by Rick Pearson
Republican presidential candidate John McCain says he’s happy at the enthusiasm he’s been seeing at town-hall meetings and rallies in the early nominating states of New Hampshire and South Carolina-but Iowa, it appears, is another story.
“I’m sure we’ll do well in Iowa, we’ve just got a lot of work to do,” the Arizona senator said during a fundraising appearance in Chicago.
“I’ve got to give you straight talk,” he said, using his trademark phrase that began with his unsuccessful 2000 race for president. “We’ve got a lot of work to do and we’re doing it. I went to the Iowa State Fair and met the 1,203 pound pig named Big Red and had a pork chop on a stick and a deep fried Twinkie. I’m doing all the right things. I’m having fun.”
Unlike the 2000 campaign, when he eschewed campaigning in Iowa to focus on a big win over then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in New Hampshire, McCain insisted that his campaign is in good shape this time in the nation’s first caucus state. After criticizing subsidizies for ethanol in the corn-rich state in his earlier campaign, McCain has since contended ethanol is a necessary ingredient to wean the nation off its dependence on foreign oil.
A recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers showed him in single digits in fifth place behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee and former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.
“I’ve been around politics and elected office for a long time and I can tell when enthusiasm is mounting and I see that in New Hampshire and South Carolina without a doubt and I guarantee you that it will show results,” McCain said.
McCain is trying to rebuild a campaign apparatus that underwent numerous changes following lackluster fundraising. Though June, he’s raised $25.9 million, trailing Romney and Giuliani, and spent all but $3.2 million, federal fundraising reports showed.
With the next fundraising reporting period rapidly approaching, McCain said, “We’re going to be OK.” Asked by reporters after a fundraising luncheon at the Mid Day Club what that means, McCain said, “It means that we’re doing good in our fundraising and I’m happy with where we are.”
Asked if he was meeting his fundraising goals, McCain said, “I don’t know what they are, but we’re meeting them.”
McCain had little comment about Romney’s recent efforts to portray himself as an agent of change in the Republican Party,
“I hadn’t heard it before,” McCain said of Romney’s call that began over the weekend to Michigan Republicans for the GOP to stop “big spending,” pretending “our borders are secure from illegal immigration” and holding ethical standards “that are a punch-line for Jay Leno.”
“My record is very clear and everyplace I go I’ve talked about it,” McCain said of what he called 20 years of fighting “wasteful and earmark and pork barrel spending.”
Contending various Washington fiscal watchdog groups have given him “the highest marks for my efforts to clean up our act,” McCain said, “I don’t talk about a little bit about it. I talk about it all the time and I have for many, many years.”
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Comments
McCain. Who cares.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | September 24, 2007 7:19 PM
"McCain: Upbeat on Iowa, N.H., 'straight' about S.C."
John McFinished quit "straight talking" right after Karl Rove started a whisper campaign about him saying that he fathered a black baby back in 2000 in South Carolina.
Ever since that time it's almost as if the Republican Party gave him a lobotomy as seen by his recently calling Baghdad "safe"....after he walked the streets....guarded by thousands of US troops, helicopters and a bulletproof vest.
Posted by: John E | September 24, 2007 7:20 PM
I don't know if anyone will vote for McCain.
Remember, according to right wing critics he didn't deserve his medals because he failed America by getting shot down.
Plus, he has an illegitimate black child.
(See SC primary, 2000.)
Posted by: TheReamer | September 24, 2007 7:28 PM
Reamer, please show me where right wing critics say McCain doesn't deserve his medals because he was shot down. I'd be very curious to see that.
I also want to see some evidence about this black baby thing he allegedly fathered that Karl Rove was behind.
Posted by: John D | September 24, 2007 7:56 PM
John D,
All your fascist buddies, like Ann Coulter and others said McCain got shot down because he was a poor pilot. 'Why the medals? He failed!'
It was all part of the smear campaign against him conducted by conservative Republicans in 00.
You should remember; You support these people every day.
Ann Goebbels, BTW, also challenged Max CLeland's medals. The fascist media in general said he didn't deserve his medals because he was a drunk.
The chickens are coming home to roost, John D. Come 08, a hard hard rain gonna fall.
Posted by: TheReamer | September 24, 2007 9:03 PM
Oh Reamer you really must stay away from those Loony Leftwing blogs. If you do that, I'm sure that someday you will thank me.
Posted by: John D | September 24, 2007 9:58 PM
Oh Reamer you really must stay away from those Loony Leftwing blogs. If you do that, I'm sure that someday you will thank me.
Posted by: John D | September 24, 2007 9:58 PM
I thank you now. Thanks for showing everyone what neo-con nuts are really all about. Vote Democrat in 2008. Someday John D will show his gratitude. In a perfect world that is.
Posted by: Andy Dick | September 25, 2007 1:52 AM
Unbelievable lies from disturbed individuals. I saw the primary in SC during the 2000 cycle and it was character assasination. McCain is a hero that followed the code of conduct and survived against overwhelming odds. 5 1/2 years a POW, if that does not bring chills to you, you definitely do not understand the heart and freedom.
Posted by: Fordster | September 25, 2007 2:36 AM
Someday John D will show his gratitude. In a perfect world that is.
Posted by: Andy Dick | September 25, 2007 1:52 AM
Andy....I'm not so sure about that. There will always be something or someone he is afraid of and a liberal somewhere to blame.
Posted by: bill r. | September 25, 2007 8:09 AM
Bill r., after reading borderline insane posts like the ones above, I'd think you'd be able to understand why there always is a "liberal to blame," because they welcome the attention.
There will always be a moveon.org willing and ready to callously denigrate the leader of our troops before he even opens his mouth to give congressional testimony.
There will always be a New York Times to give them an unfairly cheap outlet for said denigration.
There will always be a Michael Moore to paint a rosy picture of Cuban/Canadian healthcare that even he, himself, knows isn't the full story.
And finally there will always be a Jesse Jackson who will say that leaders like Barack Obama are "acting white" by not showing up at the same protests that he goes to.
These little scamps you've surrounded yourself with are your own worst enemy.
I realize that there are just as many bad examples on the right (Coulter, Limbaugh). But the difference is decorated heros such as McCain, whose reputation is beyond reproach, will not show up with people like Ann Coulter and lend legitimacy to their causes. They'd be more quick to condemn them. Meanwhile, Obama is conveniently absent when it comes to condemning moveon. Hillary is asked point blank to do so but rather condemns "personal attacks" and not the group in question.
And I promise you that when they need the votes both Hillary and Obama will show up and appear in public with self-appointed leaders like Al Sharpton and Jackson. I don't think you'll be seeing McCain marching with Limbaugh and Coulter anytime soon.
Posted by: Formerlyanonymous | September 25, 2007 3:42 PM