November 7, 2007
Posted: 09:24 AM ET

Sen. Brownback has decided to endorse John McCain instead of Rudy Giuliani.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, will endorse Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for president, CNN has learned.

The endorsement will come Wednesday when the Brownback and McCain appear together at a McCain campaign event in Iowa, a McCain campaign source and Republican Party sources told CNN's John King.

Brownback gave up his own bid for the White House last month, after lackluster fundraising and poor showings in both the national and crucial early primary and caucus state polls.

Brownback is a socially conservative senator who emphasized his opposition to abortion, gay marriage and other issues important to Christian conservatives, who make up an influential voting block within the Republican Party.

His endorsement could help McCain in Iowa, where caucuses will be held on January 3rd to kick off the presidential primary calendar. McCain trails badly in the polls in Iowa to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

McCain opposes legalizing abortion and gay marriage, but he is not a darling of the far right. Brownback's endorsement may help McCain with such social conservative voters.

Rudy Giuliani's campaign made a bid for Brownback's endorsement. The former New York City Mayor is the frontrunner in the national Republican polls but also trails Romney in Iowa. Giuliani's stance in support of abortion rights makes his job of winning over Christian conservatives a tough task, and it was thought that Brownback's endorsement would help Giuliani as well.

Related: Giuliani, McCain pick up key Christian conservative backing

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Filed under: Iowa • John McCain • Sam Brownback • South Carolina


Jim Topeka, Kansas   November 8th, 2007 2:46 pm ET

Please dont believe Brownback represents the majority Kansas voters, its been so long since Kansans were able to select their canidates through the primary process I doubt if anyone remmbers how a primaery election works.

Bob, Seattle   November 7th, 2007 6:53 pm ET

Brownback and McCain are both good men. Very intelligent and sincere. A McCain/Brownback ticket can win. A McCain/Huckabee ticket can win. A Giuliani/Brownback ticket can win. A Giuliani/Huckabee ticket can win. If any of these scenarios come to fruition, it will be Repumblicans for 16 more years.

Eric, Salt Lake City, Utah   November 7th, 2007 6:35 pm ET

Mark from Ohio: Effective policy and enforceable legislation requires lawmakers who understand that it is a team effort. McCain can get things done. Others from Obama to Paul have some commendable ideas, but will simply further divisions (despite Obama's positive rhetoric) and stall progress.

On immigration, McCain was trying to accomplish one step of solving a difficult problem. Defeated on that, he's realistically looking to start on border issues before things like H1B's, but at least he tried and is willing to take action despite the political traps of any move. I and he understand the concerns, but the de facto result of a failure to compromise is that nothing got done. None of the other candidates even risked failure, which is worse by a long shot. Many of his opponents will talk big, but put off fixing real concerns like social security, health care, and immigration (which certainly involves more issues and is more complex than the slogans reveal). Our regulatory/administrative gov't has become obese in part because the legislature doesn't have the guts to make tough choices. McCain knows how to deal and can lead the gov't as a whole better than any other person from the last 30 years.

Patrick, Tulsa Oklahoma   November 7th, 2007 5:59 pm ET

There is a reason that McCain has bipartisan support. He is an independent thinker and isn't tied down to whatever his party thinks. He supports common sense immigratin reform, he's got a great environmental record, he suggested more troops in Iraq 3 years ago which would have meant we'd be a lot closer to getting out now if we had taken his advice, he passed campaign finance reform and ethics reform. What's not to like? I want someone in the office who will work with both parties. He was even rumored to be considering John Kerry as his vice predident or vice-versa in the last election. Please no more idealouges.

MIke S, Higley Arizona   November 7th, 2007 4:37 pm ET

Re: The Endorsement for John McCain:
It is scary that so many poeple cannot see Mr. McCain for what he is – a stuck in his own victimization war monger. On record as lamenting the end of the Viet Nam war, he is now looking at more involvement in Iraq, invading Iran and who knows about Russia and perhaps China. This is the same senator who singlehandedly shanghaied the Tribal Trust Settlement TWICE.
All this while campaigning for now nearly two years. Makes Arizona a state with only one senator ! Wake up people and check the record of this guy before you endorse him. We need a leader who will spend more time in Washington doing the job for which he was elected and less time with Letterman

Tom, Anaheim, CA   November 7th, 2007 3:51 pm ET

I can't speak for Kansas but Sam Brownback's endorsement really means nothing to me. If I was McCain I'd keep this guy well beyond arm's length. Probably more of a hindrance than a help unless he covets the hard core Christian block from Kansas.

Mark Columbus, Ohio   November 7th, 2007 3:25 pm ET

Eric from Utah: You liked McCain because he tried to link up with his drinking buddy, Ted Kennedy, and try to pass the amnesty act??? McCain would wreck this country if he was president.

WatchingHillary.com

Grandpa Jim   November 7th, 2007 3:21 pm ET

Says a lot about the voters in Kansas doesn't it, the really important issues for this country are telling women what they can or can't do with thier own body and making sure that gay people don't get what they want! Everything else like educating our children, making a decent living, world peace and such are not that important…..I can't imagine how any of them wear pants with thier heads stuck up there like that.

Eric, Salt Lake City, Utah   November 7th, 2007 3:01 pm ET

Democrats don't want McCain to reach the general election because he is the one to get independents to not vote for dems.

I will vote for McCain because he is an independent sharp thinker who can get things done. I will vote for him in spite of support from creationists and those against reproductive choice/control. Go John go on social security, health care, immigration reform, national security.

Tess Jones, Santa Fe, NM   November 7th, 2007 1:50 pm ET

Great, so now McCain has the support of another single digit extremist. That should really help him. The one guy in the race nuttier than him endorsed him. Big surprise!

Robert, Shelton, CT   November 7th, 2007 1:15 pm ET

Nothing can hurt for McCain right now, who needs a jumpstart in some of the more unusual primaries that candidates ignore. ex. Kansas, Missouri, etc.

Mark Columbus, Ohio   November 7th, 2007 1:14 pm ET

Hey Roger from SC: What are you doing…going around the CNN blogs and saying the same thing over and over again?
Anyway, I wouldn't consider Brownback an endorsment since he couldn't get 10% in any GOP poll and couldn't raise any money. As for McCain, drop out old man. You've done enough damage to your own party with the campaign finance bill that you sponsered.

WatchingHillary.com

Marie-Virginia Beach, Va   November 7th, 2007 1:01 pm ET

Congratulations McCain …I hope you get the Republican nomination-then the “Oval Office”.

Phil Chicago, Ill   November 7th, 2007 12:50 pm ET

Doesn't Brownback look and act like Al Gore??

Spooky.

Jack, Chicago   November 7th, 2007 12:38 pm ET

A quitter endorsing a loser.

Santosh   November 7th, 2007 12:25 pm ET

Roger wrote: "The right wing conservatives of the republican party are such hypocrites and Brownback supporting McCain is an another example…"

How is this an examle of hypocracy? Both are pro-life and socially conservative and have been consistently, whether you or I agree with them or not. I could see where your assessment would apply in the case of Pat Robertson endorsing Giuliani. That one caught me by surprise. But what's so strange about Brownback supporting McCain?

Lev Klinemann, Redondo Beach CA   November 7th, 2007 12:25 pm ET

A guy with a 1% support endorses a guy with 2% support.

So, Crazy Old man McCain is up to 3% now.

On the bright side, he did get a 33% bump.

Kate, Aurora CO   November 7th, 2007 12:19 pm ET

Sorry but Christian conservatives had their chance with the Bush admin and I think all of Americans or at least 75% of us can see just how disasterous it has been. Faith based government in a religous diverse country such as ours just doesn't work. This administration has successfully divided this country and if you do not agree with their policies or faith than you are labled a "non-patriot". We need logic and compassion not hate and bigotry.

Terry, El Paso, TX   November 7th, 2007 12:10 pm ET

McCain is from the Goldwater wing of Conservatism: good people who really believe what they are saying. Their policies are naive, to say the least, but they are honest and good-hearted.

That cannot be said for economic conservatives, who would make America the worlds most prosperous third-world country, or evangelical conservatives, who would pass laws against flag burning while the world burned to a cinder.

AJ; Montpelier, VT   November 7th, 2007 12:06 pm ET

McCain must be getting desperate. Why would he want this hate filled bible banging bigot's endorsement? What a loser.

roger, conway sc   November 7th, 2007 12:00 pm ET

The right wing conservatives of the republican party are such hypocrites and Brownback supporting McCain is an another example…These extremests will support/vote for anyone who will spit out their extremests views.

william, oklahoma city, ok   November 7th, 2007 11:50 am ET

John McCain is as phony a politician as they come. How can anyone trust a guy who would do everything in his power to try to get "Comprehensive Immigration Reform=Amnesty" Passed when an overwhelming majority of people are against such a move. He was elected to serve the people not his Own ideas. Brownback's a joke for even supporting him and again I could care less. Ronpaul2008.com

Santosh   November 7th, 2007 11:34 am ET

This will certainly help McCain. I'm not too surprised by the endorsement given that as Senate colleagues, the 2 were very much along the same lines in their commitment to free trade as well as supporting the controversial guest-worker program for illegal immigrants. Where the 2 parted was on Iraq.

Brownback is very much the remaining Santorum and that will draw parts of the socially conservative base. McCain already has the neo-conservative and deficit-hawk blocs of the party locked up.

Pat Lambert   November 7th, 2007 11:21 am ET

One loser endorses another loser, that's news!

Providence, RI   November 7th, 2007 11:09 am ET

I could not agree more…

JC Topeka, KS   November 7th, 2007 10:33 am ET

Being from Kansas, my only question is this, Sam Brownback's endorsment is considered a boost? Ha Ha Ha, and I have some developmental property I would like to sell east of Miami.

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