Like Giuliani, New York G.O.P. Rushes to McCain


By SAM ROBERTS
Published: January 31, 2008
New York’s Republican establishment rushed to embrace Senator John McCain on Wednesday, with party leaders expressing confidence that his appeal to independents could help fend off a Democratic sweep that might cost them the State Senate in November.

Party leaders warmly praised their vanquished favorite son, Rudolph W. Giuliani, but coupled their compliments with scathing rebukes of the strategy that they blamed for his implosion.

Following the lead of former Mayor Giuliani, who endorsed Mr. McCain on Wednesday, Giuliani supporters were also gravitating to Mr. McCain in New Jersey, if not as uniformly, and in Connecticut, which Mr. McCain carried in the 2000 primary against George W. Bush.

In winner-take-all primaries on Feb. 5, Republicans in the three states will award 15 percent of the delegates needed for their party’s presidential nomination.

Five candidates — Mr. McCain, Mr. Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul — remain on the Republican ballot in New York (Fred D. Thompson, too, in New Jersey, and in Connecticut, where Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes will also be listed).

With 21 states holding Republican primaries the same day, none of the candidates said they had reserved television or radio advertising time in New York so far. Only Mr. McCain had scheduled a public appearance, a rally on the morning of Primary Day.

“I think McCain wins New York,â€