McCain campaign worries delegates may support Bush

LANSING (AP) - As Michigan Republicans begin holding meetings to choose the delegates for the GOP National Convention, some backers of U.S. Sen. John McCain worry that George W. Bush supporters will get the seats that should go to them.

McCain spokesman Todd Harris said yesterday that he's hearing Michigan Gov. John Engler - one of Texas Gov. Bush's biggest advocates - may be trying to get Bush supporters into some of the delegate spots won by McCain in Michigan's Feb. 22 GOP presidential primary.

McCain won Michigan 51 percent to 43 over Bush, picking up 52 of the state's 58 national convention delegates.

But two-thirds of voters who identified themselves in exit polls as Republicans backed Bush in the primary. So McCain supporters attending GOP county and district conventions held to elect delegates could find themselves in the minority.

Engler spokesman John Truscott said no move is afoot to challenge McCain supporters vying for delegate spots.

"Nothing like that is happening in the state," Truscott said. "There is no talk of stealing McCain delegates."

But Harris said he has heard that supporters of Bush and Engler are pledging to challenge McCain delegates in the local conventions.

"They could not beat us in their own primary, so they are now attempting after the fact to defeat our delegates in small party caucuses and behind closed doors," Harris said.

McCain's Michigan Chairman, state Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek), plans to sit down with Engler and state GOP Chairman Rusty Hills on Monday to discuss Michigan's delegation to the July 31-Aug. 3 GOP National Convention in Philadelphia.

Unless state party rules are changed, Engler would have to attend the convention as a McCain delegate. The governor is expected to be one of 10 statewide delegates McCain won in addition to the 42 delegates he picked up in congressional districts.