Bush Says John McCain Is a `True Conservative'
By Holly Rosenkrantz

Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said Republican presidential front-runner John McCain is a ``true conservative'' and vowed to help him gain the support of skeptics if he wins the nomination.

``If John's the nominee, he's got some convincing to do'' among conservative Republicans, Bush said on today's ``Fox News Sunday.'' He added, ``I'd be glad to help him if he's the nominee -- he is very strong on national defense, he is tough fiscally, he is pro-life. His principles are sound and solid.''

The drive by McCain, an Arizona senator, to seal up the Republican nomination was slowed yesterday by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's victories in contests in Kansas and Louisiana. McCain has drawn criticism from some conservative leaders for his support of legislation, such as an immigration law overhaul, that drew opposition from most Republican lawmakers.

Bush said he isn't endorsing McCain because Huckabee is still in the race, though his former top political adviser, Karl Rove, said on CBS's ``Face the Nation'' that it's ``completely implausible'' that Huckabee could win the 83 percent of the delegates needed in the remaining contests to beat McCain.

Rove said McCain ``has a lot of work to do'' to get conservatives ``energetic and passionate and committed to doing what needs to be done to win the election in the fall.'' He said he has already contributed money to McCain's campaign because he views him as the presumptive Republican nominee.

Bush dismissed opposition to McCain as ``probably some personal animosity toward me.'' He said Huckabee is also a conservative and complimented him as ``disciplined'' because of his success at losing weight.

``You're not going to find perfection,'' Bush said, referring to conservative criticism.

Bush also said the Democrats had made a ``tactical mistake'' by focusing their attacks on him. He criticized Illinois Senator Barack Obama's views on foreign policy, saying, ``I certainly don't know what he believes in.''

Hillary Clinton

The president defended former Democratic President Bill Clinton for his role in campaigning for his wife, New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

``I can understand why President Clinton wants to campaign hard for his wife,'' said Bush, adding that ``these accusations that Bill Clinton is a racist I think is just wrong.''

Clinton has drawn fire by comparing Obama's South Carolina victory to that of black leader Jesse Jackson, who won the state's Democratic presidential primaries in 1984 and 1988.

Bush and other top Republicans, including Rove, have long said they think Hillary Clinton is the strongest Democrat in that party's race. Rove today said he expects Clinton to ``climb back into the lead'' in delegates against Obama.

On the economy, Bush said he will sign an economic stimulus measure Feb. 13 and that he'll ``play by ear'' on whether more help is needed for the economy. ``I don't want to overreact and leave behind regulations that would hurt future economic growth,'' Bush said.

Interrogation Techniques

Bush also defended U.S. interrogation techniques used against suspected terrorists, saying that ``whatever we have done is legal.'' Central Intelligence Agency Director Michael Hayden last week testified in Congress that waterboarding was employed in questioning Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged planner of the Sept. 11 attacks, and two other al-Qaeda leaders. Waterboarding is usually performed by tying a suspect to a board and pouring water through a cloth that covers the face.

Vice President Dick Cheney last week referred to the use of harsh interrogation techniques as ``a tougher program for tougher customers.''
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