House GOP backs McCain following latest sweep

WASHINGTON -- John McCain continued his unity tour Wednesday with endorsements from House Republican leaders who have clashed with him over the past.

"Clearly I've had some differences with Sen. McCain over the years," said House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio, but he endorsed him anyway because of his efforts to win in Iraq.

McCain spoke to the House Republican leadership at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, headquarters for the Republican National Committee.

GOP whip Roy Blunt of Missouri said he liked former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee but, "I believe this contest is over."

Blunt saluted McCain's ability to attract independents and "Reagan Democrats."

McCain swept Tuesday's "Potomac Primary" with a closer-than-expected victory in Virginia and easy wins in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

McCain's victory in Virginia was a relatively close one because of an outpouring of religious conservatives who backed Huckabee, underscoring the problems MCain faces in uniting the GOP.

"I'll tell you, I'm like a bad penny. I just keep turning up," Huckabee said on Larry King Tuesday night. "Republicans are still looking for somebody conservative they can get behind, and the strength that we had in Virginia tonight shows that there's — there's a lot of room left in this Republican process."

The Arizona senator said while he'd like to see Huckabee leave the race because it would make his unity effort in the Republican party easier, he respects Huckabee's decision to campaign on.

"I appreciate the fact that Gov. Huckabee is still in this race," McCain said. "He is a man of integrity and he has every right to continue this race as long as he wants to."

In the meantime, McCain said he will be going about getting "more support" and "more momentum" for his front-running effort.

McCain said he is also turning to the fall election, saying there will be "stark differences" over Iraq, taxes, and health care policy with the "big government, big spending Democrats."

"We will have a spirited and respectful discussion of the issues," McCain said.

McCain seemed relaxed and joked about his maverick reputation.

Asked how it felt to return to his day job as senator, McCain said: "They don't speak to me ... I'm an outcast and a pariah."

Even with his latest support from GOP leaders McCain still needs to win over many conservatives who aren't ready to let him cruise to the nomination easily.

Veteran conservative activist Paul Weyrich, a former Mitt Romney supporter, voted for Huckabee in Virginia's Republican presidential primary — even though he knows McCain will be his party's nominee.

Weyrich called conservative support for Huckabee "the one chance we have to send a message that he (McCain) needs to accommodate conservatives if he expects to win."

As voters trekked to the polls on Tuesday, McCain spoke with colleagues at a Senate Republican policy lunch — some of whom have also fought with him.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who has drawn McCain's scorn on the campaign trail for funding his pet projects with federal money, said after the lunch: "I always support the nominee of our party — yes, I told him that."

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, once cursed by McCain during an argument over immigration, joked that the nominee-in-waiting "certainly has a way of expressing himself."

McCain, Cornyn added, is a true conservative on such issues as national security, cutting wasteful spending and nominating conservative federal judges.

After the lunch, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said McCain "got an extremely warm reception. We're proud of the fact that the Republican nominee for President is going to be a sitting United States Senator."

Cornyn agreed, saying he thought McCain "will, certainly among the potential candidates, be the strongest possible candidate, certainly that the Republicans can run. And I hope he's elected president of the United States."

Cornyn said on issues he cares most about, like national security, cutting wasteful Washington spending and making sure the right judges are nominated and confirmed to the United States Supreme Court, "(McCain's) clearly head and shoulders above all the alternatives."

McCain's outreach efforts began last week with a speech to a conference of conservative activists.

Among Republicans, McCain has surged to front-runner, backed by 53% of Republicans and boasting a 2-1 lead over rival Mike Huckabee, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. Even so, nearly half of GOP voters would prefer someone else as the nominee.

Conservatives, such as radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh and author Ann Coulter, have criticized McCain's differences from standard Republican positions, such as his support for a guest worker provision for immigration, his votes against President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and his push for campaign finance limits with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.