For His Big Coming Out, McCain Plays A Sour Note

On a week when Senator John McCain had his coming out on David Letterman, he was battered both from the left and the right. On Wednesday, he told CBS's David Letterman that he would formally announce his presidential candidacy in April -- which had been expected -- but also said the Iraq war had "wasted" American lives.

After Democrats complained that he was dishonoring the troops, he withdrew the remark yesterday. "I should have used the word 'sacrificed,' as I have in the past," he said contritely.The Arizona Republican is under fire this afternoon from conservatives who are offended that he declined to speak today at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Washington, which other GOP candidates will address.

This is stirring up another wave of criticism from activists on the right who don't trust McCain to back them on tax cuts and other issues, and who oppose his views on immigration and campaign-finance overhaul. Further, McCain's support for President Bush's increase of U.S. troops in Iraq is drawing criticism from Democrats and may be hurting McCain in the polls.

A new series of public-opinion surveys show McCain losing ground to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination. The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll gave Giuliani 44 percent support among Republicans to McCain's 21, Newt Gingrich's 15, and Mitt Romney's 4.

McCain supporters say the problems will pass and he will surge back into the lead in the coming weeks and get a big boost when he announces his candidacy next month. One key backer says Republicans, Democrats, and independents will be drawn to him as a conservative with "experience, character, and strong leadership abilities."

A spokesman for John McCain argued strenuously this morning that the senator hadn't had a bad week at all. Giuliani's high poll numbers are artificially inflated and will decline once Republicans really scrutinize him, the spokesman told U.S. News.

He added that voters continue to think very favorably of McCain, and he is raising lots of money and garnering many high-profile endorsements, including the backing of popular Senator John Warner of Virginia in recent days. McCain actually came across well on Letterman -- "likable" and "funny" -- the spokesman said, adding that his gaffe over the "wasted lives" of U.S. soldiers won't hurt him because he is so well known as a lifelong supporter of the military.

And the spokesman concluded that rank-and-file conservatives across the country still admire McCain and will come back to him in the GOP caucuses and primaries of next year.

By Kenneth T. Walsh