Posted on 08/21/2006 9:36:08 AM PDT by Alter Kaker
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 — Senator John McCain is locking up a cast of top-shelf Republican strategists, policy experts, fund-raisers and donors, in a methodical effort to build a 2008 presidential campaign machine, drawing supporters of President Bush despite the sometimes rocky history between the two men.
Mr. McCain’s effort to woo a diverse lineup of backers and scare off rivals has augmented his travel schedule on behalf of Republicans — which this week and next includes trips to Iowa, Louisiana, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and Florida.
The effort is fueling a fund-raising operation that has helped him build loyalty throughout the party by doling out more than $800,000 to candidates since the start of last year through his political action committee.
Other Republican presidential hopefuls are doing likewise, but Mr. McCain is widely judged to be farther along in assembling the kind of national network necessary to sustain a long, expensive campaign for his party’s nomination to succeed President Bush.
At a point in the election cycle when policy positions may be less important than general impressions, the signal Mr. McCain is seeking to send to the Republican Party is that anyone who wants a place on his bandwagon should jump on now.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Oh, my... Please, not McCain, never!
No amount of elites will get McCain thru the primary.
Colin Powell, again???!!!
Well, glad to see Warren Rudman gone. He was the drag on a possible McCain victory in 2000!
no
McCain will neer win, 'cause he won't (we wish, ok) be a candidate in 2008.
Yep, won't do him any good. He has already made his bed.
I wouldn't call that crowd "the elite of the GOP"
Forget it, eeeee-yuk NO RINOs!
I certainly don't want McCain to be the nominee, but what conservative alternatives are going to be in the race? Will Allen make it to '08? Gingrich?
McCain = The end of the GOP
Giuliani would be far better than mccain. I read that Gilmore could run. Any news?
So much depends on whether Rudy runs. It's Rudy's to lose.
Let's see - the GOP "elites" have helped fashion the Senate's immigration bill; have no problem with the open borders crowd; have no problem with the Chinese government owning one of the largest freight hauling operations in the U.S. - CSX; have no problem with China and others running US ports, while we try to conduct the WOT; include the "do nothing" realists like Scrowcroft and essentially have led the GOP conservative grass roots to feel more alienated from the party leadership than they have in twenty years - and McPain is courting the "elites".
We always knew McPain was out of touch with the base of the party, and he continues to confirm it.
I will fight tooth and nail to end McCain's bid at the primary level
It seems that his advisers are ALSO against Tax cuts! Well, I think McCain is even worst than a Rino, it is a disaster!
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