McCain Receives Nancy Reagan's Endorsement

Bel Air, CA (AHN) - Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a self-confessed "foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution," has received the endorsement of Nancy Reagan.

"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,"the 86-year old widow of former President Ronald Reagan said on Tuesday in her home in California. "So it is with great pleasure that I endorse Senator John McCain for President of the United States."

"John McCain has been a good friend for over thirty years," she added. "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, in the Golden state for fundraisers and a town hall meeting, is quoted by Bloomberg as telling reporters after the announcement, "The Reagan Democrats are very important, and I hope that every one of them and new Reagan Democrats will be watching."

His official statement praised Reagan for "her grace and lifetime commitment to our nation's future. and being "a champion of hope and compassion." He added, "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."

Reagan's last public appearance was during the January 30, 2008 Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Library.