WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, December 30) -- Republican Sen. John McCain, an independent-minded conservative who spent 5 1/2 years in a prison camp during the Vietnam War, filed papers with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Wednesday to form a presidential exploratory committee.

The filing is considered a first step in formally advancing a campaign for a presidential nomination. The committee will be co-chaired by former Sen. Warren Rudman (R-New Hampshire) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona).

Senior advisers to McCain, an Arizona Republican, say it is all but certain that McCain will run for the Republican nomination for president in 2000. McCain is not expected to formally announce his campaign for several weeks, however. The senator is on vacation in Fiji and will return to Arizona in the next few days. He is due to attend a conservative gathering in Phoenix Friday.

Rudman told The Associated Press the FEC filing "marks the first significant step forward in a campaign for president by John McCain."

Rudman said McCain has received significant encouragement to run in 2000 from "a wide array of people over the last several months."

"Many, many Republicans and Americans yearn for a new kind of leadership," Rudman told the AP. "John McCain is unique in his ability to offer conservative, independent experienced leadership. That's why we believe he must seriously consider running for president in 2000."

Other Republicans looking at making a presidential bid in 2000 include Texas Gov. George W. Bush, Sen. John Ashcroft of Missouri, magazine publisher Steve Forbes, former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Education Secretary and Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander.

McCain, 62, has served in the Senate since 1986. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982.

While conservative, McCain has not hesitated to break with other Republicans on some issues -- notably campaign finance reform and tobacco regulation. On both fronts, his legislative initiatives in the 105th Congress failed.

In June, the Senate killed a $516 billion anti-smoking bill, including a $1.10-a-pack tax hike, that McCain had proposed.

In September, a campaign finance overhaul bill that he and Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wisconsin) co-sponsored also died. The measure would have banned so-called "soft money" donations to political parties, expanded disclosure requirements and regulated issue ads.

McCain was 31 when his Navy jet was shot down over Hanoi on October 26, 1967. In the crash, he suffered two broken arms, a shoulder and a knee.

While little known to the general public, McCain also is remembered for his role in the "Keating Five" scandal from 1989 through 1991.

McCain and four other senators were chastised by the Senate Ethics Committee for intervening with federal savings and loan regulators on behalf of disgraced financier Charles H. Keating.

The ethics panel found that McCain showed poor judgment in his efforts for Keating, who had been a major contributor to McCain's campaign. McCain later turned over $112,000 in campaign contributions from Keating to the U.S. Treasury.

Wednesday, December 30, 1998

• Hyde opposes preliminary vote on impeachment
• Poll: Bill, Hillary top most admired list
• Hastert will run for House speaker
• Gingrich pays off ethics penalty
• Sen. McCain prepares for a presidential bid
• Clinton announces plan to reorganize foreign affairs agencies
• Clinton starts New Year's retreat
• U.S. relaxes encryption restrictions
• Andrew Johnson gets wreath on grave
• Big spenders did well in '98 vote
• Sen. McCain exploring bid for GOP presidential nomination

ARCHIVES