John McCain Receives Critical Endorsement from Evangelical Leader Gary Bauer

John McCain gained a valuable conservative endorsement Monday, as evangelical leader Gary Bauer has pledged his support for the Arizona Senator.

McCain, coming off of losses in Kansas and Louisiana to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, needed a shot in the arm to maintain the momentum he gained after winning big on Super Tuesday. Although he is the front runner to become the Republican presidential nominee, he had had trouble finding support from hardcore conservatives.

Mike Huckabee, a former preacher and favorite among the evangelical community, has dominated the South and has picked up a great deal of momentum during Super Tuesday through this past weekend. Huckabee has vowed to remain in the race all the way to the convention, and has stated that he is confident that he can overtake McCain for the Republican nomination.

This is a huge boost for McCain, who just days ago was booed in front of a conservative crowd when he mentioned his stance on immigration-a stance many conservatives feel is too liberal and close to amnesty. Many conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, have expressed such antipathy for McCain that they have stated they will refuse to vote altogether or vote for the Democratic nominee should McCain win the Republican nomination.

Mitt Romney, a Republican candidate who dropped out shortly following Super Tuesday, has been most vocal against McCain, questioning his conservative record and painting him as a liberal Republican.

But McCain has fought hard to combat this notion, and the endorsement of an evangelical with the strict conservative record of Gary Bauer goes a long way in mending fences with his party. He has stated that he was one of the most vocal foot solders in the "Reagan Revolution" of the 1980s, and has frequently reminded the public of his extremely conservative voting record in his long political career.