George Bush endorsed John McCain in a Rose Garden appearance today, saying his former foe has the “character, courage, and perseverance” to be president. One day after the Arizona senator clinched the Republican nomination, he said of Bush, “I appreciate his endorsement, and I appreciate his service to our country.” Bush added he’d work for McCain’s election as much as possible, CNN reports.
"If my showing up and endorsing him helps him—or if I'm against him and it helps him—either way, I want him to win," the lame-duck Bush said. "This is an age-old question that every president has had to answer, and there is an appropriate amount of campaigning for me to do. But they're not going to be voting for me." (More George W. Bush stories.)