Yesterday we reported on Senator John McCain campaigning for fellow Republican Senator George Allen in Virginia. The Arizona Republican isn't letting grass grow under his feet - he's on the move, campaigning again for another Republican Senator, Mike DeWine in Ohio. Chris Cillizza reports on the race at The Washington Post's political blog The Fix:
McCain Stumps for DeWineArizona Sen. John McCain has traveled the country this year in support of Republican candidates (and his own presidential aspirations). But rarely has he devoted as much time to a single candidate as he will later this week in support of Sen. Mike DeWine -- one of the most endangered Republicans up for re-election this November.
McCain will spend two full days with DeWine on Sunday and Monday, raising money and campaigning with the Ohio Republican all over the state. On Sunday afternoon McCain appears at a DeWine fundraiser in Findlay, Ohio, hosted by Rep. Mike Oxley (R), who will retire at the end of his current term. On the same night the two Senators are in Aurora, Ohio for a picnic -- $1,000 per person for the VIP reception, $100 per person for the general reception.
On Monday, McCain and DeWine are in Hanoverton, Ohio for an event at the Spread Eagle Tavern and Inn ($1,000 per person for the VIP luncheon. $100 per person for the general luncheon). Come Monday night McCain and DeWine will be in Akron, Ohio -- Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown's political backyard -- to headline a Summut County party dinner.
Why so much attention?
Read the whole post at link above. Cillizza sees this as political payback for DeWine's support in 2000, but it could be McCain simply wants to help Republican Senators. As noted above, he was in Virginia campaigning for George Allen, considered a potential rival for the 2008 GOP nomination for President, so it isn't simply paying back those who supported his first run.
UPDATE 2:15 a.m.: I forgot to add - Cillizza concludes the "payback" by the number of events McCain has scheduled with DeWine, which do exceed his events, say, with Allen. But DeWine is in a much tougher race, and is behind in the latest polls. His opponent, far-left Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown, is attracting strong support from Democrats outside Ohio who sense the chance of picking up the seat, so McCain's greater attention could equally be explained by the tighter contest.
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2006 Senate Race, McCain, Ohio
Comments (2)
Deserved or undeserved, McC... (Below threshold)1. Posted by yetanotherjohn | August 18, 2006 10:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Deserved or undeserved, McCain has a reputation for putting himself before party. It makes perfect sense to try an repair that image by helping other senators to win re-election. If he can show he was a key factor in the GOP retaining its majority, that would bode well for him in 2008.
It also gives him access and introduction to party faithful in each of those states. Nothing like that sort of personal history to help build a campaign organization during the primaries.
1. Posted by yetanotherjohn | August 18, 2006 10:46 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 18, 2006 10:46
2. Posted by Jim Addison | August 18, 2006 12:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
True - in politics, you can help yourself a lot by helping others.
The classic example of that is Richard Nixon. After losing the California gubernatorial race in 1962, he withdrew from politics. Everyone had written him off completely. But after the 1964 LBJ landslide, Nixon began quietly criss-crossing the country, raising money for Republican candidates and state and local parties. There was almost no race too small, no county too remote for him to visit.
By late 1967, there weren't too many state parties or Republican officeholders who didn't owe him a favor. And we all know the rest - the greatest political comeback in American history.
2. Posted by Jim Addison | August 18, 2006 12:35 PM |
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Posted on August 18, 2006 12:35