Romney courts 'voices of conservatism'

MINNEAPOLIS -- Republican hopeful Mitt Romney said Sunday he was counting on the "voices of conservatism" and a non-binding caucus in Maine to propel him to within fighting distance of frontrunner Sen. John McCain, who has opened a double-digit lead in polls before Tuesday's pivotal votes.

Speaking on ABC's This Week, Romney said his win in Maine "shocked" McCain, who had been endorsed by the state's senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both widely viewed as moderate Republicans. The results showed Republicans were "staying in the house that Reagan built," Romney said.

Romney reiterated a litany of McCain positions he says are out of the mainstream of their party, including votes against drilling for oil in the Arctic preserve and President Bush's tax cuts and for campaign finance bills and "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

Asked about the McCain campaign accusations that he has changed positions on issues such as a 50-cents-a-gallon gas tax that Romney now rails against at campaign stops, the former Massachusetts governor rejected what have now become familiar charges of flip-slopping.

"They have stretched, twisted and completely walked away from the truth," Romney said.

Romney is scheduled to travel Sunday to an event in suburban Chicago, attend a Super Bowl kickoff party in St. Louis and then fly on to spend the night in Nashville.

"I expect to win some. I expect to lose some," Romney told reporters Saturday on his campaign plane as he flew to Minneapolis from Salt Lake City, where he attended the funeral of Mormon leader Gordon Hinckley. "I don't think it's going to be over as of Tuesday night. … I intend to keep on battling."

Romney said that since losing last week's Florida primary and after an often raucous debate in California in which McCain forcefully accused Romney of favoring a timetable for troop withdrawals from Iraq, his campaign saw a surge in contributions. In one day this week, Romney raised $374,000 online. A week ago, he said, a typical one-day take would have been $50,000.