The Associated Press
ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
The Associated Press
Presidential candidate and Arizona Sen. John McCain said Friday he’s pleased with where his campaign and fundraising efforts are less than 100 days before the nation’s first primary.
McCain returned to Arizona for a whirlwind day of fundraising, attending one private event in Tucson and three more in the Phoenix area before a planned return to Washington on Saturday.
Despite trailing front-runners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney in fundraising and polling, McCain said, “I’ve never run a campaign based on money to start with . . . but most importantly, we have sufficient funds to do what we need to do, and the polls continue to show a pretty steady, upward tick.”
McCain said his campaign is concentrating on town hall meetings – “retail politics” – and again has brought out his “Straight Talk” campaign bus that was so popular during the 2000 presidential campaign that he lost to George Bush.
His swing through Arizona comes a day after his campaign announced he had raised $6 million in the past three months and has $3.6 million cash on hand.
McCain said he did not know how much his Arizona events were likely to raise, but called them critical because they tap into the heart of his political base.
McCain countered criticism that he’s spent too little time in the state, and perhaps in the Senate on behalf of the state, saying he believes most Arizonans are proud of his presidential aspirations.
“We’re still confident that people understand what I’m doing and what it requires when you’re running for president,” he said.