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McCain calls for GOP loyalists to support Bush Saturday, Mar 11, 2006 By Aaron Sadler Arkansas News Bureau MEMPHIS, Tenn. - With President Bush's approval ratings at their lowest level, his possible successors and Republican Party loyalists rallied for their commander-in-chief's cause Friday. In an event touted as the initial opportunity for Republican leaders to hear from potential 2008 presidential candidates, two possible contenders lauded Bush. Arizona Sen. John McCain asked delegates to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference to cast write-in votes for President Bush in today's 2008 presidential preference straw poll. McCain said it was too early to be discussing 2008 possibilities with the 2006 midterm elections just months ahead. And with the country at war, he said Republicans owe it to their leader to stand with him. "Straw polls are entertaining, my friends, even the early ones, but I think we have bigger things to worry about," McCain said. " ... For the next three years, and with our country at war, he's our president and the only one who needs our support today." An Associated Press-IPSOS poll released Friday indicated just 37 percent of Americans approve of Bush's job performance. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney applauded Bush for leading a war against "jihadists" bent on destroying America. "Thanks heavens this president recognizes the greatest ally peace has on this planet is a strong United States," he said. Romney is a presidential prospect as well, and he used his speech to describe how his administration set Massachusetts on the right fiscal path. He said other Republican governors could do the same. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, one of a handful of speakers without 2008 presidential aspirations, said the GOP focus must be securing Congressional and gubernatorial seats. "The news media has got this frenzy about 2008," Barbour said. "The election that's important to us, to Republicans in the South, Republicans in the Midwest, all across the country, is the election this November." Hotline, the daily political briefing of the National Journal, is sponsoring today's straw poll. "I know many of you view this conference at least in part as a beauty contest of potential candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in '08," McCain said. "You can see I'm not beauty." The four-day event attracted more than 1,800 Republicans from 26 states to the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. About 60 Arkansans were among delegates to the conference. "The main thing they're going to take home is that we have outstanding leadership," said Arkansas GOP Chairman Gilbert Baker. "Because of that we're making progress." Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks at a session of the conference this morning. Other possible candidates addressing delegates today are Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, Sen. George Allen of Virginia, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Asa Hutchinson, the Republican candidate for Arkansas governor this year, speaks Sunday. Huckabee arrived in Memphis late Friday after a tour of tornado-damaged areas in his home state. He and his wife, Janet, ate dinner at the city's famous Rendezvous restaurant. Huckabee did not attend McCain's late evening speech. Romney, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, kindled support for GOP candidates seeking their states' top office. McCain peppered his 15-minute speech with talk on Social Security, the recent Dubai Ports deal and bitter partisanship in the Senate. He criticized government spending, with he and Romney calling for Congress to give Bush line-item veto authority. McCain accused Democrats of sabatoging a plan for a company from the United Arab Emirates to operate several ports in the United States. The company dissolved an agreement to run the ports Thursday while under intense congressional opposition. Bush supported the ports deal. McCain said the UAE is an ally in the war on terror. "President Bush was re-elected, among other things, as commander-in-chief," he said, adding he would have at least allowed Bush time to work out a ports compromise. McCain blamed stalled ethics reform legislation in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal on Democrats, too. He said New York Sen. Charles Schumer added language dealing with the ports conflict to a measure on ethics and lobbying reform. The bill failed. "If we don't get reform, you can put the responsibility for that right on the doorstep of the Democrats in the United States Senate," he said. Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman criticized Democrats who advocate "cutting and running" in Iraq but use different ways to describe their push for troop withdrawals. Those same Democrats - Mehlman cited Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi specifically - also criticize Bush's economic plans while seeking tax increases, Mehlman said. "Ladies and gentlemen, would you buy a used car from (Democrats)?" he asked the crowd. |
