Bush Seeks Salvation From Right

It happens almost daily on the campaign trail: George W. Bush faces a question of faith.

"Are you a Christian?" a teen-age boy asks.

"I have accepted Christ," answers Bush.

It's not just piety, reports CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker, it's politics. With independents and Democrats leaning toward John McCain in South Carolina's open primary, Bush believes his salvation depends on the Christian right, one-third or more of Republican voters here.

"There are a lot of conservative people in this state who happen to profess Christianity," says Bush, "and I'm working hard to win their vote."

Bush was criticized by McCain and a host of others for his recent pilgrimage to Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist stronghold where interracial dating is banned. Still, almost every conservative leader and group in the state has endorsed him.

McCain says he's not concerned, but his aides are, especially about the religious right's main issue - abortion - and some new commercials by Bush's anti-abortion backers airing all over the state.

Barbara Leonard chairs the National Coalition for Life in South Carolina, and she's voting for McCain because of his pro-life record. She says the anti-abortion establishment is more concerned with saving soft-money lobbying than saving babies.

"I do know they are upset about campaign finance reform," Leonard says. "This pro-life business has become a money-making business."

The religious right could make the difference in what has become a neck-and-neck race. Polls released over the last 24 hours by Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times suggest the race is closer than ever, basically a dead heat.

As the race tightens up, it's also getting meaner than ever, reports CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer.

Both candidates got big crowds Monday, but when Bush claimed McCain had an inconsistent voting record in the Senate, McCain said a senator had to make compromises to get things done. Then he shot back at Bush, saying, "This kind of savagery is not necessary in American political campaigns."

Bush responded, "This is not savagery, that's what we call full disclosure, full exposure."

The Los Angeles Times poll shows Bush the solid favorite among people calling themselves Republicans. ut McCain is a solid favorite among Democrats and independents, who can also vote in this primary.

Remember that McCain won in New Hampshire because he got a big turnout of independents. Clearly his appeal to independents in South Carolina is why the race there is so close.