Duncan Hunter's '08 Presidential juggernaut picked up a key endorsement yesterday: Arizona Rep. Trent Franks:

One of Arizona's most conservative U.S. House members is endorsing a California congressman over Sen. John McCain for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, saying it is "what's right for America." [snip]

Franks said he knows that his early backing of the lesser-known Hunter will raise eyebrows, given that his own state's senior senator is considering a run for the White House.

But without criticizing McCain directly, Franks described Hunter as a candidate who "is an unequivocal social conservative and fiscal conservative and has a consistent conservative voting record." [snip]

Franks described Hunter as "a bold, Valley Forge, Ronald Reagan Republican who holds the temperament and philosophical foundations to lead this country to its greatest heights yet."

A Valley Forge Republican? That's a new one. I"m afraid Franks has a long way to go to get people to buy into the comparison of Duncan Hunter to Ronald Reagan. Franks says his 'dis of McCain is "nothing personal." I'm sure McCain will say the same thing to Franks when the time comes...