Sen. John McCain at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

by Mark Silva

Sen. John McCain, appearing before a wary audience of conservatives only moments after Republican rival Mitt Romney announced his withdrawal from the GOP’s presidential contest on the same Washington stage, made a critical pitch today for the backing of his party’s staunchest conservatives.

The Arizona senator’s appearance before the Conservative Political Action Convention already was freighted with political importance, with the party’s front-running candidate for president attempting to convince a core conservative constituency that he deserves their support. But now, with the surprise departure of Romney today, McMain’s mission here will be motivating these Republicans to work for him rather than turning away.

McCain arrived to a packed hotel ballroom facing a conservative crowd of young and old mixing boos with cheers – decidedly more cheers, but relentless boos nevertheless.

“I know I have a responsibility… to unite the party,’’ McCain said, calling the creativity and energy of conservatives “indispensable’’ to the party. “We have all disagreed strongly on some positions I have taken over the years… It is my sincere hope, that even you think I have erred (on some positions)… I have maintained the record of a conservative… If not, thank you for the opportunity to make my case today.

“I am proud to be a conservative,’’ said McCain, calling liberty a right conferred by “our creator,’’ not by government.

Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and an ordained Baptist minister, remains a candidate for the Republican Party’s 2008 presidential nomination. But neither he nor Rep. Ron Paul of Texas has attracted the numbers of nominating delegates that the senior senator from Arizona has in his campaign.

McCain, saying he had already spoken with Romney and pledged to work together, also commended Huckabee and wished him well in his continuing campaign. Huckabee, McCain said, “has injected some much-needed humor in the campaign.’’

McCain, noting that he had skipped this convention last year, said with a smile, “You know, we should do this more often.’’

Romney, who already has reported investing more than $35 million of his own fortune in his bid for the party’s nomination – and likely much more – declared here that it is time to step aside so that the general election campaign can get underway.

Warning that the two Democratic candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are ready to “retreat’’ from the war in Iraq, Romney said that, whatever differences he might have had with McCain, he stands by his staunch support for the war.

“If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention… I forestall the launch of a national campaign, and frankly I would be making it easier for Sen. Clinton or Obama to win,’’ Romney said to calls of “No… no… no’’ in the packed convention hall. “Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.’’

McCain has made his support of the newest U.S. military mission in Iraq – since the “surge’’ of troops got underway last year – a mainstay of his campaign for his party’s nomination. In November, however, should he become the nominee, he will face an opponent promising to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq.

Dick Armey of Texas told convention-goers here that they should be careful about holding too true to any reservations about McCain – now likely to become the party’s nominee, Armey said.

Conservatives can take part in the race and work to shape McCain’s platforms, Armey said, or they can sit it out. They can join Ann Coulter, he suggested, alluding to the conservative who has vowed to campaign for Clinton if McCain is nominated. Placing a cowboy hat on his head, Armey begged forgiveness, and said that Coulter’s remark was the dumbest thing he ever heard.

Former Sen. George Allen of Virginia took the stage in a warm-up for McCain saying: “There is no one more tenacious in Washington in stopping wasteful spending.’’

This fall, Allen said, the election will offer Americans a choice of a candidate who will “surrender in Iraq’’’ versus a leader, who will lead for success in Iraq… a leader who will work in many positive ways to improve America’s economic competitiveness…and a leader who will nominate conservative judges… and most importantly of all, a leader who will win.’’

McCain spoke here of his commitment to both “the born and the un-born…. These are my beliefs, and you need not examine only my past speeches and votes,’’ he said, in a line seemingly tailored for an earlier day, for a contest with Romney, who had evolved to a position of opposition to abortion.

“I have proudly defended my 24-year pro-life record,’’ McCain said.

“Throughout this campaign, I have defended the president’s brave decision to increase troop levels in Iraq,’’ said McCain, who had earlier criticized the Bush administration’s handling of the war.

“Surely I have held other positions that have not met with widespread approval of conservatives,’’ McCain said.

“On the issue of illegal immigration,’’ he said, and he was interrupted by boos in the hall for his support of a comprehensive immigration reform bill offering undocumented workers a chance to seek residency and eventually citizenship.

“While I and other Republican supporters of the bill were genuinely’’ concerned about securing the border, he said, they had failed to convince people of that. “I understand that,’’ he said. “It will be among my highest priorities to secure our borders first.

“All I ask of any conservative… is to judge my record as a whole,’’ McCain said, “and I am not in the habit of making promises to my country that I do not intend to keep.’’

McCain, promising “a clearly conservative approach to governing,’’ said: “I will not obscure my positions from voters whom I fear might not share them…. Conservative principles still appear to a majority of Americans, Republicans, independents and Reagan Democrats… Often elections in this country are fought within margins of small differences. This one will not be.

“We are arguing about hugely consequential things,’’ McCain said. “It’s shameful and dangerous that Senate Democrats are blocking extension of surveillance powers… to defend our country against radial extremists.

“This election is going to be about big things, not small things,’’ McCain said, promising to fight to ensure “that our principles prevail over theirs.’’

McCain vowed that he will sign no spending bill with “earmarks in it – any earmarks in it.’’ McCain also pledged not to allow “any expansion’’ of the entitlement programs “that are bankrupting us.’’ He said, instead, they must be reformed.

“Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama will raise your taxes,’’ McCain said. “I intend to cut them.’’

Promising to cut corporate tax rates from 35 to 25 percent, McCain pledged to prevent a Democratic Congress from raising taxes and in doing so “choke’’ the economy.

“They will appoint to the bench judges intent on… political changes,’’ he said. He will appoint judges who “enforce the laws.”

Obama and Clinton “will withdraw our forces from Iraq based on an arbitrary timetable’’ without regard to consequences, he said. He will heed the advice of the commanders there.

“They are very significant differences,’’ McCain said. “I intend to contest these issues on conservative grounds.’’

“We have had a few disagreements, and none of us will pretend that we won’t continue to have a few,’’ McCain said, promising to keep conservatives in counsel. “We share a conception of liberty that is the bedrock of our beliefs.’’