Sunday

McCain Moves to Capitalize On His New Hampshire Victory

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GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: With less than two weeks until the GOP presidential primary in South Carolina, Senator John McCain of Arizona is moving to capitalize on his big win over Texas Governor George W. Bush in New Hampshire. Bush's aiming to prevent that.

CNN's Kate Snow has a report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fresh from his double-digit victory in New Hampshire, Senator John McCain campaigned in three states over the weekend.

With the South Carolina's primary looming, McCain challenged the Republican Party's stance on abortion, saying he'd like to see the official platform changed.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd like to put Henry Hyde in charge of that. Henry Hyde is the author of the well- known Hyde Amendment which has exemptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. And I think it's entirely appropriate.

SNOW: Remarks that could cost conservative votes. George W. Bush has said he favors such exceptions as well, but he doesn't want the party platform rewritten.

SUSAN PAGE, "USA TODAY": George Bush was endorsed by Dan Quayle who has a lot of support among religious conservatives. I think that McCain is a candidate who may have the least appeal to voters who vote on that issue.

SNOW: The candidates are sparring on taxes too.

A new Bush ad airing in South Carolina:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, BUSH CAMPAIGN AD)

NARRATOR: John McCain's ad about Governor Bush's tax plan isn't true, and McCain knows it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW (voice-over); McCain claimed to be the only GOP candidate who would not spend every dime of the budget surplus on a tax cut. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, BUSH CAMPAIGN AD)

NARRATOR: On taxes, McCain echoes Washington Democrats when we need a conservative leader to challenge them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW (voice-over): McCain says his opponents are determined to blunt his New Hampshire momentum.

MCCAIN: They're coming at me from all sides. The national pro- life people are attacking me, the tobacco companies are attacking me, everybody is attacking me. I'm like Luke Skywalker, trying to get through the death star.

SNOW (voice-over): But Bush supporters say McCain is no victim, nor is he the Washington outsider he claims to be.

KARL ROVE, BUSH CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST: Senator McCain is a 17- year-old Washington insider whose accomplishments are few and far between.

SNOW (on-camera): Before the New Hampshire primary, McCain was clearly the underdog in South Carolina. But a new poll shows McCain, with the help of independents and moderates, edging slightly ahead of the governor, with less than two weeks to go before the primary.

Kate Snow, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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