Courted by Kerry, McCain Taking Major Role for Bush
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By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), once courted by Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), is emerging as a major force in the re-election campaign of President Bush (news - web sites), who vanquished McCain in the 2000 Republican primary.
Republican officials said plans are in the works for McCain to appear with Bush on the campaign trail during the week of the Republican convention in New York that will nominate Bush for a second term. Then the plan is for them to campaign together immediately after the convention.
This comes after the veteran senator traveled with the president last week to Florida, New Mexico and Arizona and spent the night at Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, where they are said to have gotten along famously.
"It helps having him stand by my side," Bush said during a stop with McCain in Niceville, Florida, last week.
Rick Davis, who was McCain's 2000 campaign manager, said McCain and Bush are getting to know each other better and have spent more time together in the past month than in Bush's entire term.
"No doubt Bush is discovering that McCain has a lot to offer," he said. "The more you get to know the guy, the more you're going to love him. I think the Bush people have finally figured that out."
Bush and McCain fought a bitter Republican primary battle in 2000 that strained relations between them. And McCain, who has always had a maverick streak, has never been shy to question some of Bush's policies.
Just this week he voiced concerns about Bush's plan to bring home up to 70,000 U.S. troops over 10 years from bases overseas. "I hope as some critics allege this is not a retreat to 'Fortress America,"' he said.
ENORMOUSLY POPULAR FIGURE
McCain, a former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war, has also called on the White House, to little avail, to condemn a television advertisement that sought to tarnish Kerry's military service record in Vietnam.
But McCain showed his Republican loyalty by resisting what those close to McCain said were feelers by Kerry to be the Democrat's vice presidential running mate.
The Bush campaign has recognized McCain as an enormously popular figure within segments of the Republican Party as well as among independent and swing voters who may determine the outcome of the closely fought campaign.
"McCain continues to be a dominant force in the presidential race as he reaches out to undecided voters, Republicans, Democrats and independents like no other elected official," said Republican strategist Scott Reed.
Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt would not comment on McCain's travel schedule with the president but said the senator was a "great asset to our campaign effort."
"We're always grateful to Sen. McCain when he's able to help the president on the campaign. He speaks with a clear voice about what it's going to take to lead this country over the next four years," Holt said.
McCain is to address the Republican convention on its first night, on Aug. 30.
A person close to McCain said the bitterness of the past between Bush and McCain has been left behind.
"I think everyone, principals and consultants and staff and supporters, are all looking forward, not backward," the source said. |
