McCain campaign for reform to continue

Jonathan Karl and Candy Crowley/CNN

March 10, 2000
Web posted at: 10:40 a.m. EST (1540 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) --John McCain's campaign for GOP delegates may have stopped at 231, but his campaign to bring about reform continues.

Asked why McCain had opted to "suspend" his campaign rather than call it quits altogether, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said Thursday, "We expect to go to the [GOP] convention in Philadelphia with those delegates and we expect the party to adopt measures that would be germane to reform."

That "puts the onus on them and the Republican party to heed the message of reform," said Davis. "If they don't pursue this issue, the party will be in danger of another cycle of losses."

On whether McCain would consider mounting a third-party candidacy, Davis said, "We believe the party will embrace reform and they are beginning to do it ... If they do that, there won't be any need to fight."

After McCain announced Thursday that he was suspending his campaign, Bush telephoned the senator; the two had what Davis described as a "very pleasant" conversation that contained "no substance."

Bush said McCain had run a good campaign, Davis said.

In his speech Thursday announcing the suspension of his campaign, McCain had said, "I congratulate Bush and wish him well."

In the call afterwards, Bush thanked McCain for his remarks, a Bush source said.

There was no talk of endorsement; there was no talk of meeting. Bush did tell McCain he looked forward to working with him, the source said.

While the future relations between the two former rivals may be uncertain, "olive branches are breaking out all over" among staffers in the ranks below the campaigns' top echelons, a source said. The source noted that many staffers in both camps know each other from previous campaigns or work on Capitol Hill.

According to a senior Bush official, the governor thinks McCain needs to take time to decide what steps to take and when to take them.

Davis said McCain plans to take a week off. Destination: somewhere outside the reach of cell phones.