From Bloomberg.com:

March 25 (Bloomberg) — Former first lady Nancy Reagan endorsed John McCain’s presidential campaign in a move that might encourage conservative Republicans to rally around the Arizona senator’s bid for the White House.

Reagan called McCain a “good friend for over 30 years” who is well prepared to become commander in chief.

“My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal,” Reagan said in a statement today. “I believe John’s record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president.”

The endorsement may help McCain win over Republicans who revere Reagan’s late husband, former President Ronald Reagan, while chafing at McCain’s willingness over the years to buck the party’s line on issues ranging from taxes to campaign finance reform.

Reagan is to meet with McCain today at her Los Angeles-area home, said Melissa Giller, a spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation.

While this isn’t a huge shock, this could be a very important, much needed fundraising component to McCain’s campaign. While I’m sure she wont do a fundraising tour, I wouldn’t be shocked to see her name in an upcoming direct mail piece.

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