Bush Gets Reagan Blessing

The grand old dame of the Grand Old Party gave George W. Bush the nod Wednesday.

Nancy Reagan endorsed the Republican presidential candidate in a written statement, enthusing, "This is a candidate Ronnie would be proud of."

Mrs. Reagan's endorsement stands for her husband as well. Former President Ronald Reagan has Alzheimer's disease and has withdrawn from public life. His wife serves as a sort of political surrogate and her blessing was garlanded with references to the Reagan legacy, whose luster gleams undimmed among the party faithful.

"I am proud to endorse George W. Bush for president," Mrs. Reagan said. "He is doing a fine job of carrying on Ronnie's legacy. His agenda of tax cuts, smaller government, and a strong national defense will build pride in America, just as it did when my husband was president...George W. Bush will help America once more become a 'shining city on a hill.'"

Certainly, Bush proposes a tax cut of Reagan-like grandeur and favors smaller government. But bolstering defense - another Reagan staple - is hardly a linchpin of Bush's campaign agenda; he talks about reforming the military rather than expanding it.

More interesting is the timing of Nancy Reagan's announcement. She was silent through the primary season, and speculation even ran through the John McCain camp at one point that she was on the verge of endorsing the Arizona senator, not Bush. That never came to pass, but neither did a Reagan embrace of Bush.

But who's going to quibble about that now? The Texas governor accepted the former first lady's support with appropriate sentiment and rhetoric. "I'm honored to have her support," he said. "The things the president (Reagan) did lifted the spirits of the country. He appealed to our better angels, not our darker impulses."

Bush, whose father was Ronald Reagan's vice president, added that Mrs. Reagan's blessing carries political weight.

"The Reagans hold a place of honor in a lot of people's hearts and minds," he said. "The fact that she could speak out as strongly, and with a statement that is very strong and heartfelt, is going to help."