SANTA ANA, Calif., March 25, 2008
Nancy Reagan Endorses McCain
Former First Lady Becomes The Latest GOP Heavyweight To Back Nominee-In-Waiting
-
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., walks with former first lady Nancy Reagan Tuesday, March 25, 2008 in Bel Air, Calif. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
-
Photo Essay John McCain Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
-
Interactive Ronald Reagan Revisit the life and legacy of the nation's 40th president.
The GOP nominee-in-waiting, in the midst of a West Coast fundraising swing, stopped by the Southern California home of President Reagan's widow to accept the endorsement from the Republican matriarch he called beloved and wonderful.
"I'm very pleased and honored to have the opportunity again to be with Mrs. Reagan and to receive her endorsement for the nomination of my party and for president of the United States," McCain said in a five-minute appearance with the former first lady in the driveway of her gated home. "President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan remain an inspiration to all of us, as an example of honorable and courageous service to the nation."
In turn, she said only, "Ronnie and I always waited until everything was decided and then we endorsed. Well, obviously, this is the nominee of the party."
In a written statement issued earlier in the day, she called McCain a good friend for more than 30 years.
"My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW, and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal. I believe John's record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president," she said.
She and McCain met privately in the Reagan home before they emerged, arm in arm, through the front door to meet reporters.
Her eventual support was expected, and she became the latest top Republican to fall in line behind McCain. The two have long been close.
The endorsement could help him shore up the backing of conservatives who view him skeptically for his record of breaking with the party on some issues.
McCain said he hopes the endorsement brings the fractured party together and said: "This is an important, most important kind of expression of confidence in my ability to lead the party that I could have."
At the same time, a Reagan nod also could help further align him with the former president who attracted Democratic as well as Republican voters. Said McCain: "The Reagan Democrats are very important and I hope every one of them and new Democrats will be watching."
Quote
The former first lady has nurtured her husband's legacy and generally has stayed out of the political spotlight in recent years, with a few exceptions. She remained quiet during the multicandidate fight for the GOP nod but attended debates held at her husband's presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif.The Reagan Democrats are very important and I hope every one of them and new Democrats will be watching.
John McCainIn 2006, she lobbied in favor of legislation to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, a position McCain shares, but President Bush vetoed the bill. President Reagan suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
She also waded into the Virginia Senate race that year when Democratic candidate James Webb, who served as Navy secretary in the Reagan administration, ran an ad featuring 1985 video footage of President Reagan praising Webb's gallantry as a Marine. Nancy Reagan's office sent Webb's campaign a letter objecting to the use of the Reagan footage.
©MMVIII, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From Politics
Add a Comment See all 24 Comments
- Poor Nancy, apparently doesn''t realize that the repugnicant party has left her husband. They just trot out his memory to help them get away with murder.
- Reply to this comment
- While sitting at the Reagan Ranch a week ago doing shots of Geritol - Nancy Reagan and John McSham got toasted and Nancy decided to lend her support to John after John and Nancy changed their Depends. It was undoubtedly a Kodak Moment.
- Reply to this comment
- TOP TEN REASONS TO VOTE DEMOCRAT:
1. Repug. Lies
2. Repug. Lies
3. Repug. Lies
4. Repug. Lies
5. Repug. Lies
6. Repug. Lies
7. Repug. Lies
8. Repug. Lies
9. Repug. Lies
10. The right thing to do! - Reply to this comment
- Nancy Reagan Endorses McCain
Does she know that? - Reply to this comment
- McCain isn''t Able!
Posted by david1737 at 02:39 AM : Mar 26, 2008
McCain and UnAbel... - Reply to this comment
- Astounding & shocking development.
Next thing you know, FOX "News" will be irrelevant. - Reply to this comment
- McCain is the poster child for political corruption,self serving, self gratifying,corporate lead idiot.
- Reply to this comment
- McCain isn''t worthy of holding the highest office in our great country.
- Reply to this comment
- McCain Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures. (May 1999)
Sorry
McCain isn''t Able!!! - Reply to this comment
- McCain Voted NO on restoring $565M for states'' and ports'' first responders. (Mar 2005)
McCain isn''t Able! - Reply to this comment
- McCain Voted NO on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism. (Jul 2005)
McCain isn''t Able! - Reply to this comment
- Flip/Flop Alert!
McCain voted against Bush''s tax cuts and now claims he''s for them.
McCain isn''t Able! - Reply to this comment
- McCain quotes:
"I don''t understand the economy."
"We''ll be in Iraq for another 100 years."
"Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran!"
(sung like the Beach Boys song)
McCain isn''t Able! - Reply to this comment
- The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile. - Reply to this comment
- The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile. - Reply to this comment
- The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile.
The senile endorses the senile. - Reply to this comment
- McCain didn''t just say we''d be in Iraq for 100 years, he also said "there will be other wars."
Go see for yourself: go to your favorite video site and search "McCain there will be more wars."
McCain''s a neocon nutcase, go see for yourself. - Reply to this comment
- Gee...
Does that mean we can rely on McCain to Triple the National Debt??
or, is that particular well run dry?
On a separate note: as someone who''s been to the Reagan Library, What is Bush Jr going to put in his Library? He''s destroyed all the emails that might have told anyone anything useful. I think the Bush Jr Prez library should have a bunch of empty rooms. To match what the Prez shared with the public about his ''public service'' to the nation. - Reply to this comment
- She would have honored her husband best by abstaining. Senator McCain is this election cycle is the GOP''s "John Kerry". President Reagan would not have endorsed him if his voting record and unconstitutional efforts were as such then as it is now. Clinton, Obama, and McCain really think they are so much wiser than our Founding Fathers its pathetic. Why? Because they are moving towards socialism even after all the historical facts showing how unhappy the slaves of these regimes are. How voiceless they are by reason of the mass executions their people were inflicted with......Makes me sick to hear these same politicians say "FREE TIBET!" while at the same time doing all they can within the law to destroy our ancestors reason for even coming to this country. They''re clearly "JUDAS GOATS" to those who trust them to honor their oath on the Constitution.
- Reply to this comment
- Are we surprise!
- Reply to this comment
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
