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McCain: "Confident We Can Succeed"

(CBS)
From CBS News' Dante Higgins:

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. -- Fresh from New York where he raised money during the day, John McCain spoke at an American Legion in James Island, S.C. as part of his effort to mobilize his military voter base in the Palmetto State.

The smoke-filled room was packed with veterans, their wives and sprinkled with camouflage uniforms of men on break from their current tours in Iraq.

McCain seemed really excited as did his audience. People yelled out, "Here, here!" or "That's right," as the Senator explained his positions on almost everything.

When McCain is in a good mood, he jokingly refers to people as jerks, as he did to one audience member who asked him to sing "BOMB BOMB BOMB, IRAN." A few months ago, McCain got in a bit of hot water when he sang those words to the tune of the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann."

After the event, he told reporters he will win New Hampshire and continue campaigning hard in South Carolina. He also weighed in on Mike Huckabee's recent surge in the polls.

"Things are in such a state of flux with up and down you know three weeks ago Huckabee was very well down now he's up so it's really hard to know what the scenario would be."

"We just keep pressing on with our campaign. I am happy with the polls nationally, I'm happy with them in New Hampshire. We've got a lot of work to do and we're working hard. And I think we can succeed here ... I am confident we can succeed," he said.

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