Moderate
Republican presidential hopefuls Sen. John McCain and Rudy
Giuliani on Wednesday secured key endorsements that could
translate into increased support from Christian
conservatives who so far have viewed their candidacies
with a measure of concern.
Former Republican
presidential hopeful Sam Brownback, a conservative and
favorite of evangelical Christians, endorsed McCain, while
Giuliani secured the backing of prominent Christian
leader, televangelist, and social conservative Pat
Robertson, the candidates' respective campaigns
announced.
''It is my
pleasure to announce my support for America's Mayor, Rudy
Giuliani, a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies
ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all
Americans,'' Robertson, the founder of the Christian
Broadcasting Network and the Christian Coalition, said in a
statement released by the Giuliani campaign.
Giuliani backs
abortion rights and gay rights, positions that put him in
conflict with Republican orthodoxy, and has been trying to
persuade cultural conservatives to overlook their
differences with him on those issues.
He is best known
to voters for leading New York in the aftermath of the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Shortly after
9/11, Robertson released a statement in which he said
the attacks occurred because Americans had insulted
God and lost the protection of heaven by allowing
abortion and ''rampant Internet pornography.''
Robertson -- who
made a failed bid for the presidency in 1988 -- made no
mention of the differences on social conservative issues in
the statement.
Brownback's nod
to McCain could provide a much-needed boost to the
Arizona senator's faltering campaign, particularly in early
voting Iowa.
The onetime
presumed Republican front-runner's bid has suffered several
setbacks, and he is now looking for a comeback in the face
of stronger showings by rivals Giuliani and Mitt
Romney, Massachusetts's former governor and another
strong contender for the Republican nomination.
Brownback
announced his support for McCain Wednesday in Iowa which,
along with New Hampshire, plays an important role in
the nomination process. Candidates who do well in the
caucuses and primaries in those early voting states
often go on to secure their respective party's nomination
for the presidency.
From Dubuque,
Iowa, McCain and Brownback will travel together to campaign
in two other cities in the state, according to an advisory
released Wednesday by the McCain campaign.
It is uncertain
how much weight the Brownback's backing will carry,
especially since he dropped out of the presidential race
last month with little money and little support.
While he is a
favorite of religious conservatives, Brownback failed to
persuade them to embrace him as the Republicans' consensus
conservative candidate. He spent months emphasizing
his rock-solid opposition to abortion, same-sex
marriage and other issues important to the party's
right flank, but left the race ranking low in national polls
and state surveys.
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 Republican caucuses.
McCain 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 same-sex marriage.
Other candidates
in the crowded Republican 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 is unclear
whether Fred Thompson, another former senator and star on
television's Law & Order who was trying to emerge
as the conservatives' choice, ever got a look from
Brownback.
Brownback did,
however, talk with Giuliani, and emerged from the meeting
with kind words about the former mayor. Yet, days earlier,
Brownback told reporters he saw no way in which the
Republicans would nominate a ''pro-choice''
Republican. It is doubtful that Romney, who reversed
course on abortion, was ever in the running as Brownback
spent months this summer bitterly criticizing Romney's
shifts on social issues. (AP)
