Liz Sidoti of the Associated Press:

Sam Brownback, a Kansas conservative and favorite of evangelical Christians, will endorse his former Republican presidential rival John McCain, GOP officials said Wednesday.

The nod could provide a much-needed boost, particularly in Iowa, for the Arizona senator and one-time presumed GOP front-runner whose bid faltered and who now is looking for a comeback.

Speaking of comebacks, McCain is on the rise in the national polls - with the addition of the Gallup/USA Today this morning he edged passed Fred Thompson into second place in the RCP Average: