Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi endorsed Mitt Romney’s presidential bid last week as the presumptive GOP front-runner consolidated support among the party’s establishment.

The wrinkle is that Cochran, as far as he is concerned, had long ago committed to the former Massachusetts governor. The Republican senator endorsed Romney’s 2008 bid and said he assumed that statements he gave earlier this year praising Romney already made his support public knowledge.

Romney’s campaign “asked if I had any objection to releasing the information. They probably did it because no one was paying attention before,” Cochran said. “It was too early.”

Cochran’s nothing-to-see-here nonchalance says a lot about congressional endorsements amid the fight for the GOP nomination. It highlights the role of timing—who you have in your camp matters less than when you have them. And it shows the campaign’s control of that timing. It is a sign that Romney, already well ahead on garnering congressional backers, will run away in that contest. But, finally, it indicates that lawmakers themselves doubt that endorsements matter much.

Cochran’s announcement may have been in the bag, but it made an impact as one of several rolled out by Romney’s campaign last week. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the biggest catch, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., also endorsed Romney. The announcements were part of the campaign’s effort to tout consolidated GOP support as Texas Gov. Rick Perry staggers because of poor debates and slipping poll numbers.

Congressional aides said that additional endorsements are probably already available for announcement on a schedule set by the Romney campaign. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., for example, has said repeatedly that he supports Romney, although he has not officially endorsed him.

Campaigns roll out endorsements with limited involvement from the endorsers beyond a general green light to use their names. A Republican aide familiar with the process said that the decision is fully in the hands of Romney’s staff.

Romney spokesman Ryan Williams said that the campaign will announce additional supporters in coming weeks. “We are trying to recruit as many people as we can,” Williams said.

Romney, who has been courting and fundraising for key lawmakers for five years and is already well ahead in the endorsement race, will easily outpace Perry and other rivals in rolling out endorsements.

Romney now has endorsements from 24 members of Congress and three governors, according to a list maintained by his campaign.

Perry has endorsements from fewer than 10 members of Congress; most are House members from Texas. According to an analysis by The New York Times’ FiveThirtyEight blog, he is ahead in backing from state legislators in the key primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.

But Perry, who collected several endorsements in September, has stalled because of poor debate performances.

Endorsements “add a little bit to the momentum. But in a state like New Hampshire, it doesn’t matter,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who won the GOP nomination in 2008 and is no Romney fan. “Voters sometimes are a little resentful of other people telling them how they should vote.”

Endorsements by members and aides are useful because they often (though not always) allow access to state organizations that most successful statewide candidates have. That can be a big plus in key primaries.

“It can be helpful,” said Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho. “Anytime you have an endorsement, you get an in in the state where the endorsement was.”

Risch, with Cochran and Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who heads Romney’s effort to line up congressional support, is one of four senators to give Romney an early endorsement.

Most senior Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, will stay out of the fray until one candidate wraps up the contest, GOP aides said.

Perry’s struggles, and the decline of Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., may be increasing the number of lawmakers who avoid endorsing during the primary fight. No one wants to back a loser, while conservatives may prefer to sit out the contest rather than back Romney, who is distrusted by the conservative base.

One of the most sought-after GOP endorsements, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said on Wednesday that he will not back a candidate ahead of his state’s primary.

“I’m not definitely gonna endorse,” said DeMint, who backed Romney in 2008. “If I do, it’s more likely to be in January. Now that they’re moved primaries back, they’ve put a little pressure on me, but I really want to let this thing play out.... I’m kind of glad I’ve waited, because things are changing.”