John McCain hosted a national security roundtable in Tampa this afternoon, an effort to set himself apart from the other Republican candidates by stressing his experience and support from defense, security, and intelligence officials who are respected among conservatives. Seated before a 20 by 30 foot American flag and flanked by respected establishment figures, McCain tried to combine both steadfast support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and criticism of the Democratic candidates for "waving the white flag") with criticism of the way the Bush administration has run those wars. "I still believe the fundamental challenge of the 21st century is that of Islamic extremism ... We've got to have a new strategy." said McCain. "I would much rather lose a political campaign than lose a war."
The race here gets tighter by the hour, with the most recent poll numbers putting McCain and Romney tied at 23.3 percent, followed by Giuliani at 16 percent and Huckabee at 13 percent. While the race is becoming increasingly about the economy, where the frontrunners don't really differ that much, McCain is hoping to siphon off some voters from Giuliani, who early in the race staked himself out here as the national security candidate. After his abysmal performance in the first primary states, a number of former Giuliani supporters are now jumping ship for other campaigns – and McCain is hoping an increased emphasis on the subject will win pull those voters to his campaign.
But at the roundtable, McCain talked only briefly himself, offering few specifics about how he would increase military enrollment and funding, instead deferring to the endorsements of the others in the summit. His stable of supporters included former director of homeland security Tom Ridge, Sen. Lindsey Graham, retired U.S. Navy admirals Jerry Johnson and Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and James Woolsey, director of the CIA under Bill Clinton. "There are a couple hundred years of defending this nation at this table," said McCain. "People will judge you by the company you keep." Graham was effluent in his praise of the candidate: "I hope you get to be president not just because you're my friend, but because I think we have to get this war right, and I think you're going to get it right better than anybody else around." The panelists were also sure to mention, on several occasions, that McCain was endorsed yesterday by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.
McCain also gained the endorsement of Sen. Mel Martinez today, which is sure to give him a boost here. Martinez is the former Orange County mayor and chairman of the Republican National Committee, and he's popular with the much-coveted Cuban-American voting bloc, a group that Giuliani has been hoping to do well with.
By all accounts here, it seems that Giuliani's losses are shaping up to be McCain's gains.
--Kate Sheppard
