February 13, 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican House of Representative leaders publicly backed presidential front-runner John McCain on Wednesday as he promised to campaign in all 50 U.S. states to help his party win back control of the chamber.
One day after winning primaries in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, the Arizona senator met with House leaders in an effort to unite the party behind his all-but-certain nomination.
"I intend to campaign, if I'm the nominee of the party, to campaign in every state of the union," McCain said.
McCain has had a sometimes-rocky relationship with his Republican colleagues in the U.S. Congress and has struggled to win over conservatives who have been angered by his efforts to rein in congressional spending, curb the influence of money in politics and overhaul immigration laws.
"I've had some disagreements with Senator McCain over the years, but I've got to tell you, I've watched this presidential race unfold and I've watched John McCain be a strong advocate for principles that I believe in," said Ohio Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader, citing his support for the Iraq war and anti-abortion stance.
The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, led an effort to overturn McCain's signature campaign finance law in the Supreme Court.
"They don't speak to me. I'm an outcast and a pariah," McCain joked when asked about his reception in the Senate after a long stretch on the campaign trail.
Even after McCain all but wrapped up the nomination with coast-to-coast primary victories last week and swept the three primaries in the nation's capital region on Tuesday, his top remaining rival Mike Huckabee won two out of three contests last Saturday.
"I believe this contest is over and I think it's
produced the best possible nominee for us to take back the House," said House
Republican Whip Roy Blunt, of Missouri.
