CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, April 14 (UPI) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., campaigned in Iowa Thursday to support three Republicans running for office and to mend fences after bypassing the state in 2006.
Iowa was McCain's last stop on a seven-day, six-state tour. In private meetings, his advisers alluded to a likely second run for the White House in 2008, the Washington Post reported.
Six years ago, the Arizona senator skipped Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses, choosing to make his first stand in New Hampshire, where moderates and independents play a major role in the state's primary. Then the underdog, McCain upset then-Gov. George W. Bush of Texas in New Hampshire's primary.
Iowa's Republican Party has been dominated by religious and cultural conservatives. McCain's opposition to ethanol subsidies might have also put him on the defensive.
Some Republicans say the bad feelings are in the past while McCain's criticism of the religious right in 2000 remains a potential obstacle.
Iowa Rep. Jim Leach believes McCain's war record and national stature override specific disagreements with the party's right flank. "He will be nobody's last choice," Leach said.
