Rudy Giuliani ends campaign, endorses John McCain

I mentioned this last night in my post on the Florida election results, but now it has become official. From The New York Times:

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the combative New York City mayor who rose to national prominence during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, formally ended his presidential campaign on Wednesday and declared that he would throw his support to the candidacy of Senator John McCain.

“John McCain is the most qualified candidate to be the next commander in chief of the United States,” Mr. Giuliani said. “He is an American hero.”

Mr. Giuliani made his announcement at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., just hours before the candidates took the stage there for a debate. His decision, on a day that also saw the Democratic contender John Edwards bow out of the race, followed a devastating defeat for Mr. Giuliani in Tuesday’s Republican primary in Florida. After a series of early primary losses, Mr. Giuliani had made a great effort to win over Florida voters, but finished in a distant third to Mr. McCain in the polling.

Standing next to Mr. McCain at a podium in the library, Mr. Giuliani said that “it is appropriate to make this announcement hear at the Reagan library because President Reagan’s leadership remains and inspiration both for John McCain and myself.”

Mr. Giuliani’s endorsement, which was widely reported throughout the day, provides a boost to Mr. McCain in what appears to be shaping into a two-candidate race. Mr. McCain, of Arizona, and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, exchanged a series of bitter attacks before the Florida primary, and Mr. McCain went out of his way to recognize Mr. Giuliani after his victory on Tuesday. He said Mr. Giuliani “conducted himself with all of the qualities of the exceptional American leader he truly is.”

In one sense, it is not really surprising that Rudy Giuliani would endorse John McCain. Both candidates are especially pro-war in their views. Giuliani practically staked his presidential campaign as the "Mr. 9/11" candidate, while McCain was pushing for even greater troop increases than Bush wanted in the surge. So you could say that they make a happy, war-mongering couple here.