McCain admits his own remarks hurt campaign
liam oge
Washtimes.com
McCain admits his own remarks hurt campaign
http://www.washtimes.com/national/news1-030300.htm
By Sean Scully and Ralph Z. Hallow
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Sen. John McCain Thursday acknowledged that his criticism of religious
conservatives has hurt his campaign for the Republican presidential
nomination.
"I want to be back on the issues and stay on the issues," Mr. McCain
told reporters in Los Angeles who peppered him with questions about his
remarks earlier in the week. "Perhaps we haven't done enough of that."
He talked to reporters during a a tough week in which he acknowledged
orchestrating phone calls implying rival George W. Bush harbors
"anti-Catholic bigotry"; apologized for calling the Revs. Pat Robertson
and Jerry Falwell "forces of evil"; fell mute but did not deny reports
that he had sought to arrange a visit to Bob Jones University, for which
he has hammered Mr. Bush; and was rebuked by Gary Bauer, his most
prominent supporter among conservative leaders.
Bob Jones University Thursday confirmed reports it was approached by Mr.
McCain's campaign to arrange a visit. One of his top South Carolina
supporters said the matter has given him "a terrible case of heartburn."
"I have heartburn with a capital H," Rep. Mark Sanford, South Carolina
Republican and a McCain supporter, told The Washington Times. "This is
not the campaign I signed up for. I signed up to be a part of reforming
government, Social Security, federal spending, campaign finance.
"I didn't sign up to be a part of this bizarre wordplay we've had over
the last few days."
Mr. Sanford, together with Rep. Lindsey Graham, his fellow South
Carolina Republican, spearheaded Mr. McCain's campaign in the state. Mr.
Graham, who holds an honorary degree from Bob Jones University, was
often at Mr. McCain's side and was a surrogate speaker in New Hampshire.
Mr. McCain originally said that he had not been invited to speak at the
university, and Mr. Bush and Alan Keyes had been invited.
But a university spokeswoman said Thursday that the school does not
issue invitations to candidates to speak. "The local campaign
organizations of the national candidates contact the university if they
want to speak," the spokeswoman told The Washington Times.
"That was the case with both Mr. McCain and Mr. Bush," she said. She
asked not to be identified but works in the university's press office
with spokesman Jonathan Pait.
Asked specifically whether Mr. McCain's organization attempted to set up
a speaking date for the Arizona senator, she replied: "Yes." She said
the McCain appearance "fell through because of a schedule conflict" of
the senator's, not the school.
No one from the McCain campaign has yet acknowledged that they
approached the school to arrange an appearance. Both Mr. Graham and
South Carolina House Speaker pro tem Terry Haskins, who resigned as Mr.
McCain's state campaign co-chairman, denied they had done so.
Mr. Graham said he called the school, "But the purpose of the call was
not to set up a speaking engagement at Bob Jones for John McCain," Mr.
Graham said. "I neither led or participated in any such negotiations."
Although Mr. McCain acknowledged that his criticism of religious
conservatives has hurt his campaign, he continued his attacks on the two
religious leaders, saying they represent the "politics of exclusion."
He grew testy when he was asked whether he was not implicitly excluding
religious conservatives from his campaign with his criticism of the
Christian Coalition and other conservative religious groups. "The people
who support Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell should reject them," he
said, because those voters "share my values."
He declined again to apologize for his strong condemnation of Mr.
Robertson and Mr. Falwell, whom he called "agents of intolerance" on
Monday, and compared them to the leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis
Farrakhan, who has described Judaism as "a gutter religion" and whites
as a "subhuman" species, and Harlem activist Al Sharpton, discredited in
the Tawana Brawley hoax.
He finally apologized Wednesday for a remark, which he said was in jest,
suggesting that the religious leaders were the "forces of evil." That
was the remark that was rebuked by Mr. Bauer.
The furor followed McCain losses in Tuesday primaries in Virginia and
Washington and a caucus in North Dakota and as he turned his attention
to the crucial "Super Tuesday" contests next week. Mr. Bush won those
solid victories with the support of religious voters.
Mr. McCain declined to elaborate on his apology for the "forces of evil"
remarks. "I pretty well clarified what I have to say," he said. "I don't
have much more to say about that."
In Thursday night's Republican debate in Los Angeles, Mr. McCain sought
to brush the matter aside, saying he wanted to focus on issues and "stop
the squabbling."
Mr. McCain disputed reports that his campaign is reeling, telling
reporters in St. Louis, where he went from Los Angeles, that the
campaign is "doing fine."
Mr. McCain made it clear he sees next week's Super Tuesday showdowns,
when a dozen states will select nearly half of the 1,034 delegates
needed to win the nomination, as the defining events of the campaign.
"I think we're going to find out everything next Tuesday," Mr. McCain
told reporters on his campaign bus. Still, he sounded as if he is
mentally prepared for bad news.
Mr. McCain briefly even moderated his criticism of Mr. Bush. "Governor
Bush is a friend of mine. He comes from a good family," Mr. McCain said.
"If he is the nominee of the party, I will support him and seek to help
him become the president of the United States."
But he then blamed Mr. Bush for the sharp tone of the campaign and said
it could hurt the party. "I would not have run the campaign Governor
Bush has run," he said. "I think it has the potential to hurt the party
and to hurt his candidacy."
Sean Scully reported from Los Angeles and St. Louis. Ralph Z. Hallow
reported from Washington.
Bill Nalty
C.A.S. (Clinton Administration Scandals) BOOKMARKS
KILLER ***NEWS*** BOOKMARKS
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