McCain Courting Iowa Conservatives

Republican Sen. John McCain is courting conservative activists, crucial to any White House hopes, in an early test of his political strength.

He has his work cut out for him in Iowa.

"I don't want to say it's an insurmountable hurdle, but it's a big, big hill to climb," said Steve Scheffler, who heads the Iowa Christian Alliance, formerly the Christian Coalition. "There's no support for McCain in this constituency, and I don't see how you can make a scenario where you can bypass us."

The Arizona senator, who skipped Iowa's leadoff caucuses in his unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2000, planned a hectic itinerary through the state Thursday, raising money for local politicians and wooing conservatives in private meetings.

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