Sen. Martinez Backs McCain

Saturday, January 26, 2008

GOP CANDIDATES COURT LATINOS

Sen. Martinez Backs McCain

MIAMI -- The Latin Builders Association basked in the attention of four Republican candidates Friday, all of whom pledged to pay attention to issues prized by Latino voters.

While Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) came at the end of the day, as association members were sipping cocktails, he came with a key guest: Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who formally announced he is endorsing his colleague for president.

"The man that we should trust with the leadership of our nation as commander in chief ought to be John McCain," Martinez said, breaking into Spanish and English. "This is a man que habla claro. He talks straight." For good measure, Martinez added, "He's going to be Castro's worst nightmare," which prompted a round of applause from the largely Cuban American audience.

McCain told the crowd he values Martinez's support. "Mel Martinez, represents to me everything about freedom," he said, noting that he came to the United States at 15 without his parents. "It proved that in America, you will go just as far, and no less, than where your ambitions will take you, to the U.S. Senate."

Earlier in the day at the same event, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who battled in Iowa over who was most opposed to illegal immigration, said little about the issue. Romney touted his plan to pump up the economy by reducing the corporate tax rate and ending Social Security taxes for workers older than 65, while noting that he agrees with the stimulus package that Bush and congressional leaders laid out on Thursday.

Differing from his usual approach, he spoke in detail about being the head of the venture capital firm Bain Capital. Huckabee said the stimulus package was a good idea and talked up his idea of a national sales tax to fund the government, which he said could "put the IRS where the sun don't shine."

Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani also addressed the group.

-- Juliet Eilperin and Perry Bacon Jr.

REPUBLICANS ARE NECK AND NECK

Polls Show No Favorite

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- As he seeks to win over Florida Republicans in a closed primary here next week, John McCain reiterated Friday that he "earned more Republican votes than everyone else" in New Hampshire and South Carolina. The truth, however, is more complicated.

According to National Election Pool exit polls, self-identified Republicans in New Hampshire backed Mitt Romney 35 percent to McCain's 34 percent. However, registered Republicans backed McCain over Romney 37 to 33 percent.

In South Carolina, Mike Huckabee edged out McCain among self-identified Republicans 32 to 31 percent; there is no party registration in the state. The typical margin of error for exit polls is plus or minus 4 percent, so statistically they were tied.

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) acknowledged this just after McCain spoke with conservatives, saying that in the South Carolina primary contest between Huckabee and McCain, "Among conservatives in general, it was a one-point difference." Still, he argued that the senator's electability remains a strong selling point for conservative voters.

And while McCain's 95-year-old mother, Roberta, told C-SPAN's Steve Scully on Thursday that "holding their nose they're [Republicans are] going to have to take him," the senator said that he did not necessarily endorse that sentiment.

"I respect and love her," he said of his mother. "My mother and I, as much as I love her, don't always agree on every issue. My mother deserves a little bit of latitude, given the fact that she has always tried to speak in a candid fashion."

-- Juliet Eilperin

DURING THE SUPER BOWL

Fox Bars Candidates' Ads

The Fox network won't sell Super Bowl advertising time to a political candidate, according to a report published Friday.

Last week, the network had one 30-second spot still available to a candidate willing to pay about $2.7 million for the coveted commercial time. The game will be held Feb. 3, two days before Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states hold primaries.

The industry publication Advertising Age reported on its Web site Friday that Fox has decided since it cannot make time available to all the candidates, it won't make it available to any.

Fox lawyers pointed to Federal Communications Commission regulations to explain the company's decision.

Fox can refuse to sell political time in this situation and can invoke an FCC ruling that turning candidates down is reasonable in "unique, one-time-only" broadcasts where equal ad time can't be offered to all candidates, according to the report.

-- Matthew Mosk