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Posted: February 7, 2008 6:58 PM
McCain Pleads for GOP Unity in Appeal to Conservatives
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Hours after his most serious rival, Mitt Romney, dropped out of the GOP race, Arizona Sen. John McCain struck a mollifying tone Thursday afternoon when addressing the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

McCain told the crowd at a D.C. hotel that he spoke on the phone with Romney, offering congratulations for “running an energetic and dedicated campaign” and that the two agreed on the importance of a unified Republican party.

“I know I have a responsibility, if I am, as I hope to be, the Republican nominee for president, to unite the party and prepare for the great contest in November,” the senator told the conservative activists.

“And I am acutely aware that I cannot succeed in that endeavor, nor can our party prevail over the challenge we will face from either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, without the support of dedicated conservatives,” he said.

But as the all-but-certain nominee, McCain faces an uphill battle to make party unity a reality.

MSNBC’s First Read analyzed his standing this way: “McCain is walking a fine line: He’s on the verge of nabbing the GOP nomination, which is usually the time when a nominee-to-be starts shifting his rhetoric to the center. But right now, that’s the last thing McCain can do. He’s got to reassure folks on the right. But with Clinton and Obama still battling, McCain does have one thing going for him as he tries to placate conservatives: time.”

David Bossie of the conservative Citizens United group said on Thursday’s NewsHour that McCain got a much more welcome reception than expected.

McCain ascended to front-runner status in the GOP race because Huckabee, Thompson and Romney split the conservative vote, Bossie said.

“I think at some point we’re going to have to hold our nose and vote for this guy,” Bossie said, adding that he must select a more conservative running mate.

At the start of his CPAC speech, McCain thanked the audience more than a dozen times as their applause dragged on, but partway through the speech he got booed when he mentioned his support during last year’s Senate debate for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. McCain has since said border security must come first.

Here’s how Politico described the scene: “‘On the issue of immigration,’ McCain began before being interrupted by boos and audible grumbling. McCain smiled, pausing for a moment before his audience, which included some of his staffers and top volunteers, began to cheer loudly and hold up his signs. ‘A position which still provokes the outspoken opposition of many conservatives,’ he said, still smiling as he continued.”

CPAC attendees were reportedly even told to play nice before McCain spoke, Politico reported.

“We’ve been instructed to tell participants not to boo McCain,” a CPAC staffer reportedly told an attendee the night efore the conference began.

Then again, McCain hasn’t always found friendly audiences in the past.