Brownback Endorses McCain In GOP Race

Former Candidate Says Arizona Senator Can Change Washington, Beat Hillary Clinton

(CBS/AP)  Sam Brownback, a Kansas conservative and favorite of evangelical Christians, on Wednesday endorsed former Republican presidential rival John McCain, calling the Arizona senator "the best pro-life candidate to beat Hillary Clinton."

The nod could provide a much-needed boost, particularly in Iowa, for the Arizona senator and one-time presumed GOP front-runner whose bid faltered and who now is looking for a comeback.

"I think it matters when one of the most respected members of the United States Senate, and in the pro-life family values community lends his support to my candidacy. I think it has significant impact," said McCain, who was joined by Brownback at the announcement at a downtown hotel.

Brownback, who will serve as one of the campaign's national chairmen, was scheduled to travel with McCain to Des Moines, Sioux City and then to Grand Rapids, Mich., later in the day.

Brownback said McCain is the most fiscally conservative candidate, has the best foreign policy experience, was right on the strategy for Iraq and takes a tough anti-abortion stand. He also argued that McCain would appoint strict constructionist judges to the Supreme Court.

"If you want a guy to change Washington, John McCain's the guy to do it. He has been in Washington, but he is not of Washington," said Brownback, a Kansas senator who dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination last month with little money and less support.

It's uncertain how much weight Brownback's backing will carry. While he is a favorite of religious conservatives, he failed to persuade them to embrace him as the GOP's consensus conservative candidate. He spent months emphasizing his opposition to abortion, gay marriage and other issues important to the party's right, but left the race ranking low in polls.

Still, Brownback's backing could signal to evangelical Christians that they can trust McCain and could help solidify McCain's credentials on social issues. The endorsement could be especially important in Iowa, where McCain trails in polls.

Despite a solidly conservative Senate voting record on social issues, McCain has a rocky history with cultural and religious conservatives who make up a significant part of the Republican base and have proven to be influential in Iowa's GOP caucuses.

He once likened their leaders to "agents of intolerance," but since has taken steps to heal his relationship with the voting group. Still, some are skeptical that McCain will be a loyal Republican who will champion their issues, partly because while his record is clear cut, he's not a high-profile crusader against abortion rights and gay marriage.

"Endorsements are of questionable value in most cases and Iowa remains a difficult state for McCain to crack," CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs wrote in Horserace. "His maverick image and self-professed 'straight talk' is a better fit among the more traditionally independent voters in New Hampshire and McCain skipped the state entirely in his 2000 campaign." (read more)

In a counterpoint to Brownback's endorsement, conservative leader Pat Robertson on Wednesday backed former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who supports abortion rights and gay rights.

Other candidates in the crowded GOP field had lobbied for Brownback's support over the past few weeks.

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist minister who has made strides in Iowa in recent weeks, was widely considered the other Republican most likely to get Brownback's endorsement. It's unclear whether Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator trying to emerge as the conservatives' choice, ever got a look from Brownback.

Brownback did talk to Rudy Giuliani, a backer of abortion rights and gay rights, and emerged from the meeting with kind words about the former New York mayor. Brownback spent months this summer bitterly criticizing Mitt Romney's shifts on social issues.

Brownback said McCain was the most electable among the field of Republicans.

"I know the full set of candidates in the Republican Party primary, it is a good field ... but there's one that stands out, that is the full package, that can beat Hillary Clinton in the fall," he said.

[topprophet]

With the full support of Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, President Bush recently signed into Law the John Warner Defense Authorization Act, which, according to Senator Leahy (VT), will actually "encourage the President to declare Martial Law." It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of Laws that limits the President''s ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic Law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush has now undone those prohibitions. Public Law 109-364, or the John Warner Defense Authorization Act (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the President in a private ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency," suspend Congress and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of your Governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder." President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act. In a sense, the two Laws compliment one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad of those who dissent and are stripped of their citizenship, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home, preparing to order the military onto the streets of America. STOP THIS MADNESS! Vote for Ron Paul.

[topprophet]

All of these trade deals and world governmental organizations that all of the presidential candidates support (except Ron Paul), such as the ICC, NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA, are all major threat to our nation''s sovereignty. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites. The ICC wants to try our soldiers as war criminals. Both the WTO and CAFTA could force Americans to get a prescription to take herbs and vitamins. The WTO has forced Congress to change our laws to meet their needs, and not our own. If anything, the WTO makes trade relations worse by giving foreign competitors a new way to attack U.S. jobs. The NAFTA superhighway, which is currently being built, is just one part of a plan to erase our borders and create the North American Union, a single nation State like the EU, out of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with a new, unelected bureaucracy and money system. Forget about controlling immigration under the NAU scheme. There won''t be any borders anymore, or a free America. Our limited, constitutional government, will be gone forever. Let''s not forget the UN either. It wants to impose a direct Carbon Tax on us. Ron Paul successfully fought this move in Congress last year, but if we are going to stop ongoing attempts of this world government body to rule over us, we need someone in the White House who knows how to say "No." We must withdraw from any organizations or treaty that infringes upon our nation''s sovereignty. Vote AMERICA FIRST! Vote for Ron Paul.

[finewoven]

"If you want a guy to change Washington, John McCain''s the guy to do it. He has been in Washington, but he is not of Washington," said Brownback"

Now that news!! Never heard this before. He''s been backing Washington''s position all along, but he''s an outsider that can bring "change." Wow.

[antoniof123]

Oh brother the problem the Republicans have is they have pissed people like me off and we are the ones they need to get re-elected not the base. Not are real bright group lately.

Hey we are the middle of the road and you want to know what it is time for a change in this country again.

I wish we could find a real middle of the road a uniter not a divider like the one we have now.

[topprophet]

With the full support of Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, President Bush recently signed into Law the John Warner Defense Authorization Act, which, according to Senator Leahy, will actually "encourage the President to declare Martial Law." It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of Laws that limits the President''s ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic Law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush has now undone those prohibitions. Public Law 109-364, or the John Warner Defense Authorization Act (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the President in a private ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency," suspend Congress and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of your Governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder." President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act. In a sense, the two Laws compliment one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad of those who dissent and are stripped of their citizenship, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home, preparing to order the military onto the streets of America. STOP THIS MADNESS! Vote for Ron Paul.

[rowdytexan2]

...the other war mongerer...and another fanatic...May God have mercy...

[poopbreath]

Yawn. Brownback and McCain can''t touch the consistency and wisdom of Ron Paul. Ron Paul is the only sane choice for President.

[nycmarine]

Does everyone remember when the polls showed Brownback ahead of Ron Paul? But where is Brownback now? He is sitting busy kissing John McCain''s butt hoping for a VP spot. That''s where he is.

Also, does everyone remember when they said Ron Paul had not a snow balls chance of winning? I do that was like yesterday and today and everyday since this Presidential "race" started. CBS keeps forgetting to mention Ron Paul as a candidate. On the other hand, ABC covers him fairly. CBS leaves him out of polls, meaning they don''t even offer him as a choice to those that they call. They censor his supporters at Clinton rallies. I guess I have to ask, if Ron Paul didnt have a chance and doesnt have a chance and isn''''t a "real" Republican then why censor him? Why not just let him hang himself?

I will tell you why. Every single one of the politicians and extremely rich powerful Elite that run our government and media from behind the scenes is AFRAID of RON PAUL!! They fear him so much that they have no choice but, to censor his coverage and limit our exposure to him. They are so afraid that you might wake up and realize you are being lied to every day. Everytime you turn on the news owned by Rupert or Turner you are being misled!

Do us all a favor and remember that they said he wouldn''t make it this far. Do yourself a favor and choose a candidate based on his merits and morals and achievements not those of on gender, age or race.

VOTE RON PAUL! SEMPER FI!

Ezra Mondova -- U.S. Marine