McCain Campaign Press Release - 100 U.S. Ambassadors Endorse McCain-Palin

ARLINGTON, VA -- McCain-Palin 2008 today announced that more than 100 former U.S. ambassadors are endorsing Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin for president and vice president.

Prominent former U.S. ambassadors endorsing the McCain-Palin ticket include former Ambassador to Japan, Senate Majority Leader and White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker; President George H. W. Bush, former Ambassador to the United Nations; former Ambassador to Yugoslavia and former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger; former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton; former Secretary of Defense and former Ambassador to Portugal, Frank Carlucci III; former Ambassador to the Vatican and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson; and Ambassadors Richard Burt (Germany), Bruce Gelb (Belgium), Margaret Heckler (Ireland), John L. Loeb (Denmark), Ed Ney (Canada) and Julia Chang Bloch (Nepal), the first U .S. ambassador of Asian descent.

Democrat Mark W. Erwin, a former Hillary Clinton supporter and an ambassador during the Clinton administration, is co-chair of the group. "I will vote for John McCain because the differences between the two candidates are so vast and profound," he said.

"Senator Obama does not have sufficient leadership experience, nor has he been tested in difficult times," Erwin said in his endorsement.

Other co-chairmen of the group called "Former U.S. Ambassadors for McCain/Palin" are former U .S. Ambassador to Sweden Gregory J. Newell and former Ambassador Gilbert A. Robinson, both of whom served in the Reagan administration. Newell also served as an assistant to President Gerald Ford and as Assistant Secretary of State. Robinson was special adviser to Secretary of State George Shultz, Director of the Office of Public Diplomacy and Deputy Director of the United States Information Agency.

"Nobody could ask for a greater show of confidence," Sen. McCain commented. "These former ambassadors are outstanding men and women who have served their country in foreign lands with great distinction and devotion to the values we all hold dear. They have a deep knowledge of the challenges facing this country abroad as well as at home. I am honored by their endorsement."

Ambassador Robinson added, "The endorsements from this country's most experienced foreign affairs experts are still pouring in. This demonstrates the overwhelming admiration and respect they have for John McCain's leadership and the confidence they have in the historic McCain-Palin ticket."

FORMER U.S. AMBASSADORS FOR MCCAIN-PALIN

Weston Adams, Malawi -- Columbia, S.C.

Lenore Annenberg, Chief of Protocol -- Radnor, Penn.

Cresencio Arcos, Jr., Honduras; FP/NS -- Coral Gables, Fla.

George Argyros, Spain and Andorra -- Costa Mesa, Calif.

Catherine Todd Bailey, Latvia -- Louisville, Ky.

Howard H. Baker, Jr., Senator (R-TN); Senate Majority Leader; Amb. Japan -- Huntsville, Tenn.

Douglas H. Barclay, El Salvador -- Pulaski, N.Y.

Stuart A. Bernstein, Denmark -- Washington, D.C.

Everett E. Bierman, Papua New Guinea -- Oakton, Va.

Julia Chang Bloch, Nepal -- Washington, D .C.

John Bolton, United Nations

Stephen F. Brauer, Belgium -- Bridgeton, Mo.

Keith Lapham Brown, Lesotho; Denmark -- San Antonio, Texas

Donald Burnham , Ensenat, Brunei; Chief of Protocol -- New Orleans, La.

Richard R. Burt , Germany -- Washington, D.C.

President George H.W. Bush, United Nations -- Houston, Texas

William J. Cabaniss, Jr., Czech Republic -- Birmingham, Ala.

Richard G. Capen Jr., Spain -- Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Richard W. Carlson, Seychelles -- Weems, Va.

Frank Carlucci III, Portugal

Bruce Chapman, IAEA; Vienna -- Seattle, Wash.

Sue McCourt Cobb, Jamaica -- Coral Gables, Fla.

Charles E. Cobb, Jr., Iceland -- Coral Gables, Fla.

Walter J.P. Curley, Ireland; France -- New York, N.Y.

Peter H. Dailey, Ireland; Special Envoy to NATO Countries -- Pasadena, Calif.

Lawrence Eagleburger, Yugoslavia

Mark L. Edelman, Cameroon -- Washington, D.C.

Mark Erwin, Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros -- Charlotte, N .C.

Richard M. Fairbanks III, Ambassador-at-Large -- Washington, D .C.

William S. Farish III, United Kingdom -- Versailles, Ky.

Edward R. Finch, Jr., Panama -- New York, N.Y.

John R. Gavin, Mexico -- Los Angeles, Calif.

Bruce S. Gelb, USIA; Belgium -- New York, N.Y.

Joseph B. Gildenhorn, Switzerland -- Washington, D.C.

Anthony H. Gioia, Malta -- Buffalo, N.Y.

Luis Guinot, Jr., Costa Rica -- Falls Church, Va.

Margaret M. Heckler, Ireland -- Arlington, Va.

Charles A. Heimbold, Jr., Sweden -- Riverside, Conn.

Hans H. Hertell, Dominican Republic -- Washington, D.C.

Alfred Hoffman, Jr., Portugal -- Fort Meyers, Fla.

Richard Holwill, Ecuador

G. Philip Hughes, Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines -- Falls Church, Va.

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Singapore -- Salt Lake City, Utah

Robert S. Ingersoll, Japan -- Evanston, Ill.

James C. Kenny, Ireland -- Glenview, Ill.

Alfred H. Kingon, European Union -- Bronxville, N.Y.

Lester B. Korn, UN Economic and Social Council -- Beverly Hills, Calif.

Mary E. Kramer, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean -- Clive, IA

Paul C. Lambert, Ecuador -- New York, N.Y.

Mark Langdale, Costa Rica -- Dallas, Texas

Howard Leach, France -- Salinas, Calif.

Melvyn Levinsky, Bulgaria and Brazil -- Ann Arbor, Mich.

John L. Loeb, Jr., Denmark -- New York, N.Y.

Earle I. Mack, Finland -- Fort Lee, N.J.

Susan Rasinski McCaw, Austria -- Kirkland, Wash.

Robert C. McFarlane, Special Envoy for the President

Thomas Patrick Melady, Burundi, Uganda, Holy See -- Washington, D.C.

J. William Middendorf II, Netherlands, OAS, European Union -- Little Compton, R.I.

Steve Minikes, CSCE -- Washington, D .C.

George Cranwell Montgomery, Sultanate of Oman

Thomas A. Nassif, Morocco -- La Jolla, Calif.

Gregory J. Newell, Sweden -- Provo, Utah

Edward N. Ney, Canada -- New York, N.Y.

Jim Nicholson, Holy See -- McLean, Va.

Herman W. Nickle, South Africa -- Tucson, Ariz.

Julian M. Niemczyk, Czechoslovakia -- Annandale, Va.

Keith Foote Nyborg, Finland -- Sugar City, Idaho

John D. Ong, Norway -- Hudson, Ohio

Penne Korth Peacock, Mauritius -- Washington, D.C.

Joseph Carlton Petrone, United Nations European Office -- Dublin, N.H.

Charles J. Pilliod, Jr., Mexico -- Akron, Ohio

John Price Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros -- Salt Lake City, Utah

Charles H. Price, II, Belgium, United Kingdom -- Kansas City, Mo.

James W. Rawlings, Zimbabwe -- Southbury, Conn.

Otto J. Reich, Venezuela -- Washington, D.C.

Mercer Reynolds, Switzerland and Liechtenstein -- Indian Hill, Ohio

Gilbert A. Robinson, Special Advisor to the Secretary of State -- McLean, Va.

Joe M. Rodgers, France -- Nashville, Tenn.

Sig Rogich, Iceland -- Las Vegas, Nev.

John Rood, Bahamas -- Jacksonville, Fla.

Francis L. Rooney III, Holy See -- Naples, Fla.

Frank Ruddy, Equatorial Guinea

Bob Royall, Tanzania -- South Carolina

Rockwell A. Schnabel, Finland, European Union -- Los Angeles, Calif.

Peter F. Secchia, Italy -- Grand Rapids, Mich.

Martin J. Silverstein, Uruguay -- New York, N.Y.

Ronald J. Sorini, Chief Textile Negotiator, U .S. Trade Representative -- Hinsdale, Ill.

Michael G. Sotirhos, Jamaica, Greece -- Lauderdale by the Sea, Fla.

Robert D. Stuart, Jr., Norway -- Lake Forest, Ill.

Charles J. Swindells, New Zealand, Samoa -- Portland, Ore.

Peter Terpeluk, Jr., Luxembourg -- Washington, D.C.

Timothy L. Towell, Paraguay -- Washington, D.C.

Rodolphe M. Vallee, Slovakia -- Shelburne, Vt.

Leon J. Weil, Nepal -- New York, N.Y.

John G. Weinmann, Finland, Chief of Protocol -- New Orleans, La.

Ronald N. Weiser, Slovakia -- Ann Arbor, Mich.

Pamela P. Willeford, Switzerland and Liechtenstein -- Austin, Texas

Richard Williamson, Asst. Secy; Amb. IAEA -- Chicago, Ill.

Curtin Winsor, Jr., Costa Rica -- McLean, Va.

Dr. Aldona Z. Wos, Estonia -- Greensboro, N.C.

Joseph Zappala, Spain -- Aventura, Fla.