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AUSTIN, Texas -- Former first lady Nancy Reagan endorsed George W. Bush for president Wednesday, calling him "a candidate Ronnie would be proud of."
Mrs. Reagan said Bush, whose father was Ronald Reagan's vice president, "is doing a fine job carrying on Ronnie's legacy," according to an announcement by the Bush campaign. Using one of her husband's famous phrases, she said the younger Bush "will help America once more become a 'shining city on a hill."'
The Republican candidate, speaking with reporters after a speech in Everett, Wash., said he was honored by the former first lady's comments because "one of the things the president did was lift the spirits of the country."
He added: "I think it helps. Of course, the Reagans hold a place of honor in a lot of people's hearts and minds."
The 89-year-old former president, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, no longer appears in public.
At the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego, Mrs. Reagan hushed the crowd with an emotional tribute to her ailing husband. A Bush spokeswoman said Wednesday that a role for Mrs. Reagan at this year's convention in Philadelphia "has not been discussed at all."
"Obviously, we are thrilled to have Mrs. Reagan's support and hope she will join us at the convention," spokeswoman Karen Hughes said. "But we are not sure what role, if any, she will play."
Bush said he last spoke to Mrs. Reagan when he telephoned recently while traveling in California.
