John McCain: A man in demand for the GOP - By Paul Steinhauser CNN

October 26, 2010

CNN) - Seven days until the midterm elections and Sen. John McCain is not in his home state of Arizona.







While the four-term Republican senator is up for re-election next week, McCain's in West Virginia Tuesday, helping out businessman John Raese, the GOP's Senate nominee in the state, who's battling Gov. Joe Manchin for an open seat that's been in Democratic party hands for over half a century.

West Virginia is the tenth state the McCain's visited to team up with fellow Republicans on the campaign trail. He's joined GOP Senate nominees Carly Fiorina in California, Mark Kirk in Illinois, Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire, and gubernatorial nominees Meg Whitman in California, Susana Martinez in New Mexico, and Charlie Baker in Massachusetts. McCain's also made stops for candidates in Virginia, Illinois, and Vermont.

Monday McCain did a conference call with reporters on behalf of Dino Rossi, the party's Senate nominee in Washington State, and he's recorded a robo-call for Sharron Angle, the Republican challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada.

And McCain's campaign says the senator has contributed around $1 million to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. McCain's also been very visible in his home state, helping out Arizona Republicans on the ballot this November.

"Senator McCain knows that Republicans have an incredible opportunity to get America back on track, and he's working hard to help seize it," McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers tells CNN.






One reason for McCain's extensive travel is that he faces a relatively easy re-election battle back home. After decisively winning an August primary over former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, in a contest that at one time was considered competitive, McCain's not felt much political heat. He's considered the overwhelming favorite in the general election against Democratic nominee Rodney Glassman, a businessman and former city councilman in Tucson.






Another factor for McCain's popularity as a surrogate on the campaign trail may be his apparent more conservative stance the past two years on crucial issues and his tough talk that he's directed towards the man who beat him in the 2008 election, President Barack Obama. McCain has also been a vocal critic of many congressional Democrats.