oh, Obama's doing such a great job....' I don't think so. Not from what I see."