McCain Brings Campaign to Norfolk Today
By Tyler Whitley and Jim Nolan, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
Feb. 8–Arizona Sen. John McCain travels to Norfolk today to discuss national security as state GOP leaders encourage him to reach out to conservatives ahead of Virginia’s primary Tuesday.
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who was the leader of Mitt Romney’s Virginia campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, urged McCain to court conservatives now that the former Massachusetts governor has suspended his campaign.
Bolling stopped short of endorsing McCain, saying the front-runner has “work to do” to win conservative support.
Romney’s suspension of his campaign leaves former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Texas Rep. Ron Paul to run against McCain.
Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, one of the few Virginia GOP leaders to endorse Huckabee, said Huckabee plans to campaign in Virginia this weekend, but the candidate’s schedule hasn’t been firmed up yet.
McCain won the support yesterday of former governor and senator George Allen, who previously backed former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson.
At a convention of conservatives in Washington, Allen highlighted what he called McCain’s long opposition to wasteful government spending and the Arizona senator’s strong national defense credentials.
“John McCain will fight for those ideas,” Allen said, urging conservatives to work hard to put McCain in the White House.
In Norfolk this morning, Sen. John W. Warner, R-Virginia, will be one of three former secretaries of the Navy joining McCain for a national security roundtable at the National Maritime Museum.
As the likely GOP presidential nominee, McCain will need a strong vote from Virginia’s military population, which is particularly heavy in Norfolk, to carry the state in November.
Del. Christopher B. Saxman, R-Staunton, a co-chairman of the McCain campaign in Virginia, was not ready to pronounce McCain the winner yesterday, but said “it looks good for McCain right now.”
He said he was surprised that Romney suspended his campaign so soon.
Bolling said there are areas of agreement between McCain and conservatives when it comes to the war on terror and spending. He suggested McCain needs to reach out more on issues such as taxes, the selection of judges and illegal immigration. But he said he is open to McCain’s candidacy. “I think it’s going to be important for our party to unite behind our nominee.”
“I think Senator McCain can definitely move in the next few weeks to solidly the conservative base behind him, but he’s going to have to reach out and make a concentrated and sincere effort to do that.
“I think he can do that. I hope he will do that. And if he does that, I think he’ll have a united party behind him as we move toward November.”
By Tyler Whitley and Jim Nolan. Sean Mussenden of Media General News Service contributed to this report.
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