George Allen, Former Thompson Backer, Delivers Strong Defense of McCain

Thu, February 07, 2008 - 3:06 PM

We're waiting for John McCain to come out and speak to the crowd of conservatives at CPAC in Washington, and we just heard a strong defense of McCain from former Virginia Sen. George Allen, who endorsed McCain today.

Many conservatives -- well, talk show hosts at least -- have said they will sit on the sideline or -- gasp! -- vote for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton this fall instead of vote for McCain. They say he's not a true conservative.

Allen, who originally endorsed Fred Thompson, and was one of his key surrogates in the "spin room" after a debate last month in South Carolina, is now riding the McCain train. At the CPAC convention, Allen, a conservative by any standard, delivered a full-throated appeal to conservatives to get behind McCain. Allen highlighted McCain's long opposition to wasteful government spending and strong national defense credentials.

"John McCain will fight for those ideas," he said, and pleaded with conservatives to work hard to put McCain in the White House this fall. "My fellow conservatives, you are absolutely essential teammates in our cause."

McCain is just taking the stage now, and Allen gave him a big old bear hug. That image could help him in next week's Virginia contest. We'll see how the crowd treats McCain. So far, his kind words about Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney attracted bigger applause than anything else he's said.

He started out with a direct appeal to conservatives to get behind him. "I'm acutely aware that I cannot succeed...without the support of dedicated conservatives," he said, acknowledging that they he has had disagreements from time to time with conservative leaders.

The McCain camp put this statement out from Allen regarding the endorsement:

"John McCain has led a life of heroic service to our country," said Governor Allen. "His experience coupled with his strong belief in core conservative principles makes him uniquely prepared to serve as our next commander in chief. I am confident that he is the only candidate who can combat the threat of radical Islamic extremism, ensure our country's economic prosperity, stop wasteful Washington spending, and uphold our traditional values. Today, I urge all fellow Virginians and Americans to join me in supporting John McCain for president."

John McCain thanked Governor Allen for his support, saying, "I am honored and humbled to have the support of my friend George Allen. George has devoted his life to serving the Commonwealth of Virginia and the people of the United States. I am very pleased that he has joined our team, and I look forward to working with him."

--Sean Mussenden