McCain Driving Debate, But Some Fear Swerving

On the same day that McCain sought to respond to higher gas prices by calling for an end to the drilling moratorium, his senior policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, told reporters in a conference call that the move would not boost oil supplies or bring down gas prices in the immediate future.

A three-day trip to Florida in early June was overshadowed by questions about McCain's opposition to Everglades funding and a catastrophic insurance fund. His comment last week that it's "not important" if troops remain in Iraq distracted from a Philadelphia town hall that day.

Still, some McCain allies believe voters will turn to him if Obama's initial luster fades. "This was a guy who was above politics, and it's becoming clear that he's just another politician," Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) said of Obama. "For most voters, McCain is a safe haven."

"To be even in a . . . horse race, I find that good news," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Tex.), who chairs the Republican Study Committee. "He's clearly the one Republican, I believe, who can be victorious in November."

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) said the race is a draw, adding that McCain has the edge on terrorism and foreign policy while Obama leads on the issue of change. "They're just in the ring, circling each other, and neither is pulling the punches they might want to," he said.

Kingston said McCain does need to focus on certain elements of a modern campaign, such as his Internet operation, if he hopes to stay close with Obama. "Obama and his friends at MoveOn.org, they own the Internet right now," he said.

McCain's people continue to be aggressive in their critique of Obama, pressing what they see as a clear advantage. In a memo released to the news media Friday, Schmidt accused Obama of using words that are "empty of meaning" and of putting rhetoric above policy.

The memo said that Obama broke his word on a promise to participate in the public financing system and that he had gone back on his pledge to debate "anywhere, anytime" by refusing to meet McCain in town hall meetings every week this summer.

Davis, who is leaving Congress after this year, said McCain has the advantage of being a well-defined brand in the minds of many voters. And he said there is plenty of time left to burnish it.

"This is still skirmishing. They are still sparring. The main event won't start until after the conventions," Davis said. "This still has a long way to go. People forget that."