Sources: Schwarzenegger in talks to endorse McCain
Schwarzenegger is in talks to endorse McCain, sources say. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
SIMI VALLEY, California (CNN) - Two Republican sources familiar with the conversations tell CNN California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in discussions about endorsing John McCain's presidential bid.
Two Georgia Republican senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Issacson, also have committed to endorse McCain. That announcement will come in the next 48 hours, according to two GOP sources involved in the planning.
As for the California governor, one of the sources said, "you can safely describe the conversations as progressing and productive."
The second source described the endorsement as "more than expected" and said the conversations were aimed at arranging a Thursday announcement. "Yes, that is the plan," this source said.
Separately, a campaign source described McCain's fund-raising as "beginning to flow more rapidly" in the wake of his Florida victory, reporting the campaign would raise more than $1 million at events in California scheduled around Wednesday's CNN Republican debate.
UPDATE: In an interview on The Situation Room, Schwarzenegger seemed to indicate he would not endorse a candidate before California's February 5 primary.
"I've always said that I would stay out of the whole thing of endorsing anybody until our primaries are over, so I think that's exactly what I'm going to do," he said.
Pressed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer if it was right to assume he would not endorse before February 5, Schwarzenegger said, "Well, no, I just say that at this point I have nothing to announce, and so I'm sorry to say - I know you want to get the information and get the scoop, and CNN should have the first scoop on something like that, as is of course clear to me, but I have nothing really to announce today."
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Johnunger: Agreed
John McCain will get clobbered by the Democrats because he wants to stay in
Iraq for 100 years. Where in the heck is he going to find the money to fund this?
Start showing this in an ad, and he is sunk like the Titanic.
If Clinton or Obama win the Presidential election, that will mean the United States no longer exist as a real sovereign country, because the looting of this great country from the American people would have been completed. Wake Up Americans!
Where is Arnie's wedding ring???
I must say for the past 7 years I have had a knee jerk reaction to anyone who claims to be Republican…thinking immediately they are out of touch, self-centered and/or crazy fundamentalist, corporate loving war mongers. Rationality and reasonableness seem to have been lost over the last 7 years, hence, my cynicism.
Howeverrrrr…..my thought process is changing. I am feeling an openness to listen to moderates -Repubs and Democrats alike and equally. I have watched these message boards and see that Republicans are sick of the divisiveness too, and that there are Democrats that are intolerant, as I was with Republicans.
I can only speak for myself….Obama has given me hope that we can bridge the divide and once again become brothers and sisters with common goals, needs, wants and dreams. And also as a nation that collectively recognize the threats we face in a realistic manner and also our inherent responsibility to respect the views of cultures not so like our own. Humility is not weak, it is the trait of many a strong leader.
A good leader and commander is one that inspires the people to listen and come to a consensus on the major issues we face. Only then can things get accomplished to our benefit and without detriment to others.
Take a close look at Obama as I have. I am a cynical Democrat that is lifting the veil of my own stereotype of Republicans and am willing to listen to reasonable views.
Obama '08 I have decided
Jump aboard Arnie!!!! You know you want to!
I would shudder to think that Arnold could influence my vote.
Arnold, at least be true to your party. How can you even consider endorsing a liberal like McCain?
Why are you right wingers so nuts about religion? At least Romney believes in God. What is so bad about Mormons? I really don't understand it. Can someone please tell me?
That a religious test is openly being applied in this election, makes this the
ugliest campaign I've ever seen. Mormon or not, Romney deserves to be
treated the same as anybody else in the race. Now I understand why half
the voters never vote.
Personally, I'm voting for Romney. With our economy as crappy as it is, who better to fix it than a businessman?
However, I think I will be happy with the outcome of the election no matter what because it means that GW IS LEAVING!
If it's McCain vs. Clinton, I think this might be the first time in a long time that an independent has a real chance of winning. McCain and Clinton aren't that different in policy – McCain's a bit more hawkish and Clinton's a lot more corrupt, but...
Let's hope Ron Paul keeps going as an independent after his campaign for the GOP nomination ends...
Arnie needs to try a new hair color... that one looks terrible.
Oh wait, we were discussing endorsements, weren't we? Wonder who Arnie's wife, Maria, will endorse? Will she follow the Kennedy mantra or stand up and be independent and pick her own candidate? Questions, questions, questions.
I'm not an up-to-date political type person, democrat or republican. I try to listen to the candidates to get a feel for their values, how they discuss top issues and how I feel they would make America better. I don't feel that there is one really honest politician out there – I've become very disillusioned with all of them – especially in the State of Illinois. I just retired from the State after 35 years, and this governor that we have now – well, its probably best not to get me started!
What I really wanted to say here is that I'm a bit confused. Maybe its just me beingn silly-me, but when I heard this on the news about Governor Shwarzenegger endorsing McCain, I asked myself "wait a minute, isn't he married to a Kennedy; and didn't Caroline and Ted Kennedy endorse Barack Obama?" I guess a person has the right to endorse whomever they want, but I thought the Kennedy's stuck together.