McCain begins crucial bid to win over GOP conservatives

In what may well be one of the most important and delicate speeches of his election campaign, Sen. John McCain went before the Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington this afternoon and, admitting he'd made some mistakes, including skipping the group's convention last year, strongly made the case for his mainstream conservative values.

It was, in effect, the kickoff for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's crucial bid to woo his party's suspicious conservative wing to support him in the coming general election because, he said, the Democratic Party's candidates -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- and their proposed policies, including a rapid withdrawal from Iraq, pose a serious threat to this nation's security and future.

"Often elections in this country are fought within the margins of small differences," McCain said in his speech. "This one will not be. We are arguing about hugely consequential things.

"Whomever the Democrats nominate, they would govern this country in....

a way that will, in my opinion, take this country backward to the days when government felt empowered to take from us our freedom to decide for ourselves the course and quality of our lives; to substitute the muddled judgment of large and expanding federal bureaucracies for the common sense and values of the American people; to the timidity and wishful thinking of a time when we averted our eyes from terrible threats to our security that were so plainly gathering strength abroad."

Addressing CPAC's concerns on some of his positions, McCain said they agree on many more. and he promised as the party's nominee, "I promise you, I intend to contest these issues on conservative grounds and fight as hard as I can to defend the principles and positions we share."

Even as McCain spoke, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, as a chief party fundraiser rarely a big fan of McCain's role in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, announced his support for the Arizonan for the party's nomination. As did Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, who had supported Romney.

But the event chairman, David Keene, told Bloomberg News: “The mutual distrust and animosity between McCain and conservative leaders is very deep and very real. … He's not going to solve his problems with one speech. He has to demonstrate over time that he's somebody that can be trusted.”

And the Club for Growth president Pat Toomey issued a statement crediting McCain for his outreach efforts but warning the senator would have to back up his stands with more than words in coming months and pick an economic conservative as running mate. "Clearly," he added, "an ecomnomic liberal like Mike Huckabee will be unacceptable."

But McConnell's endorsement was one of a growing number of recognitions that McCain has, in effect, won the Republican nomination. Former Gov. Mitt Romney, his closest rival, suspended his campaign in a speech at the same conservative meeting this afternoon, saying to prolong it would only prevent McCain from starting a national campaign soon enough. (Suspension vs. quitting allows Romney to maintain control of his delegates until the national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul this September.)

Next up as a potential campaign quitter, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, also scheduled to address CPAC, whose political attraction to conservative evangelicals crippled Romney as any realistic alternative to McCain.

However, after McCain's speech, Huckabee issued a statement appreciating Romney's efforts, asking for his supporters' backing and saying: "This is a two-man race for the nomination, and I am committed to marching on.  I believe in the importance of a strong national defense -- which includes winning the war against Islamic extremists and the protection of American sovereignty.

"I am redoubled in my resolve to carry on my campaign in a civil, dignified manner.  The issues that got me into this campaign -- protecting life and traditional marriage, enacting the Fair Tax, and border security -- are going to keep me in this campaign."

Because of his radical differences with fellow Republicans -- namely opposition to the Iraq war -- Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the only other remaining GOP candidate, seems likely to soldier on in his campaign, which drew more donated dollars last quarter than any other Republican.

McCain departed from his prepared speech text to acknowledge Romney as "a great governor" and Huckabee as "a great and fine man." McCain said he and Romney had agreed in a phone conversation to meet soon.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Anthony Cinelli]

Question: What if Ron Paul manages a win over McCain in any of the upcoming Primaries? In many contests, Paul handily beat McCain, ultimately coming in second to Romney. With Romney out, this opens the door for Paul wins, weighing in on GOP delegate's minds moving into August.

[Youssef Sleiman]

Wait a minute...
Did the writer here just say that Ron Paul pulled in more donations than any other Republican candidate... during a quarter when all the other candidacies see lower than usual numbers after Christmas purchases?
The door is wide open for - in 9 months - supporters to coalesce around their candidate of choice. We'll see, in nine months, where the candidacy goes.
Huckabee, who reported only $171,000 in his campaign at the beginning of the year, has more reason to drop out than Paul, who pulled down $5 mil since January, and that would actually make it a "two-man race," as Huckabee puts it.

[Ron Paul Wired]

Ron Paul often states that he will continue his fight for the presidential nominee as long as his supporters support him.

[Susan]

If Senator Obama is the nominee of the Democratic Party, I will - unless Huck is at the bottom of the ticket - end a lifetime of voting for a Democrat to be president.

http://strictlyanecdotal.com/2008/02/07/ill-see-your-blonde-bimbo-and-raise-you-one-aging-hippie.aspx

[jabuhrer]

Why does McCain need to pander to conservatives? Why should he grovel for the acceptance of people who could not muster the votes for their own candidate? Seems to me like he is doing fine without them.

[James]

The republican party is fractured and over. Romney was their only hope. McCain won't be able to rally support. It's Hillary or Obama.
Romney was the most educated and qualified candidate to run for president in decades. He was an optimistic leader and he inspired us all to make the American Dream a reality. The other options in the republican party are dire. Romney had 11 states and McCain had 12. Romney had 4 million votes and McCain had 4.7 million. Washington state was coming up and Romney was predicted to win by a large percentage. Bigotry has destroyed the republican party.

(I assume from all of your recent comments that you must be very disappointed over Romney's withdrawal. So who do you support now?)

[JM]

I bet Romney is looking to the future. If McCain fails to be elected, then Romney can make another run it. He also has four years to plan his next run. I don't see this as such a big sacrifice for him.

[keith]

"Bigotry has destroyed the republican party"

How so?

[james]

We conservatives have more power than liberals like to believe, plus they live with their heads in the sand about reality.... just watch how Hillary will began to act to gain our votes,,I bet she goes out hunting before this is over LOL!!!.. Funny how we can turn the liberals into hunters around election time..
Obama might be the Dem canidate and that might be more of a fight, but he is just too liberal to win..liberals may dream that conservatives don't matter, but look how Hillary panders to us and even we admit she ain't stupid..We must have some power to have the Clintons trying to portray herself as hawkish and middle of the road.

I can not bring myself to vote for Hillary but I hope she wins it..The Clintons are the best thing to happen to the Republican party and all we need are a few years of her and Bill then we will easily take it all again !!!

[Mister Wu]

So the new conservative strategy is to wait till 2016 and praise for disaster bcause you can't call the shots anymore? Boy you guys must really hate America.

[Brian]

One last thing about Ron Paul. I think he's a great candidate and has a lot to say to America. I'm not sure how he will come out in the Republican convention, since many of the delegates get their information from the media, and the media is biased against anyone who cannot build a large delegate base. As we all know, too many citizens in this country make their decisions based on who is popular in the media and not on who is the right person for the job. Anyway, Ron Paul will be able to get his message out at the convention, which might make some people think for themselves, at least I hope so.

[Bonnie]

Hey...

who is bringing Ron Paul into the picture? He doesnt even have more than 5 delegates....

In actuality , Romney dropping out is a good chance Huckabee might win because all the stats showed that McCain won most of the states because Huckabee and Romney divided the conservative vote among themsleves , which was anyways higer than what McCain got anywhere.

Any idea who are the Ronmey Delegates going to support now, since he is out of race?

[Dave E.]

Hey, Bonnie - What do you mean "Who is bringing Ron Paul into the picture?"
Ron Paul has beaten Huckabee so far in Maine, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Utah. He's also beaten McCain in Alaska and BOTH Huckabee and McCain in Montana and Nevada. He never left the picture. The old corporate media outlets just keep trying to cut him out.

If any of those Romney delegates are FISCAL conservatives, then they may go to the only fiscal conservative in the race... i.e. not McCain or Huckabee. I doubt it since they probably were cheerleaders for doubling Guantanamo, spying on the American people like WE are terrorism suspects, and driving the country deeper into debt with overseas nation building and world policing. But one can hope that sanity will prevail and they recognize Ron Paul as the only real conservative left.

Oh, and just for the record - Ron Paul raised more money than all the other (R) candidates combined from soldiers AGAIN according the the FEC 4th quarter reports. Why not support the candidate most of the troops support?