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Election 2000: Former Republican Presidential Candidate Gary Bauer Expected to Endorse John McCain

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BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The two Republican front-runners trying to seize the dwindling time to court South Carolina voters. With only three full days before the state's pivotal primary, John McCain hosted a town hall meeting this morning in Newberry. That's in the central part of the state near Columbia. You saw portions of that live here on CNN. And Senator McCain used the forum to condemn the increasingly negative tone of the Republican race.

Meanwhile, in Hilton Head, George W. Bush also taking his campaign and message to voters there in South Carolina. The Texas governor focused less on McCain and more on the Republicans' common enemy. According to the governor, that's the Clinton White House. And a former Republican in the presidential race returning to the campaign trail not as a candidate but, rather, as a supporter. CNN has learned now that Gary Bauer will announce his endorsement in about less than two hour's time.

CNN senior White House correspondent John King live in Newberry for more on this.

John, what do we know?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Bill, Gary Bauer will announce that endorsement at Senator McCain's next stop at the Furman University in Greenville, the McCain campaign hoping that Gary Bauer, a Christian conservative activist who served in the Reagan administration before running for president; he had his own conservative foundation in Washington -- the McCain camp hoping he is the antidote, if you will, to the attacks on McCain's antiabortion and cultural conservative record coming not only out of the Bush campaign, but over the weekend by the Christian Coalition founder, Pat Robertson.

Cultural conservative, Christian conservative voters very important here in the South Carolina primary. McCain feels his record is being unfairly distorted. They're hoping now with the endorsement of Gary Bauer, a very respected figure in the antiabortion and the social conservative community, that Senator McCain, perhaps, can at least stop the erosion of his support in that community and perhaps even pick up some support.

And we should tell you also, beyond South Carolina, another endorsement for the McCain campaign today in California: the secretary of state, Bill Jones. He's the only Republican elected to statewide office. He had previously endorsed Governor George W. Bush, but sources telling CNN, in just a few hours, he will announce he is switching to the McCain camp. The McCain campaign hoping that that gives them a stronger foot hold in obviously a very important state like California; also hoping to make the case it shows the Republican establishment beginning to waiver in its early support of Governor Bush -- Bill.

HEMMER: John King, live there in South Carolina. Newberry the place for Mr. King.

John, thanks.

We'll have live coverage later of the Bauer announcement now scheduled for noon Eastern. That's 9:00 a.m. on the West Coast. Hope to have you with us then.

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