By Edward Walsh
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday , March 9, 2000 
Alex Beck
Period 5
	Sen. John McCain ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on the 9th with an offer of his "best wishes." He did not outright endorse Bush and gave warning to heed his call for campaign finance reform.
	McCain said in reaffirmed his commitment to the GOP and his intention not to bolt to the Reform Party or lead an independent political movement. But McCain also expects Bush to move toward some of the themes that he invoked during the nomination contest if they expect his active support in the general election.
	"Ours is the party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan. hat is good company for any American to keep."McCain said
	"But," he added, "I am also dedicated to the necessary cause of reform and I will never walk away from a fight for what I know is right and just for our country. As I said throughout the campaign, what is good for my country is good for my party. Should our party ever abandon this principle, the American people will rightly abandon us and we will surely slip into the mists of history, deserving the allegiance of none."
	McCain said he was only "suspending" his campaign as he awaits the next move on the part of Bush, long the front-runner for the Republican nomination. But McCain aides made clear that this was the end of the Arizona senator's long-shot quest for the presidency.

	 I see McCain as the far best Republican candidate for this election and his defeat in this primary will represent the defeat for the republicans in the entire election. Because Bush could not win the support of the independents who represent the majority of this country, where McCain would. I frankly don’t want to see Gore’s face for another 4 years but the alternative of Bush is absolutely horrible