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Bush Family Embraces McCain

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By LIZ SIDOTI and CALVIN WOODWARD, The Associated Press

Published: February 16, 2008

WASHINGTON - John McCain's embrace from the Republican establishment, once hard to imagine, is nearly complete.

Former President George H.W. Bush's endorsement Monday will effectively give the future presidential nominee the stamp of approval of the Bush family - bringing blessing and baggage.

"Bush-McCain Republicans," Democrat Barack Obama calls them. It remains to be seen whether Democrats can make that mischievous hyphen stick.

President Bush is backing McCain through his body language, with protocol demanding that he not swing explicitly behind a candidate with a race still technically in progress.

His father's endorsement, which follows one from former Gov. Jeb Bush, is a further nudge by GOP chieftains for conservative activists to get over their distaste for McCain and for rival Mike Huckabee to get out.

Since he took a commanding lead in the delegate count, McCain has been working to solidify his support from a Republican base unhappy with his positions on some tax cuts, immigration, campaign finance laws, global warming, stem cell research and more. Fellow lawmakers have fallen in line.

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