GOP Ad Wars Ad Infinitum

They were back-to-back, but not face-to-face.

Arizona Senator John McCain and Texas Governor George W. Bush quarreled over campaign ads in separate appearances on CBS News' Face The Nation on Sunday. Bush and McCain are days away from Super Tuesday, when 13 states hold GOP presidential contests. One major battleground state: New York, second only to California with its 101 delegates.

The Empire State is ground zero in the GOP candidates' bickering over campaign ads. McCain pulled no punches about his Republican rival.

"I'm just offended. I'm just offended. I wonder if someone who would treat a situation like that is ready for prime-time."

Bush defended his campaign's tactics - and said it's time to change the subject.

"The problem with discussing all these ads - and it's fine to discuss them - is that it doesn't allow me time to discuss what I want to do for America."

In New York, the Bush campaign paid for an ad that attacks McCain's votes against breast cancer research funding in Congress. That issue is a major concern on New York's Long Island, key territory in any Empire State GOP primary. McCain maintains the ad distorts his votes, noting he has supported funding on many other occasions.

Then came the ad that rips McCain's environmental record. Dirty pool, cried the senator. Sam Wyly, a wealthy Texan with ties to the Governor, paid for that ad, but also claimed he did so without the Bush camp's knowledge. So-called "independent expenditures" are not subject to federal campaign finance rules.

McCain told Face The Nation he doesn't buy the story.

"It's disgraceful and shameful conduct. But I think that they (the Bush campaign) came in too early" with the ads, said the Senator.

Referring to other Super Tuesday states, McCain predicted GOP primary voters nationwide will reject those ads "at the polls, not only in New York, but in Ohio and California.

"He (McCain) can try to convert this into something different, but this is a man who said he is going to eliminate pork. We listed the pork he said he was going to eliminate."

As for the environmental ad, the Governor told Face The Nation he demanded proof from McCin of collusion between his campaign and Wyly.

"The allegation that I'm involved with this is totally ridiculous, uncalled for," said Bush.

"People have the right to run ads, the right to do what they want, to do under the First Amendment in America."

Whether so-called independent ads are positive or negative towards him, Bush added, "I don't think the ads are particularly helpful to me."

McCain encountered more aftermath from his sharp attack on the religious right. On the eve of last week's Virginia GOP primary, McCain blasted the Revs. Falwell and Pat Robertson - both Christian conservative icons - as "agents of intolerance". Since then, Falwell has said he would support McCain if he's the GOP standard bearer.

But would the Senator welcome that?

"Not unless Mr. Falwell changes his views about a lot of issues. I welcome the vote of anyone who supports my views and ideas. But his and mine are in strong opposition to each other."

Bush and McCain might have squared off again on CBS News over the weekend, but that was not to be.

The Governor scrapped a planned interview on CBS News' 60 Minutes on Sunday after McCain aides demanded equal time.

Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes said the campaign saw the interview as "a good opportunity to speak to a lot of people", but then cancelled because giving McCain equal time "changed the nature of the interview request."

"They said they would understand if we decided not go to forward, and so that's what we decided to do," Hughes said.

Given the campaign calendar, CBS News decided that devoting a segment to Bush alone would be unfair to McCain. Producers approached the Bush camp about alternatives, but none was acceptable.

"With him accepting at that late hour so close to Super Tuesday, we felt it would be necessary to have Senator McCain either in the same segment, different interviews on the same show or some way to give it balance," CBS News spokesman Kevin Tedesco said.

A McCain campaign aide said Bush's backing out was not surprising.

"On the eve of Super Tuesday, he clearly is not interested in a free-flowing exchange of ideas on one of the most-watched television shows in the country," said McCain campaign spokesman Todd Harris.

"What is he afraid of? It's no accident he's turning this down as news is breaking on the $2.5 million being dumped into this campaign by his cronies."

On Face The Nation, McCain offered qualified support for Bush if his rival became the Republican nominee.

"I expect Governor Bush to change. I expect him to run an entirely different campaign than the kind that he's run in this primary." said McCain.

And the Arizona Senator squelched any idea about his leaving the GOP to mount a third party bid for the White House.

"The Republican Party is my home." he said.