A Scarred Campaign Veteran, Caught in a New Crossfire
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: August 26, 2004
nytimes.com
ASHINGTON, Aug. 25 - When a group calling itself Republicans for Clean Air attacked Senator John McCain's environmental record during the 2000 presidential primaries, Mr. McCain lashed out at his opponent, George W. Bush, urging Mr. Bush to "tell his sleazy Texas buddies to stop these negative ads.''
Now, Texas supporters of Mr. Bush are behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group attacking the Vietnam War record of Senator John Kerry, one of Mr. McCain's closest friends in the Senate. But this time, Mr. McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who says he is furious over the latest advertisements, is campaigning vigorously to re-elect the president, which puts him in a difficult spot.
"It's personal to me because of my efforts to heal the wounds of the Vietnam War,'' Mr. McCain said in an interview on Wednesday, referring to the Swift boat advertisements. But, he added: "It's not personal to me because of anything that happened in the 2000 campaign because I must and have put anything disagreeable concerning the 2000 campaign behind me. Americans don't like a sore loser.''
But Mr. McCain cannot entirely put 2000 behind him because Mr. Kerry will not let him. On Wednesday, the Kerry camp began broadcasting commercials featuring Mr. McCain at a 2000 debate, rebuking Mr. Bush for going "over the line'' by standing alongside veterans who had complained that Mr. McCain abandoned them.
In the interview, Mr. McCain of Arizona said he wished Mr. Kerry "would not use my campaign for the Republican nomination against President Bush.''
While Mr. McCain said he took the president at his word that he was not behind the Swift boat advertisements, he is irked enough at them that he said he would personally "express my displeasure'' to the president. He has already called on Mr. Bush to specifically condemn the advertisements, but the president has not done so, instead offering a general condemnation of the so-called 527 groups that sponsor campaign commercials.
"He has condemned the 527's, which I'm pleased that he did,'' Mr. McCain said. "I'd like to see him go further, but I'm not making this some kind of a big issue.''
Mr. McCain has emerged as a central and intriguing figure in the 2004 presidential race because of his friendship with Mr. Kerry and his increasingly vocal support of Mr. Bush.
One of the senator's chief advisers, John Weaver, said he had daily contact with the Bush campaign to coordinate Mr. McCain's political appearances on behalf of the president. Mr. McCain will have a prime speaking spot on Monday at the Republican convention in New York, will campaign with Mr. Bush on Tuesday and will then join the president for a three-day swing after the convention, Mr. Weaver said.
Mr. McCain has long said he will do whatever the president asks to help re-elect him. Both he and Mr. Weaver said they did not expect the senator to become so closely involved in the effort. "But I'm not surprised,'' Mr. McCain said, "because I think it's obvious that there's a number of undecided voters who approve of me. Polls show that.''
Some have suggested that in backing the president so enthusiastically, Mr. McCain might be trying mend fences for a presidential run in 2008. On Wednesday, Mr. McCain dismissed the speculation.
Asked if he had ruled out a run, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "My favorite question,'' he said, sardonically. "I have not, quote, ruled it out. I certainly haven't considered ruling it in.'' |
