John McCain gaining ground in GOP field

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain of Arizona says he's pleased with his progress and expects a "very tough fight" in the Iowa caucuses.

The latest polls in Iowa show McCain still in the lower tier of the Republican field, but with endorsements from The Des Moines Register and strong second-place polling in New Hampshire he hopes to get a boost in the remaining few days before the caucuses Jan. 3.

"We're getting down to the final days and we're happy with the way things are going but we've still got a very tough fight here in Iowa," McCain told reporters in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

In New Hampshire, McCain's presidential bid surged from the lower tier to a strong second place, indicating the Republican pool of presidential candidates still lacks a front-runner, The Washington Post said Thursday.

McCain's strategy calls for a victory over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in New Hampshire and strong placements in Iowa, Michigan, South Carolina and Florida amid a perceived dissatisfaction with the rest of the Republican field.