House GOP leadership endorses McCain

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and GOP House Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president Wednesday.

{mosads}Boehner, Blunt and Putnam are the highest-ranking Republicans in the House. Their move, announced at a meeting between McCain and Republican House members at the Capitol Hill Club, underscores the near-inevitability of McCain as the GOP’s presidential nominee.

Boehner, just like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), had said he would stay out of the presidential fray because of his role as chairman of his party’s convention. Blunt and Putnam also had not endorsed before Wednesday.

The three join a number of other Republicans to back McCain since last week, when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, McCain’s main GOP rival, ended his campaign. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who ardently opposed the campaign finance reform law that McCain championed, endorsed McCain last Thursday. Gary Bauer, an evangelical leader, backed McCain last weekend.