I received a phone call at my home about an hour ago (~6 PM) from John McCain’s campaign. That fact wasn’t revealed until the end of the automated polling call. The call asked:

• Who are you voting for on Tuesday?
• Who is your second choice?
• What issue is most important to you?

Former Congressman Rob Simmons endorsed Senator John McCain for President Wednesday.

According to Thursday’s edition of The Day newspapers in New London:

“McCain, of Arizona, has racked up endorsements from many current and former elected officials in Connecticut, which had once seemed likely to be Giuliani Country — until former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani’s campaign for the nomination failed to catch fire.

Also endorsing McCain are Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4th District. All three will join McCain for a rally at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield on Sunday, two days before Connecticut’s primary.

In a voice mail message for a reporter, the three-term congressman Simmons said his endorsement of McCain was probably not “earth-shattering” news. The senator campaigned for the then-state representative when Simmons knocked off 20-year incumbent Rep. Sam Gejdenson to win his seat in Congress in 2000, and returned to help him hold off a challenge from Democrat Jim Sullivan in 2004.

Both men have also been self-styled political mavericks, occasionally bucking party leadership and orthodoxy, and they also share a history of military service in the Vietnam War.

Simmons fought with the Army in Vietnam and later returned to Southeast Asia for the Central Intelligence Agency. McCain was a Navy pilot when he was shot down over the country and held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.

Simmons has served as the state business advocate since shortly after his 2006 loss to Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District.”

Things are moving more quickly for Senator John McCain now, coming off of his strong win in Florida.  Earlier today, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani withdrew from the race and threw his support to the Arizonan.  Tonight the word is that the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, will announce his endorsement of McCain tomorrow. Despite some lingering resentment in the conservative base, Republicans seem poised to go to the polls next Tuesday and effectively nominate Senator McCain.

In related news, we’ve got an exciting Super Tuesday planned here at The Everyday Republican, as we are going to track both the town-by-town returns from across the state as well as reporting the nationwide results as they come in.  Be sure to check in here for our coverage of “Super Tuesday”.

In a telephone poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports this past Sunday, before last night’s victory in Florida, Senator John McCain held a sixteen point lead over Governor Mitt Romney among Connecticut’s GOP primary voters, 42% - 26%.  Rudy Giuliani came in third with 12% and no other candidate broke into double digits.

McCain leads Connecticut GOP primary voters in all demographic groups. Among conservatives, McCain leads 37% to Romney’s 31%.  McCain wins the vote from 54% of moderates while just 24% prefer Romney.

You can read the full summary of the survey here.