McCain touts attributes for presidency

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday his conservative political and philosophical beliefs make him the best candidate for U.S. president.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination said he would make a better president than the Democrats' top contenders, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

"I would say they would be good in the respect they're people of good character, honesty, integrity, when you look at that," he said of the rivals for the Democratic nomination. "Would they be good from a governing standpoint? Certainly not what I would do for this country."

Despite his significant lead in the ongoing primaries, McCain said he has not discounted former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"I think we've got a very good shot at it and I'm optimistic, but I think the time to do that is when Gov. Huckabee and the party decides that I am the nominee," McCain said. "He's still in the race and he said he's going to stay in and I respect that, so we'll compete."