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McCain Receives Endorsement From Nancy Reagan

(CBS)
From CBS News' Dante Higgins:

John McCain adjusted his schedule to accommodate an endorsement by Nancy Reagan at her home today.

Rumors swirled during McCain's last visit to Southern California where he was endorsed by Rudy Giuliani and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today it became official.

"Although it has been my custom to wait until after the Republican National Convention to announce my support of a candidate, it is clear that the Party has chosen its nominee. So it is with great pleasure that I endorse Senator John McCain for President of the United States," Mrs. Reagan said in a written statement today.

McCain mentions Ronald Reagan in every town hall meeting and even reminds audiences that he was a foot soldier in the Ronald Reagan revolution. In her statement, Nancy Reagan referenced the Arizona Senator's relationship with the former first family. "John McCain has been a good friend for over thirty 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.

McCain added, "Nancy Reagan has earned our love and admiration for her grace and lifetime commitment to our nation's future. Alongside President Reagan in the White House, Nancy was a champion of hope and compassion. I will never forget the kindness that she and her husband shared with me upon my return from Vietnam. I was grateful for her support then, and am humbled by it today."

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