McCain calls for 'common sense conservatism'

[Ron Burgundy]

McCain calls for "common sense conservatism"

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Arizona Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), taking the first step toward a 2008 White House bid, said on Thursday a return to principles of "common sense conservatism" could lead Republicans back to power after last week's election drubbing.

"We lost our principles and our majority. And there is no way to recover our majority without recovering our principles first," McCain told the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, in the first of two speeches kicking off his expected presidential campaign.

McCain, an early favorite in what promises to be a crowded Republican presidential field, filed papers with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday forming an exploratory committee that allows him to raise money and prepare for a White House campaign.

In speeches to the Federalist Society and the conservative political action group GOPAC, McCain laid out a framework for a presidential bid based on support for limited government and the reform of what he described as the party's big spending ways.

He said last week's Republican loss of power in Congress was punishment from voters angered the party had strayed too far from the conservative principles of leaders like former President Ronald Reagan.

"We increased the size of government in the false hope that we could bribe the public into keeping us in office," McCain said, adding Americans "still prefer common sense conservatism to the alternative."

He said common sense conservatives valued a strong defense but also strong alliances, limited government, individual rights, low taxes, free trade and open markets. McCain said Republicans should lead the fight against special interests.

"Common sense conservatives believe that the government that governs least governs best," McCain said, urging Republicans to "show Americans there are things that matter more to us than our incumbency."

McCain, who lost a bitter nomination battle to President George W. Bush in 2000 after lashing out at some religious conservative leaders, has worked hard since then to mend fences with the party establishment and build support among conservatives.

The one-time maverick campaigned for Bush in 2004, appeared at the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University earlier this year and has been one of the biggest supporters of the Iraq war in Congress.

McCain, 70, a decorated Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war, said the war could be won with a national commitment to victory and more combat troops.

"Without additional combat forces we will not win this war," McCain said. "The situation in Iraq is dire, but I believe victory is still attainable."

Public opinion polls show McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who already has formed an exploratory committee, are early leaders in a crowded field of potential Republican candidates.

Other possible contenders include Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, New York Gov. George Pataki, former Bush cabinet member Tommy Thompson and Sens. Bill Frist of Tennessee and Sam Brownback of Kansas. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter (news, bio, voting record) of California entered the race last month.

McCain laced his speech to GOPAC with references to former Republican Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Reagan and their battles to rein in special interests.

He said Reagan led the party back from a big election loss in 1976 through principled leadership.

"We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place -- to serve a cause greater than our self-interest," he said.

McCain says he plans to confer with his family over the Christmas holidays before making a final decision on a presidential bid, although he is widely expected to run.