McCain To Stump For House

Sen. John McCain will make his initial campaign foray on behalf of House Republican candidates early next month, officials say.

Wednesday's disclosure came shortly after McCain held an unannounced meeting in his Senate office with Rep. Tom Davis, the head of the House GOP campaign committee.

Two GOP aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said McCain's first campaign swing would be in the Northeast. One added that McCain would likely campaign for Mark Nielsen, challenging Rep. Jim Maloney in Connecticut, and Greg Becker, running against Rep. Carolyn McCarthy in New York.

McCain has said previously that he wants to help New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is running for a Senate seat against first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

McCain won seven presidential primaries and showed strong appeal among independent voters before abandoning the race for the White House earlier this month. He appeared before the House Republican rank and file last week and offered to campaign on behalf of GOP candidates.

The meeting with Davis came one day after McCain and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the GOP presidential nominee-in-waiting, talked by phone, the latest step in a post-primary dance of reconciliation. They are expected to meet, but no date has been set.