Washington's Republican attorney general Rob McKenna has boarded the latter-day version of the Straight Talk Express.

McKenna, widely viewed as a moderate in a state that regularly tilts Democrat, has taken a jump on his GOP colleagues by endorsing John McCain's 2008 bid for the White House.

McCain so far has the strongest organization in Washington state of any of the Republican candidates, according to GOP watchers. On an unaffiliated Washington ballot of all candidates in 2000, McCain was easily the winner with more than 40 percent of the vote.

"John McCain is an impressive leader with a record of public service that's beyond reproach," McKenna said. "He understands the difficult challenges our country faces. He has the experience and fortitude to bring people together for solutions we need."

McKenna, considered a candidate for higher office in the future, made his announcement Friday, when McCain was in Seattle for a number of speaking engagements. These included a speech on foreign policy at the business-focused World Affairs Club.

McCain' performance and his popularity amongst state GOP heavyweights like former Secretary of State Ralph Munro clearly impressed attendee Lynn Allen, a correspondent from liberal blog Evergreenpolitics.

In today's entry, entitled John McCain - One Tough Opponent, Allen expects McCain to do well in so-called "purple" or swing states. But given Washington's political makeup, she concluded: "I can't imagine [he] would ever have a serious chance to win in Washington state."

Other Republican office-holders have not yet endorsed a candidate, although Allen reported that current Secretary of State Sam Reed was seen accompanying McCain to several of Friday's functions.