McCain visits Denver for fundraiser

DENVER – Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain was in Denver Thursday afternoon looking for votes and some fresh funds for his campaign.

McCain (R-Ariz.) was joined by his one-time rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Romney won the Colorado Republican caucuses by a 3-to-1 margin on Super Tuesday and stood with McCain Thursday afternoon.

The two Republicans were very complimentary of one another during Thursday's news conference. The two only spoke with the media for about 10 to 15 minutes and McCain opened up his remarks by calling Colorado a key battleground state in the upcoming national election.

"We have united our party. We now are going to have to re-energize our party and energize them for a very, very tough race this November," said McCain. "Colorado will be a battleground state. We will work hard here."

He says he knows he did not do well in Colorado in February and talked about how he hopes the relationship with Romney will help him.

"Where Governor Romney, I think, can play such an important role is to energize our party. We're going to have to understand that we have a tough challenge. That we're going to have to get out our vote, we're going to have to organize our volunteers. We're going to have to do the things that win elections," said McCain.

"I support him enthusiastically, endorse his campaign and hope that my friends here in Colorado are just as active in supporting him as they've been in supporting the other great candidates in the past," said Romney. "It's important, I think, for all of us who care about the future of America not to sit back and see how this election turns out but to become actively involved."

Members of Colorado's Democratic Party say that McCain represents nothing more than a third term in the Bush presidency.

"I think his biggest weakness is that he's the same as George Bush. If you look at George Bush and Dick Cheney's popularity ratings, he is kind of indistinguishable from them in terms of his policy," said Pat Waak, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party.

Colorado Republicans remain confident they will do well in our state.

"I have no doubt in my mind Democrats think they will carry Colorado. They will be sorely disappointed," said Colorado GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams.

During McCain's visit, union families with the AFL-CIO held a protest outside the Denver Athletic Club.

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