WASHINGTON (AFP) - Soul searching Republicans are turning to an unlikely savior, one-time party heretic and now presumptive White House nominee John McCain, as they try to stave off an electoral disaster.
Stung by the Democratic seizure of three staunch conservative seats in Congress, Republican lawmakers fear a shellacking in November's general election, after losing control of both chambers of Congress in 2006.
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As they surveyed the damage Wednesday, Republican House leaders rolled out the first elements of a new agenda, dubbed "The Change You Deserve," pinpointing the struggles of working families.
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Democrats see their win streak as a referendum on the unpopular president and dream of an electoral landslide after a Washington Post/ABC poll this week found eight in ten Americans think the country is on the wrong track.
Tom Cole, who heads Republican congressional campaign efforts, delivered an unusually stark warning, telling his party's candidates "to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall."
But Adam Putnam, chairman of the House Republican conference, suggested Republicans could prosper without their president up for reelection.
"The President is not on the ballot," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/pl_afp/usvotecongressmccain_080515073312