Bush Thinks McCain Can Defend President's Legacy

What's behind President Bush's expansive praise yesterday for John McCain? The president has become convinced that McCain will be an effective and strong defender of the Bush legacy in the general election campaign this fall, White House advisers tell U.S. News.

Bush believes that over the past seven years, his politics have strengthened the country, especially his moves to cut taxes, fight terrorism, and insist on victory in the Iraq war. Bush believes McCain is loyal to those goals and will strongly defend Bush if McCain proceeds to lock up the Republican presidential nomination, as expected. In an interview broadcast yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Bush went further than he ever has in analyzing the 2008 presidential race. He came close to endorsing McCain outright, praising him more than he did McCain's main competitor in the race, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"I know him well," Bush said. "I know his convictions. I know the principles that drive him. And no doubt in my mind he is a true conservative." Bush added: "I think that if John's the nominee, he's got some convincing to do to convince people that he is a solid conservative. And I'll be glad to help him if he's the nominee, because he is a conservative." White House officials tell U.S. News that Bush is eager to help McCain as the party standard-bearer, mainly in three areas: helping to rally conservatives behind McCain, raising money for the Republican Party, and framing the political debate to portray the Democrats as tax-and-spend liberals who would prematurely remove U.S. troops from Iraq and endanger national security. Still, Bush tells aides that it will be up to the nominee to make the final sale.

"Our view is that each election is about the future, about what each candidate will do about the future," says a key Bush adviser.

—Kenneth T. Walsh