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McCain, GOP secretly courting another Dem to switch
Republicans are stepping up their efforts to persuade more House Democrats to switch parties and are zeroing in on a second-term Pennsylvanian who acknowledged the efforts but said he has "no plans" to do so. Democratic Rep. Chris Carney received a phone call Wednesday from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) asking him to consider becoming a Republican, a top GOP official told POLITICO. Carney's office at first did not comment other than to acknowledge the call, but Carney released a statement Wednesday night saying, in part, "I appreciate the Republican Party's outreach, but I have no plans to change parties." DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen spoke to Carney Wednesday and received assurance that the Pennsylvanian was not switching, according to a senior Democratic aide. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's aides talked to Carney staffers, as well, and received the same assurance. In a brief interview, McCain declined to offer details about his conversation with Carney. "I just said, 'Whatever you do, I know that you'll make the right decision for the country,'" said the Arizonan. A source familiar with the call said that Republicans thought Carney might be susceptible to McCain's entreaty because, like the senator, the 50-year-old House member served in the Navy . McCain's call to Carney comes one day after freshman Alabama Democrat Parker Griffith announced that he was uncomfortable with his party's direction and was becoming a Republican. Posted by: Fred 2009-12-25 |
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