Gary Bauer Backs McCain

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: John McCain

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has another name to trot out when defending himself against conservative skeptics: Anti-abortion activist Gary Bauer. Bauer, a former presidential candidate, endorsed the Arizona senator today.

"John McCain has dedicated his life to defending human rights around the world, including the rights of the unborn," Bauer said in a statement released by the McCain campaign. "I admire his consistent 24-year pro-life record and demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong."

McCain thanked Bauer in the statement, adding this: "I have long admired Gary's commitment and passion for our shared pro-life and pro-family values. Gary has always been a forceful, unapologetic advocate for the sanctity of life and traditional marriage, judicial restraint and a strong American foreign policy based on our values."

UPDATE: McCain also secured the endorsement of former Florida governor and presidential brother Jeb Bush today. "He is determined and steadfast in his commitment to reducing the burden of high taxes, restoring the people's trust in their government, and winning the war against radical Islamic extremists," Bush said in a statement released by the McCain campaign.

But not everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. As CBS News' Joy Lin notes, conservative activist Paul Weyrich is backing rival Mike Huckabee, despite the fact that Huckabee has little chance of winning the GOP nomination.

"He called me first of all and initiated the conversation and indicated to me that he felt like I was the one guy that was left that was a true conservative that really believed things that mattered to a lot of conservatives and it involved everything from strong national defense to immigration to tax policy, the life question," Huckabee said.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by giantrobot2 February 12, 2008 11:18 PM EST: Mike Huckabee is a role model for society. A champion for human life, both old and young.

Obama and Clinton are not good for society. They want to make it easier to exterminate innocent human beings through federally funded abortions.

More than 50 million little kids have been exterminated through abortions, more than all the wars and diesese combined for the last 100 years.

Those who vote for Obama and Clinton turn a blind eye away from these little children and instead look at their own selfishness desires and make up excuses as why it is acceptable to do this atrocity.

John McCain is a war hero but he doesnt have same desire as Mike Huckabee does to overturn this terriable law.

Conservatives can not allow the liberal''s to further increase this atrocity on human life.

John McCain said he would be John Kerry''s Vice President when he was running 4 years ago. John McCain just doesnt have the burning flame as Mike Huckabee does when it comes to the sanctity of human life.

Mike Huckabee has earned your respect, he has dug hard in this race even with all the great odds against him. He needs your help now with a vote so he can help out the innocent children and poor elderly people.; Reply to this comment


by ranger_boone February 11, 2008 4:16 PM EST: Gary Bauer is backing McCain out of the fear of radical Islam extremist. He''s got the 9/11 syndrome. There is no excuse for someone like Mr. Bauer that holds such biblically based principles as precious to vote in fear. I am just absolutely blown away by such ignorance. We''re not voting for combat generals, we''re voting for a leader. Gary Bauer is a knucklehead. And everyone''s forgetting about McCain''s prison record. I''m kidding, obviously, but if I were voting by "military might" I would want someone who was evasive to the enemy, not a P.O.W.; Reply to this comment


by ranger_boone February 11, 2008 4:14 PM EST: Gary Bauer is backing McCain out of the fear of radical Islam extremist. He''s got the 9/11 syndrome. There is no excuse for someone like Mr. Bauer that holds such biblically based principles as precious to vote in fear. I am just absolutely blown away by such ignorance. We''re not voting for combat generals, we''re voting for a leader. Gary Bauer is a knucklehead. And everyone''s forgetting about McCain''s prison record. I''m kidding, obviously, but if I were voting by "military might" I would want someone who was evasive to the enemy, not a P.O.W.
Boone; Reply to this comment