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January 31, 2007

The Daily Troika: Oh, Gramm Mitt; McCain Has A Majority in SC

troi.GIF Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) won't attend the Republican Study Committee's annual retreat in person Friday, but his campaign insists that it's not a deliberate snub. They're blaming overscheduling, and we';ve learned that they're sending a popular conservative in McCain's place: Ex-Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX), the balanced-budget hawk who is coordinating McCain's domestic policy for the campaign.

We'd hazard a guess that any RSC member who feels suitably snubbed enough not to support McCain probably had no intention of ever supporting him. Gov. Mitt Romney will also speak.

McCain this morning unveiled his House whip team: Reps. Fred Upton (MI), Spencher Bachus (AL), John Shadegg (AZ), John Shimkus (IL), Mark Kirk (IL) and Dan Lungren (CA).

Also: on the heels of Romney's trip to South Carolina, McCain's campaign will announce the endorsements today of a majority of Republicans in the SC House of Representatives -- 40 in all. This includes the South Carolina Speaker of the House and the Republican Majority Leader. The full list can be found after the jump. Finally: McCain today picks up the endorsement of the leader of the biggest anti-gun control group in Michigan, Chuck Perricone, also a former MI House Speaker.

Squibs:

  • When we asked Team Romney about whether Ralph Reed was joining as an adviser, we recieved a denial. The Politico's Jonathan Martin coaxed a more equivocal answer out of Kevin Madden: "He doesn't have a formal role in our campaign organization." So we'll see.

  • Gov. Mike Huckabee unveiled two major Iowa endorsements today: former lieutenant governor candidate Bob Vander Plaats, and ex-IA Speaker Pro-Tem Danny Carroll. Vander Platts is from Sioux City and his run in '06 helped fortify Jim Nussle's standing with conservatives. He's got a small, vocal base of support. Carroll spent 12 years in IA's legislature. We know that Team Romney had been courting Vander Plaats. BTW: Tim Moran, Vander Plaats's best organizer, works for Romney now.

  • Attention: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not endorse in the primary. That is all.
    [MARC AMBINDER]

    STATE REPRESENTATIVES SUPPORTING SENATOR MCCAIN

    Speaker Bobby Harrell

    Charleston & Dorchester Counties

    Speaker Pro-Tempore Doug Smith

    Spartanburg County

    House Majority Leader Jim Merrill

    Berkeley & Charleston Counties

    Representative Bruce Bannister

    Greenville County

    Representative Kenny Bingham

    Lexington County

    Representative Joan Brady

    Richland County

    Representative Catherine Ceips

    Beaufort County

    Representative Converse Chellis

    Charleston & Dorchester Counties

    Representative Bill Cotty

    Kershaw & Richland Counties

    Representative Kris Crawford

    Florence County

    Representative Tom Dantzler

    Berkeley & Charleston Counties

    Representative Ralph Davenport

    Spartanburg County

    Representative Tracy Edge

    Horry County

    Representative Marion Frye

    Lexington & Saluda Counties

    Representative Mike Gambrell

    Abbeville & Anderson Counties

    Representative Carl Gullick

    York County

    Representative Ben Hagood

    Charleston County

    Representative Nelson Hardwick

    Horry County

    Representative Jim Harrison

    Richland County

    Representative Gloria Haskins

    Greenville County

    Representative Bill Herbkersman

    Beaufort County

    Representative Shirley Hinson

    Berkeley County

    Representative Phillip Lowe

    Florence & Sumter Counties

    Representative Jay Lucas

    Chesterfield, Darlington, Kershaw & Lancaster Counties

    Representative Joe Mahaffey

    Spartanburg County

    Representative Gene Pinson

    Greenwood County

    Representative Mike Pitts

    Abbeville, Greenwood, & Laurens Counties

    Representative Wallace Scarborough

    Charleston County

    Representative Gary Simrill

    York County

    Representative Donald Smith

    Aiken & Edgefield Counties

    Representative Garry Smith

    Greenville County

    Representative Murrell Smith

    Clarendon & Sumter Counties

    Representative Roland Smith

    Aiken County

    Representative Adam Taylor

    Greenville & Laurens Counties

    Representative Mac Toole

    Lexington County

    Representative David Umphlett

    Berkeley County

    Representative Thad Viers

    Horry County

    Representative Bill Whitmire

    Oconee County

    Representative Bill Witherspoon

    Horry County

    Representative Annette Young

    Charleston & Dorchester Counties



    Posted at 11:39 AM

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