McCain Mulling 2008 Run?
By David Paul Kuhn,
CBSNews.com chief political writer
Sen. John McCain is leaving the door open for a presidential bid in 2008. And a key adviser to the Arizona Republican says, "Those of us around him obviously want him to do it."
On Thursday, McCain told the Union Leader of Manchester, N.H., "I'm not ruling it out, but I'm not ruling it in." With all roads to the presidency running through New Hampshire, comments to the Union Leader are considered especially significant.
"Given how – I hate to say a losing campaign is successful – but how successful the 2000 campaign was, his profile, etc., he doesn't have to make a decision for 14 or 18 months," said the McCain adviser, who spoke to CBSNews.com on the condition of anonymity.
"So you won't see him out doing what some of these candidates are going to be doing. Like [Majority Leader Bill] Frist, or others, even Rudy [Giuliani]. He doesn't have to do this stuff," the adviser added.
McCain told the Union Leader he would think about a 2008 presidential bid in "maybe a couple of years," noting that President Bush had not even celebrated his second-term inauguration yet.
"Is he thinking about it? Probably in the recesses of his mind," said his adviser. "But we don't have meetings about it."
By every indication, the sometimes-maverick Republican is in lockstep with the president these days. With no White House heir apparent, in light of Vice President Dick Cheney's poor health, speculation for potential 2008 GOP candidates has already begun.
Though McCain won the New Hampshire primary in 2000, he was quickly overtaken by then-Gov. Bush. The Republican establishment fell in line behind Mr. Bush's bid and McCain eventually campaigned heavily for his onetime bitter political opponent.
In 2004, McCain threw the bulk of his political weight behind Mr. Bush as well.
"He firmly believed President Bush on national security was the better choice," the adviser said, denying any quid pro quo.
Though McCain defended Democratic Sen. John Kerry's national security credentials, he campaigned for President Bush since early 2004.
Relations between McCain and President Bush "are at their best at every level," the adviser added. "They've never been that bad between the president and senator. But they are excellent at the principal level and advisory level, they couldn't be better."
If McCain were to run, he would face some opposition from the GOP's right wing. He angered pro-gun groups by sponsoring a bill with Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, which among other things would have closed the "gun show loophole" that allows the un-registered purchase of firearms.
During his 2000 bid, McCain also raised eyebrows with Republican fundraisers by staking his candidacy on campaign finance reform.
But with the Democrats able to compete dollar-for-dollar with Republicans in 2004 for the first time in decades – and raise millions more through certain loopholes – McCain is not the finance maverick he once was.
McCain also upset the religious wing of the GOP by calling for the end of its grip over the party in 2000. But in the waning days of Mr. Bush's reelection bid, the only surrogate seemingly relied on more than McCain was former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Considered the other viable moderate Republican for 2008, Giuliani's support for abortion rights could cause him problems with conservatives.
"People forget [McCain] is pro-life, and he's the most popular pro-life Republican in the country without a doubt," the adviser said. "The problem the campaign encountered in 2000 was over money, campaign finance reform. We'll see how all that develops."